Straightaways

• Artist: Son Volt
• Rating:
• Release Date: April 22, 1997
• Genre: Rock

Review

Although none of the songs on Straightaways immediately jump off the grooves, as was the case with the band's brilliant debut, Trace, repeated spins reveal a strong effort nonetheless. Whereas former Uncle Tupelo partner Jeff Tweedy and his band, Wilco, used its sophomore release to explore new territory, Son Volt leader and songwriter Jay Farrar keeps his band mining the same country-folk vein that Uncle Tupelo quarried. There are plenty of threads to connect Straightaways to Trace, such as the expressive playing of multi-instrumentalist Dave Boquist on guitars, fiddle, banjo, and lap steel, and Farrar's forlorn vocal delivery, which could give even the weakest song emotional power. On Straightaways, his songs live on the same late-night backwoods rural highways that Trace inhabited, with song titles like "Creosote" and "Cemetery Savior" conjuring up dark imagery. The album contains plenty of high points: the aforementioned songs, as well as the lonesome "Back Into Your World" and "Last Minute Shakedown." And the only place it comes up short is the lyrics -- unlike Trace, whose songs "Windfall" and "Tear Stained Eye" stood by themselves and provided a universal feel and emotion that was easily grasped, much of the lyrical content of Straightaways seems open-ended and fragmented, with the intensity building on the haunting instrumental arrangements and Farrar's affecting vocal phrasing. ~ Jack Leaver, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Caryatid Easy	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(4:43)
Back into Your World	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(3:43)
Picking up the Signal (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(3:45)
Left a Slide (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(5:10)
Creosote (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(4:10)
Cemetery Savior (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(3:12)
Last Minute Shakedown (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(4:03)
Been Set Free (Lyrics)		Son Volt	(4:33)
No More Parades (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(3:19)
Way Down Watson (Lyrics)	Jay Farrar	Son Volt	(3:42)

Credits

Michael Heidorn (Producer), Jim Boquist (Bass), Jay Farrar (Producer), Jay Farrar (Organ), Dave Boquist (Fiddle), Jim Boquist (Producer), Michael Heidorn (Drums), Paulie (Tambourine), Paulie (Producer), Brian Paulson (Producer), Jay Farrar (Vocals), Jim Boquist (Vocals (Background)), Eric Heywood (Pedal Steel), Son Volt (Producer), Jay Farrar (Harmonica), Dave Boquist (Producer), Jay Farrar (Guitar), Eric Heywood (Producer), Dave Boquist (Guitar (Steel)), Eric Heywood (Mandolin), Dave Boquist (Guitar), Dave Boquist (Banjo), Brian Paulson (Engineer)

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