Uncle Tupelo

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Any fans of Uncle Tupelo here? What are your favorite albums of theirs?

― Uncle, Sunday, 23 May 2004 03:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

Straightaways

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 23 May 2004 03:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

No Depression is classic. I'm not a big fan of Anodyne although it's OK. I heard the March 16-20 (or whatever it's called) one once and it was pretty good. I think that Trace by Son Volt is the best post Tupelo effort though (and Straighaways is decent too.) Wilco never really did it for me although Summerteeth is pretty good and I love "Box Full of Letters" from their debut.

― Mark M, Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:09 (8 years ago) Permalink

That was Ryan Adams's old band?

― Leon Lighips, Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:52 (8 years ago) Permalink

Adams's old band was Whiskeytown. Know yer alt.country.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

All four of their studio records are good with stretches of being great. I saw them twice in Bloomington, once as a trio and the second time with them switching off a bit on instruments with a fourth musician. They were good both times, but with things gained with the expanded band something was also lost. I am probably in the minority for liking some of the cowpunk Minutemen side of the band from the first two albums as much as the later folkier music. Jeff Tweedy was great on bass.

Uncle Tupelo was one of my favorite bands of that time and one of the bands I discovered while dj'ing in college, so like all of those bands they are special to me.

― earlansh, Sunday, 23 May 2004 04:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

Whiskeytown. Was that the band Paul Westerberg joined after he quit The Residents?

― Leon Lighips, Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

No, Paul Westersmith was in the Refreshments. After they broke up he joined the Flying Taco Brothers.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

Har har, so you know how to use Google.

― Leon Lighips, Sunday, 23 May 2004 05:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

anodyne is the masterpiece...

i love that album.. it introduced me to the entire alt-country thingamajjig..there's not a weak song on that.. and its even got douglas sahm on it.. well that and american recordings by cash and hank williams' greatest..

― serge, Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:50 (8 years ago) Permalink

'still feel gone' = utter utter classic

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 23 May 2004 15:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

Another vote for Still Feel Gone here. It rocketh more than the others.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Monday, 24 May 2004 03:03 (8 years ago) Permalink

my dad loves them!! i like what i've heard!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 24 May 2004 03:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

I can't decide what to think about them, boring, or just plain shitty? Decisions, decisions.

― David Allen (David Allen), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

I don't know, I think they're more like Aunt Tunica or something.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

Their studio cover of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" that's on the best of comp might be even better than the original.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 24 May 2004 05:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

7 years pass...

"if that's alright'

looooooooooooooooord

― markers, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 04:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I find myself listening to UT far more often than Wilco or Son Volt. Don't know if that means I like them better, but it probably does.

― Mule, Friday, 14 September 2012 20:27 (8 months ago) Permalink

UT is better!

― listen to that wu-tang whistle blowin' (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 14 September 2012 20:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

I just put them on, and I think you're right. "March" just sounds glorious. It's like they're playing in my livingroom.

― Mule, Friday, 14 September 2012 20:49 (8 months ago) Permalink

listening to this recording of their last show for the first time in forever -- http://sweetblahg.tumblr.com/post/31927248495/the-last-uncle-tupelo-show-sbd
reminded what a good singer farrar used to be! not sure what happened, but the last few things i've heard by him have sounded so weak vocally.

― tylerw, Thursday, 20 September 2012 19:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

also a totally good guitarist! why did he give up playing lead!?

― tylerw, Thursday, 20 September 2012 19:26 (8 months ago) Permalink

Farrar's vocals and guitar were great. I remember reading the Melody Maker review of "March 16-20" when it came out, in which the reviewer commented about Farrar's voice being 'old beyond his years', or something to that effect. Too true.

― Duke, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:02 (8 months ago) Permalink

Farrar giving up lead guitar was a terrible turn of events. saw Son Volt tour the second record & zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz until Jay ripped the solo on "Chickamauga". man did I love UT. that last show is great. Tyler, if you still run your blog, could you get your hands on The Long Cut + 5 EP? man that take on "Anodyne" was so great; & "Truck Driving Man"! the fidelity was a lot better than the boots I've heard. too bad it was just a promo, but it circulated back in my tape trading days pretty widely. goes for big bucks now. I dunno, maybe it's easy to find now on the internet, but in the past I couldn't track it down.

― Euler, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:06 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah those early son volt shows kinda rolled by until chickamauga. then everyone woke up.
is some of that long cut + 5 thing on the anodyne reissue? i can't remember. i used to have it on tape too. that crazy version of suzy q ... i may actually have the whole show that those tracks came from? not sure. i'll dig around.

― tylerw, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:09 (8 months ago) Permalink

some of it is on the reissue of Anodyne, some on the greatest hits thing that came out (I bought both just to get those tracks) but yeah, that "Suzy Q" was insaaaaane

― Euler, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:10 (8 months ago) Permalink

Farrar just lurching around, like if the Stooges had been a funk band

― Euler, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:11 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah honestly, when tupelo broke up, my brother and i thought/hoped it was because farrar wanted to do more crazy suzy q kinda guitar workouts. "he just wants to raaaaage!!"
oh hey http://captainsdead.com/uncle-tupelo-the-long-cut-five-live.html

― tylerw, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:12 (8 months ago) Permalink

are those links live? at work & don't wanna try

RIP Jay

― Euler, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:31 (8 months ago) Permalink

maybe he'll do a mellow Bread-type album some time

― Euler, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

trust tyler to come up with the goods.... Thank you. that "Fifteen Keys" is great.

― Duke, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

yep, mp3s are live!

― tylerw, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

links are live. just click on the play symbol for an imbedded player. x-post

― Duke, Thursday, 20 September 2012 21:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

+5 thing is as good as i remembered. surprising they haven't put out a tupelo live comp or something. i'd buy it.

― tylerw, Friday, 21 September 2012 14:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

the acoustic "Whiskey Bottle" at the end of the ND rerelease is pretty great, Jay just fucking with us by holding out the big explosion. unresolved tension!

― Euler, Friday, 21 September 2012 14:57 (8 months ago) Permalink

That UT show is great. Hard to tell the band is about to split up.

― that's not my post, Monday, 24 September 2012 05:50 (7 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

http://soundcloud.com/dan-lehr/uncle-tupelo-november-29th

My friend uploaded this over Thanksgiving. November 1990 live radio show set (taking requests) on KCOU 88.1 FM + concert later that night at the Blue Note, Columbia MO. Good shit.

― dmr, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:11 (5 months ago) Permalink

coooool. don't think i've heard that one.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:20 (5 months ago) Permalink

I had heard a couple of the covers from the radio show from tapes that were still in the KCOU archive when I worked there later, but never heard the whole show. It's sloppy but fun.

"The Uncle Tupelo Family Christmas Special"

1. I've Been Working on the Railroad (featuring Heidorn on guitar)
2. John Hardy
3. Long Black Veil
4. Dead Flowers
5. So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star
6. Ripple
7. Lookin' for a Love
8. Take It Easy/Peaceful Easy Feeling
9. Screen Door
10. Sugar Mountain
11. I've Been Working on the Railroad (reprise)

In the concert at the Blue Note they covered Dino Jr's "Freak Scene."

― dmr, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:26 (5 months ago) Permalink

wow, cool. I think I know a few of these takes (I remember a cover of "Dead Flowers") but I'm not sure about the others. guessing (hoping?) Tweedy sings "Sugar Mountain"?

― Euler, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:41 (5 months ago) Permalink

They sort of all sing it. Heidorn starts (it sounds like he might be the only one who knew all the words) and then everybody else gets in. Brian Henneman is there too.

― dmr, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:43 (5 months ago) Permalink

lol "you wanna just quit and try an Eagles song?"

― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 20:08 (5 months ago) Permalink

I only just now made it all the way through this. The Badfinger cover toward the very end is awesome. Also too bad that the tape cuts off on Cortez the Killer.

― dmr, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 22:22 (5 months ago) Permalink

I miss this band very much

― Jessie Fer Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Wednesday, 28 November 2012 22:32 (5 months ago) Permalink

yeah both of these shows are a blast. i've heard the blue note show, but i think it was a tape that was playing too fast. this sounds right.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 22:36 (5 months ago) Permalink

by the way i believe this is the complete show that those long cut five live songs come from: http://www.hearrockcity.blogspot.com/2011/07/name-me-song-that-everybody-knows.html

― tylerw, Monday, 3 December 2012 20:40 (5 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

pretty great video overview, lots of stuff i've never seen - http://www.adioslounge.com/there-was-a-time-the-history-of-uncle-tupelo/

― tylerw, Thursday, 24 January 2013 21:31 (3 months ago) Permalink

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