Americana casts a wide net over a rich diversity of music. What it all has in common is roots in traditional American country music, and a willingness to eschew commercial success in exchange for the freedom to interpret those roots in ways that are as far-flung and idiosyncratic as America itself.
As such, this Rough Guides package is as good a reflection of the music as you might come up with in the format of a 70-minute, 20-track, one-CD collection of alternative country. Somebody else on some other day could conceivably come up with an entirely different collection, and it could still be just as representative of the genre, if it were approached with the care generally taken by the good folks at Rough Guides.
The compilers have made some wise, unexpected choices, some solid and expected ones, and some that are questionable in my book, but it still adds up to a pretty good package.
On the wise and unexpected front we find acts like the Arlenes, Cowboy Nation, Oh Susanna and Noahjohn. The Arlenes — Brit Steve Pulford and former L.A. punker Stephanie Arlene — lay down sweet harmonies on a solid honky-tonk ballad, “She Ran Me Down,” that oozes with soul. Cowboy Nation (Chip and Tony Kinman, formerly of the cowpunk band The Dils) rely on some startling vocal effects as they sing a cowboy-tinged blues song, “E-Z Ridin’ Cowboy,” over a droning resonator and bass. Canadian Suzie Ungerleider, singing as Oh Susanna, gives an in-your-face performance of a stark ballad, “Oh My Good Ol’ Gal,” that is stunning in its lyric and musical intensity. And Noahjohn (Carl Johns) gives an arresting reading of his song “Standing on a Snake,” that’s wildly original and yet tradition based, reminiscent of Elton John’s stab at Americana, Tumbleweed Connection.
No collection of Americana in the first years of the 21st Century could entirely fail with solid acts like the Handsome Family, Neko Case, the Waco Brothers, the Gourds and Split Lip Rayfield on board, so it’s no surprise to find them here.
Case is always a pleasure to listen to with her solid neo-traditional torch and twang, although “Guided by Wire” sounds a bit too much like contemporary Nashville in production. The Waco Brothers’ Jon Langford, formerly of the English socialist punks The Mekons, practically rules Chicago’s insurgent country scene; you could throw a dart at a list of the band’s titles and not come up with a loser, and “Hello to Everybody” from 1999’s Waco World does just fine. For the white-trash parody that seems to be necessary in any such compilation we get the reliable Gourds, whose “Meat Off the Bone” is about as greasy and trashy as they come. And Split Lip Rayfield never fails to dazzle with its brand of thrash-bluegrass. “Kiss of Death” is a throw-away song about a guy’s penchant for trashing cars, but it’s still must listening for the band’s impressive instrumental prowess.
Somebody must have been asleep at the switch when some of the selections for Americana were made, though. How else to explain the choice of cover songs instead of originals from Townes Van Zandt and Dave Alvin. Sure, Townes nails Hank Williams’ “Lost Highway” like he lived it, and Alvin got a well-deserved Grammy nomination for Public Domain which included “Railroad Bill.” But both of these singers are also excellent songwriters whose own compositions deserve showcasing. And where is Steve Earle on this disc, anyway? Must have missed him.
I love the Handsome Family, and their darkly humorous songs rightfully grace many a compilation. “Weightless Again” is one of their best, but it was already showcased on K-Tel’s Exposed Roots in 1999. Too bad Rough Guide couldn’t have picked one of the many other gems on the Handsomes’ four previous releases.
There’s a definite streak of wispy folkiness running through the current Americana scene, and it’s represented here in the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers’ “Run With the Ponies,” as well as Western Electric’s neo-Poco “Carousel Days,” and Utah Carol’s “My Fear.”
All is forgiven, though, if I can just go back and listen to Hazeldine’s cover of Gram Parsons’ “A Song for You” one more time. I could listen to these gals sing harmony all day, and they hit all the right notes with the stark simplicity of this song.
On the strength of this CD, I aim to track down some Hazeldine releases, as well as the Waco Brothers, Arlenes and probably even Split Lip Rayfield. If you’re curious about the burgeoning Americana scene, you should probably look into this edition of the Rough Guides as well as the aforementioned K-Tel compilation, and then follow up on the acts that tickle your ear.
(World Music Network, 2001)
