March 8, 2008
Heresy! Heretic!
Posted by Hal Bogerd at March 8, 2008 6:54 PMFirst, I love Whiskeytown. They were my favorite band from the 90's from any genre. I love their music (Rural Free Delivery/Stranger's Almanac/Faithless Street (purchased twice for bonus tracks)/Pneumonia) and I still enjoy listening to those discs almost ten years after their initial release. You'd think a fan would be excited about the deluxe version of Stranger's Almanac released last Tuesday. Maybe I was but this weekend when I saw the $29.99 (Borders) and $27.99 (BestBuy) price tags I figured my music dollars could be better spent. If you have Stranger's Almanac, and who doesn't, they're asking you to pay thirty dollars to buy a disc you already own and for about 20 demos/outtakes/alternate versions.
Opinion: Interesting? Yes. Essential? No.
Verdict: No thanks, I'll pass.
Advice: If by some chance you don't have Stranger's Almanac, don't buy the deluxe version buy the single disc versions of Stranger's Almanac and Faithless Street with your $30.
Unless you have a bootleg of the "Barn's on Fire" sessions, also circulated as "Those Weren't the Days" then I think this should fall into the essential category.
By my count there are 26 bonus tracks, easily a two disc set by itself right there. And some of those songs are amongst the finest Whiskeytown ever did. Highlights are "Indian Gown" "My Heat is Broken" and a cool version of "Luxury Liner".
Sadly I knw that if this sells well i'll have to try to think of some more stuff to sell so I can get the inevitable "Pnemonia" Deluxe. Another aWT album with a billion or so outtakes. This is Ryan Adams at his peak I have to say.
Posted by: patrickhayes at March 9, 2008 1:46 PM
