Whiskeytown
Faithless Street
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Whiskeytown
Faithless Street
Outpost, 1998
RiYL: Wilco, Jayhawks, Golden Smog |
Certainly all the songs save "Oklahoma" are on the new Faithless Street (or shall we call it Faithless Interstate with its major facelift). But what separates this go-round from the previous are the 8-plus "new" songs added to the new take. Sure, versions of "Excuse Me If I Break My Own Heart Tonite," "16 Days," and "Yesterday's News" also inhabit the band's critically acclaimed sophomore album "Stranger's Almanac," but these songs are stripped down to the bare minimum, which makes for a far more satisfying listen. It's almost as if the removal of the slick production gives something extra to these songs.
If anything, this new-old album reiterates my belief that Ryan Adams is simply one of the best pure songwriters out there. Of the previously unreleased tracks, take a listen to "Factory Girl." While the lyrics seem pretty simple, the beautiful acoustic cascading guitar makes it one of Adams's best songs.
Other songs, "Empty Baseball Park" and "Lo-fi Tennessee Mountain Angel" could have been tossed aside for alternate takes on "Dancing With The Women At The Bar" and "Houses On The Hill," but "Here's To The Rest Of The World" and "Desperate Ain't Lonely" are nearly worth the price of the CD alone. And for those who purchased Rural Free Delivery, a quicker, slicker, thus better version of "Tennessee Square" completes the collection of new tracks.
The rest of the songs certainly are given new, and much deserved, life. While a quick listen may not pick out the subtle differences from its earlier version, a careful run-through reveals added guitar sections, beautiful harmony vocals courtesy of Caitlin Cary, and previously unheard mandolin/fiddle picking solos. Some of the raw feeling of the original is lost, but it clearly works better. And it is not overproduced, a fate suffered by many re-releases.
Of course, if you happen to find an original version of Faithless Street at your local record store, pick it up. Although the new one makes the original obsolete, its still a rarity and may even be a collectors item.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.