Son Volt: Jay Farrar (vocals, guitar, harmonica, organ); Dave Boquist (guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, fiddle); Jim Boquist (bass, background vocals); Mike Heidorn (drums).Additional personnel: Eric Heywood (pedal steel guitar, mandolin); Pauli Ryan (tambourine).Recorded at Echo Park, Bloomington, Indiana and Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota.In the wake of Uncle Tupelo's demise, Jay Farrar's Son Volt and Jeff Tweedy's Wilco became the Fine Young Cannibals and General Public of the twang generation, each band's faction rabidly defending the preeminence of its favorite. Initially, Wilco seemed to favor the raw, let-it-all-hang-out approach while Son Volt went for pop craft. On STRAIGHTAWAYS, though, Farrar and company pull a switch-up. While maintaining the same foundation of rootsy, acoustic-tinged arrangements and high-lonesome vocals, the band has opted for a looser, more spontaneous feel than the ornate constructions of its debut, TRACE."Caryatid Easy" and "Cemetery Savior" showcase the barnstorming, rocking side of the band, while "Way Down Watson" and the eerie murder ballad "Been Set Free" are quiet, fragile compositions that could be the outtakes of Son Volt tourmate Richard Buckner. The winner of the MVP award on STRAIGHTAWAYS is multi-instrumentalist Dave Boquist, whose guitar, banjo, fiddle and lap steel add just the right touch of down-home authenticity to Farrar's tunes.
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