While Son Volt's first two albums, Trace and Straightaways, received critical acclaim, they are both very restrained and sparse works underlain with languidness. These albums hinted, in their best moments, at Son Volt's potential to both write beautiful songs and rock out, but the band never seemed to completely let loose and turn it up to 11. Part of this may stem from their eclectic mix of musical influences. While the juxtaposition of styles ranging from country to bar-band rock & roll has been the key to Son Volt's sound, it has also been a point of contention for those who have criticized them for not knowing what sort of band they wanted to be. Wide Swing Tremolo represents an attempt to somewhat break the mold of the earlier releases, especially from the intensely sparse Straightaways. Wide Swing Tremolo is a wide-open, rocking album with precious little of the overt country influences found on previous Son Volt works. Instead, this album is driven by R.E.M.-like arpeggio guitar riffs and muscular, warm rhythms. It's a strong album. ~ Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide
John Agnello (Mixing), David Barbe (Engineer), David Barbe (Production Assistant), David Barbe (Mixing), Jay Farrar (Organ), Jay Farrar (Dulcimer), Jay Farrar (Guitar), Jay Farrar (Harmonica), Jay Farrar (Piano), Jay Farrar (Piano (Electric)), Jay Farrar (Vocals), Jay Farrar (Chamberlin), Jay Farrar (Mixing), Michael Heidorn (Percussion), Michael Heidorn (Drums), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Jack Joseph Puig (Mixing), Son Volt (Producer), Son Volt (Main Performer), Eric Heywood (Pedal Steel), Dave Boquist (Fiddle), Dave Boquist (Guitar), Dave Boquist (Viola), Dave Boquist (Photography), Dave Boquist (Lap Steel Guitar), Jim Boquist (Bass), Jim Boquist (Piano), Jim Boquist (Vocals (Background)), Jim Boquist (Slide Guitar), Chuck Wagner (Art Direction), Chuck Wagner (Photography)
The album Wide Swing Tremelo was primarily a commentary on how humans can become bogged down in their own troubles and pain, the least cryptic of this being in the tracks "Blind Hope" and "Hanging Blue Side". The album also featured one track similar in content to two tracks from Sebastopol, another Jay Farrar album. the track here is called "Jodel", which is the sound of a harmonica that was crushed before recording was started. It can be speculated the one of the tracks, "Medicine Hat", was mostly a reference to Dante's Inferno, given the somewhat similar tone and predictions. The album contained many different instruments, though primarily acoustic in nature, ranging from electric and acoustic guitars to piano in "Dead Man's Clothes" to a damaged harmonica. Unlike many Jay Farrar albums released in the early days of Son Volt and his independent works after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo, this album contains the only recordings of tracks 5 through 12 (at the time Farrar was redoing songs over and over for a better feel, as seen in his albums Sebastopol, Stone, Steel & Bright Lights, and Terroir Blues).
