Uncle Tupelo "Anodyne" (1993)

THE LAST UNCLE

• I like quite a few bands that had two distinct songwriters/vocalists for the price of one. I can immediately think of The Beatles, Husker Du, Crowded House, The Clash as being amongst my personal elite.

• Maybe it's something about the tension/dynamic/variety on offer or maybe it's simply restless greed on my part.

• Anyway, Uncle Tupelo more than deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the above artists, which is a damn fine compliment as far as I'm concerned. They were easily one of the top 5 bands of the 90's.

• This is my favourite Tupelo album by a whisker and therefore my all-time favourite alternative country album. It showcases both Farrar and Tweedy at their best - the typically mournful "Slate", the title track and the rock-out "Chickamauga" from the former, and the raspy pop brilliance of "New Madrid" and "Acuff-Rose" as well as the 'ever get the feeling you've been cheated' vibes of "We've Been Had" from the latter. Just a few of the highlights.

• The only perplexing aspect is wondering how the hell Tweedy would go on to become so much the dominant songwriting force both critically and commercially in the following years. No one could deny that Farrar had by far the upper hand in Uncle Tupelo...as well as Son Volt's first album kicking all kinds of crap out of Wilco's debut. Ahh well.

• If you are just coming to this band, this is the ultimate way to start, and truly this is one of the best alt-country albums I've ever come across. Recommended!

Track-List in the Comments

Even some more info about Uncle Tupelo

From Uncle Tupelo to Wilco (a Collage)