Uncle Tupleo - No Depression

Review by Jason Ankeny Uncle Tupelo's landmark opening salvo is the group's most rock-oriented album, steeped more in breakneck speed, punk crunch, and guitar dissonance than any of their subsequent efforts. Indeed, despite the presence of mandolins, fiddles, and banjos -- as well as inclusion of the title track, a faithful cover of the A.P. Carter classic -- the trio's vaunted country leanings are less musical than thematic on No Depression, thanks in large part to singers/songwriters Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy's acute depictions of rural, blue-collar life. Like the Replacements -- never more obvious an influence than on this LP -- Uncle Tupelo's songs paint grim, unrelenting portraits of aimless Midwestern existence, split between days working on the opening cut's "Factory Belt" and nights spent blurry-eyed and wasted ("Whiskey Bottle," "Before I Break"). Still, for all of the record's doleful cynicism -- virtually every cut nods toward dashed hopes, broken promises, and paralyzing fear -- there's an undeniable electricity afoot as well; by channeling the mournful clarity of country into the crackling fury of punk, No Depression brings new life to both musical camps. 01 Graveshift Yard Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 4:43 02 That Year Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 2:59 03 Before I Break Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 2:48 04 No Depression Carter 2:20 05 Factory Belt Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 3:13 06 Whiskey Bottle Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 4:46 07 Outdone Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 2:48 08 Train Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 3:19 09 Life Worth Livin' Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 3:32 10 Flatness Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 2:58 11 So Called Friend Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 3:12 12 Screen Door Farrar, Heidorn, Tweedy 2:42 13 John Hardy Leadbelly 2:21

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 bludStain (2008-12-20)

sorry about the fucked up "a ghost is born". here's some uncle tupelo. more to come.