Son Volt simple
October 27, 2011 6:13 AM   Subscribe

Help me make a Son Volt playlist.

I've always wanted to check out Son Volt, but I don't have a lot of time to listen to new music. Can you recommend your favorite Son Volt songs. I like Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, Freedy Johnson, John Martin and bluegrass like Peter Rowan.
posted by pandabearjohnson to Media & Arts (19 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Drown
posted by troywestfield at 6:31 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]


Personally, I like everything on their first three albums. Can't go wrong with picking those up.
posted by puritycontrol at 6:32 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]


Just listen to the Retrospective album.
posted by demiurge at 6:33 AM on October 27, 2011


I don't know this band well, and would also love a list of suggested singles. I do, however, recommend "Windfall."
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:45 AM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]


I think if you want to do that, you should throw some Jay Farrar solo stuff in there....I particularly like "Barstow" and "Vitamins" off Sebastopol.
posted by nevercalm at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2011


Windfall
Hanging Blue Side
No More Parades
Out of the Picture
Been Set Free
Ten Second News
Too Early
Way Down Watson

This skews toward the acoustic and sometimes melancholy, but they're some of my favorites.
posted by ldthomps at 6:49 AM on October 27, 2011


Drown
posted by eggm4n at 6:58 AM on October 27, 2011


Honestly, their first album (that'd be Trace) is just about perfect. It's all the playlist you need. Pick it up and give it a listen... if you like it, you'll probably like the rest of the catalog, although if you're like me, the albums will start to slide in enjoyment after the third one (and none of them will match the grandeur of Trace).
posted by COBRA! at 7:08 AM on October 27, 2011 [3 favorites]


Yep, go old school and just listen to their complete albums. That's the way it used to be done.

Otherwise: Windfall and Tear Stained Eye - both classic, classic songs.
posted by yarly at 7:21 AM on October 27, 2011


I'd add "Medicine Hat" to the list.
posted by Occula at 7:29 AM on October 27, 2011


There's a degree of stylistic variety to Son Volt songs, so be sure to sample around. Drown is one of the hardest rocking songs of all time, but it's not really typical of their work. Their songs mostly fall into the classic folk/country genre (very similar to Uncle Tupelo) or slow thick and moody (like "Holocaust").

There is a B-sides and rarities collection kicking around that's an excellent sampler.
posted by Nahum Tate at 8:34 AM on October 27, 2011


The A-Side of Trace is as classic as classic gets IMO.
posted by entropicamericana at 9:45 AM on October 27, 2011


Tear Stained Eye, agreed. I think I spent a year lying in the bathtub, drinking bourbon and listening to it again and again.
posted by peagood at 10:34 AM on October 27, 2011 [3 favorites]


Trace is essential Son Volt. Also, Farrar's side project Gob Iron made an excellent atmospheric record of murder ballads well worth hearing.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:42 AM on October 27, 2011


I like this version of Cocaine and Ashes quite a bit.
Also, what everyone else said about Trace and Tear Stained Eye. I'd hold off on American Central Dust until you've really decided that you like Son Volt.
posted by leapfrog at 2:29 PM on October 27, 2011


Methamphetamine, Tear Stained Eye, Caryatid Easy, Drown

And the one I keep coming back to, that kills me every time: Back Into Your World. It just nails the emotion of yearning to get someone back after a failed relationship. For me, anyway.
posted by marble at 3:47 PM on October 27, 2011


Listening now to Drown, I realize that I'd heard that single a few times and enjoyed it.

But the song that got me wanting (and as yet failing, so I'm glad of this thread) to get into this band's, or dude's, music, "Dynamite." "American Central Dust" is the album.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:08 PM on October 27, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks MeFites, can't wait to try out the suggestions. You guys rock (or acoustic, or banjo as the case may be).
posted by pandabearjohnson at 1:46 AM on October 28, 2011


I'm late to this, but I've got to recommend Rex's Blues. It's a Townes Van Zandt song with Farrar and Kelly Willis. Best thing Farrar's done, IMO. From this "Red Hot" compilation.
posted by HerArchitectLover at 5:13 AM on October 28, 2011


« Older All I Want is a Photograph   |   How can we see shared time better? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.