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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
American and Essential, January 4, 2006
This is a fine roots album if ever there was one. Before Wilco, before Son Volt, there was Uncle Tupelo. And of all the Uncle Tupelo discs, this, in my mind, stands supreme. The songs alternate vocals between Jeff Tweedy and Jar Farrar. Farrar, in his preacher's baritone, tends to sing more politically oriented songs, songs of the early twentieth century, socialist songs focusing on coal miners unionizing or the ills of capitalism on the small man. Farrar's version of Moonshiner is like a priceless relic suspended in amber. Tweedy (his voice sounds younger and more contemporary than Farrar) also tackles some good old Americana in "I wish my Baby was Born" and "Satan, Your Kingdom must Come Down." Overall Tweedy leans more toward the personal and emotional while Farrar seems more comfortable with traditional ballads. Most of the songs are traditional tunes - folk songs, blues songs, spirituals. The guitar work is strong, with both men playing acoustic to fill out the sound. On some songs there are mandolin and violin - but it's really an acoustic guitar driven record. The band does a superb job of capturing the timelessness of the older music, and does well to blend their tunes with such a venerable canon. This is folk music as it was meant to be - raw, intense, masculine, topical. There is nothing cheesy on this record - and "Atomic Power" is probably the standout cut on the disc. Buy this music - you won't be disappointed - I guarantee!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Necessary., May 13, 2003
Watershed release from seminal rockers come crooners come whatever. Produced by R.E.M' s Peter Buck, March... sees Jay and Jeff respectively trading blows of genius. Highlights include Farrar's protest ditty "Grindstone" and Tweedys brooding "Black Eye" but perhaps most significantly the two combine on this record for unbelievable results. Most notably the breathtaking "Moonshiner" and the instrumental "Sandusky". A classic in every sense of the word. The re release features early demos of "Grindstone" and "Atomic Power" as well as a live version of "Moonshiner".
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth every penny of the asking price..., August 18, 2004
If all this CD contained was "Fatal Wound", "Sandusky", "Wipe The Clock" and the live version of "Moonshiner", it'd still be worth what Amazon wants for it and then some...
Throw in all the other tracks here, and you have a killer CD that you'll play over and over and over (like I am as I type this review).
I don't know exactly why I like Uncle Tupelo so much, but I do. I think it's just such good music, great lyrics, talented musicians that play "raw" enough for my tastes (no major overdubs or polishing", but whatever it is I love it and I just wish they had made 10 more CDs of equal quality. The other 3 are equally as good, each in their own way, but I still need more!
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