Faithless Street

Last updated
Faithless Street
Faithlessstreet.jpg
Studio album by
Whiskeytown
Released1995 (1995)
RecordedJuly 1995 at the Funny Farm, Apex, NC
Genre Alternative country
Length44:36
Label Mood Food (Outpost Reissue)
Producer Whiskeytown, Chris Stamey (Reissue)
Whiskeytown chronology
Angels
(1995)		Faithless Street
(1995)		 Theme for a Trucker
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link

Faithless Street is the debut studio album by alternative country band Whiskeytown, released in 1995 on Mood Food Records. The album was re-issued by Outpost Recordings in 1998 with several bonus tracks added, and the track "Oklahoma" omitted. [1] Pitchfork Media has called the album "an alt-country touchstone". [2]

Contents

Recording

In July 1995, Whiskeytown convened at the Funny Farm in Apex, North Carolina, with Greg Woods and began tracking their debut album. According to the band's principal singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, the band worked very fast and recorded the album in a week and a half. [3] At least one song ("Hard Luck Story") was written in the studio and laid to tape just minutes later. [4] As guitarist Phil Wandscher noted: "Oh yeah, it was always, how much can you do in this little time? It’s all basically live recording, and then it’s like, 'Overdubs? We don’t have time to overdub, man!' And a lot of times, that worked out better, because you don’t have time to mill around and think about it and then fuck stuff up." Wandscher would be the de facto producer of the sessions, although he's not specifically listed as such in the album credits. [3]

Despite the intensity of the sessions, the band still found time to goof off. Violinist Caitlin Cary remembers getting drunk and riding a horse bareback across a nearby field, [4] while other band members played around with firecrackers - which inspired Adams to later remark: "Out in the parking lot across the street... the Roman candles and Black Cats sounded a lot like I'd hope we'd one day sound - pretty little things all set on fire waiting to get destroyed." [5]

Whiskeytown moves to a major label

Following the release of Faithless Street, the band was the subject of a record label bidding war, which came to a head at Whiskeytown's appearance at the 1996 SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas. In what Adams later called a "turning point" for the band, [6] Whiskeytown played to a packed Austin club where even festival badge holders were turned away at the door. [7] During the band's (reportedly sloppy) set, Adams noticed record label representatives in the crowd. But when he tried to avoid the label reps by retreating to the band's van after the show, they simply followed him there and surrounded the van - some even placing their business cards on the windshield.

At almost every show after the SXSW gig, the band would be approached by someone from a record label. [6] Finally, after playing an industry showcase at Spaceland in Los Angeles, the band signed with Outpost Recordings, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. [7] The contract allowed the young band almost total autonomy.

In a 1997 interview with The Austin Chronicle , Adams commented on the record industry hype surrounding the band following their appearance at SXSW: "After all was said and done, the labels wanting to sign us was probably more detrimental than it was positive." In the months following the SXSW show, the band's bassist, Steve Grothmann, and drummer, Skillet Gilmore, left Whiskeytown. Said Adams: "I think they [Grothmann and Gilmore] felt like it had gone to a place where they weren't comfortable... I know that at the time, Skillet didn't like the idea that it had turned into a lot of phone calls, managers, and lawyers. I can see how he felt that way, because we were hardly ever playing." [6]

Music and lyrics

Unlike subsequent Whiskeytown releases, Faithless Street features other band members besides Adams on lead vocals - Wandscher sings two songs ("What May Seem Like Love" and "Top Dollar") and Cary sings one ("Matrimony"). [8] Lyrically, a few of Adams' songs on the album were influenced by his hometown of Jacksonville, North Carolina. [9] [10] "Faithless Street" is the figurative name that Adams gave a low-rent housing area of Raleigh where he once lived. [11]

The opening guitar figure on the album's first track ("Midway Park") was inspired by the guitar playing of Peter Buck. [12]

The origin of the song "Lo-Fi Tennessee Mountain Angel (for Kathy Poindexter)" came from a conversation Adams had with Kathy Poindexter, who fronted a local Raleigh punk band named Picasso Trigger. Poindexter had recently written a song about Dolly Parton called "Lo-Fi Tennessee Mountain Angel". Adams loved the idea of someone writing a punk song about Parton so much that he wrote his own song about Poindexter. [13]

Adams' verdict on Faithless Street: "I think it’s a strong youth album. It’s crazy. It loves what it borrows from musically: It tips its hat to Gram Parsons, it tips its hat to the Stones, it’s shaking hands with Uncle Tupelo on some levels." The young songwriter, in fact, loved the album so much that he talked Geffen Records into buying it from Mood Food Records so that it could be reissued on Outpost three years later. [3]

Track listing

Original version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Midway Park"Ryan Adams, Skillet Gilmore, Phil Wandscher3:19
2."Drank Like a River"Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher2:58
3."Too Drunk To Dream"Ryan Adams, Robert E. Rickers Jr.2:41
4."What May Seem Like Love"Phil Wandscher3:45
5."Faithless Street"Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary3:55
6."Mining Town"Ryan Adams2:37
7."If He Can't Have You"Ryan Adams, Skillet Gilmore3:50
8."Black Arrow, Bleeding Heart"Ryan Adams2:21
9."Matrimony"Caitlin Cary, Steve Grothmann3:48
10."Hard Luck Story"Ryan Adams2:04
11."Top Dollar"Phil Wandscher2:38
12."Oklahoma"Ryan Adams, Phil Wandscher, Eric Gilmore, Steve Grothman, Caitlin Cary10:46
13."Revenge" (hidden track, begins 5:14 after "Oklahoma")Ryan Adams, Phil Wandscher 


Reissued version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Midway Park"Ryan Adams, Skillet Gilmore, Phil Wandscher3:24
2."Drank Like a River"Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher2:57
3."Too Drunk To Dream"Ryan Adams, Robert E. Rickers Jr.2:53
4."Tennessee Square" (bonus track)Ryan Adams2:50
5."What May Seem Like Love"Phil Wandscher3:47
6."Faithless Street"Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary3:55
7."Mining Town"Ryan Adams2:35
8."If He Can't Have You"Ryan Adams, Skillet Gilmore3:52
9."Black Arrow, Bleeding Heart"Ryan Adams2:20
10."Matrimony"Caitlin Cary, Steve Grothmann3:49
11."Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight" (bonus track)Ryan Adams3:21
12."Desperate Ain't Lonely" (bonus track)Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary2:16
13."Hard Luck Story"Ryan Adams2:07
14."Top Dollar"Phil Wandscher2:39
15."Lo-Fi Tennessee Mountain Angel (for Kathy Poindexter)" (bonus track)Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary4:32
16."Revenge"Ryan Adams, Phil Wandscher2:43
17."Empty Baseball Park" (Baseball Park Sessions)Ryan Adams2:55
18."Here's To The Rest Of The World" (Baseball Park Sessions)Ryan Adams3:08
19."16 Days" (Baseball Park Sessions)Ryan Adams3:46
20."Yesterday's News" (Baseball Park Sessions)Ryan Adams, Phil Wandscher2:53
21."Factory Girl" (Baseball Park Sessions)Ryan Adams, Phil Wandscher4:50

Personnel and production credits

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Adams</span> American musician (born 1974)

David Ryan Adams is an American rock and country singer-songwriter. He has released 24 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskeytown</span> American alternative country band

Whiskeytown was an American alternative country band formed in 1994 from Raleigh, North Carolina. Fronted by Ryan Adams, the group included members Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000 with Adams leaving to pursue his solo career. Whiskeytown gradually expanded its sound outside the confines of alternative country while still maintaining its alternative roots.

<i>Angels E.P.</i> 1995 EP by Whiskeytown

Angels E.P. is the debut release from North Carolina–based band Whiskeytown. The band recorded the entire EP in a single day with producer Greg Elkins just a couple of months after they had formed. Originally released as a 7" vinyl EP in 1995 by Mood Food Records, the label re-released it two years later as Rural Free Delivery, which added four outtakes from the same recording session.

<i>Strangers Almanac</i> 1997 studio album by Whiskeytown

Strangers Almanac is the second studio album by American alternative country band Whiskeytown, released on July 29, 1997, on Outpost and Geffen Records. The album was reissued as a deluxe edition with bonus tracks and an additional disc of previously unreleased material on March 4, 2008.

Christopher Charles Stamey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. After a brief time playing with Alex Chilton, as well as Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, Stamey formed The dB's with Peter Holsapple.

Pedro Alejandro Escovedo is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk rock, roots rock and alternative country, and is most closely associated with the music scene in Austin, Texas but also San Francisco and New York. He comes from a family of musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caitlin Cary</span> American musician

Caitlin Cary is an alternative country musician and visual artist from Seville, Ohio.

<i>Pneumonia</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Whiskeytown

Pneumonia is the third and final studio album by the alternative country band Whiskeytown, released on May 22, 2001 on Lost Highway Records. The album is noted for its troubled history which saw the band lose its record deal in the midst of the merger between Polygram and Universal Music Group, and the already volatile band fell apart as a result. The album sat on the shelf for nearly two years and it was said that over 100 songs were recorded during the 3 years. It was bootlegged heavily and gained a reputation as a great "lost" record from fans, before getting released by Lost Highway Records as something of an appetizer for Ryan Adams' 2001 album Gold.

<i>Rural Free Delivery</i> (EP) 1997 EP by Whiskeytown

Rural Free Delivery is an EP by the alternative country band Whiskeytown, released by Mood Food Records in 1997. It compiles the four songs from the band's debut EP Angels recorded in a single day, with four additional outtakes from the same session. The music was recorded in 1995, just a few months after Whiskeytown formed, but it was released only two years later. This was part of a deal worked out with Mood Food to release the band from their current contract so that they could sign with Outpost Recordings.

<i>In Your Wildest Dreams</i> (EP) 1997 EP by Whiskeytown

In Your Wildest Dreams is an EP by the alternative country band Whiskeytown, released as a promotional item in 1997.

<i>Highway Call</i> 1974 studio album by Dickey Betts

Highway Call is the debut album by Dickey Betts, of The Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded in 1974 in Macon, Georgia, at Capricorn Studios. Betts further develops the country sound that emerged on the Allmans' 1973 album Brothers and Sisters. Tracks include "Long Time Gone", "Highway Call", and the extended country jam "Hand Picked". Guest musicians include Vassar Clements on fiddle and Jeff Hanna on acoustic guitar. The album peaked at #19 on Billboard's "Pop Albums" chart in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tres Chicas</span> Musical artist

Tres Chicas are an alternative country group from Raleigh, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thad Cockrell</span> American singer-songwriter

Thad Aaron Cockrell is an American singer-songwriter. He has released five solo albums, along with a collaborative album with Caitlin Cary and two albums with LEAGUES. Cockrell often writes emotional songs with the intent of inclusion.

The Accelerators were an American rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. They were formed in 1982 by singer/guitarist Gerald Duncan and released five albums. Writer and critic Peter Eichenberger described the band as "one of the best rock 'n roll bands in the world [because of] great songs perfectly rendered."

<i>Theme for a Trucker</i> 1997 EP by Whiskeytown

Theme for a Trucker is a limited edition double 7" vinyl EP by alternative country band Whiskeytown, released by Bloodshot Records in 1997. According to the Bloodshot Records website, only 2000 copies were pressed.

Forever Valentine is an unreleased studio album by alternative country band Whiskeytown, recorded between their Strangers Almanac and Pneumonia albums. The album, produced by Chris Stamey, is notable for featuring Ben Folds on piano and ex-Firehose member Ed Crawford on guitar.

The Freightwhaler Sessions is an unreleased EP by alt-country artist Ryan Adams' side project band Freightwhaler, recorded in 1996. At the time, Adams was also a member of Whiskeytown.

"16 Days" is a song by alternative country band Whiskeytown and written by Ryan Adams. It first appeared on Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac album in 1997, and was released that same year as a CD single. An earlier version of the song – recorded during the band's "Baseball Park" sessions – was released on the 1998 reissue of the band's first album Faithless Street. And an alternate, acoustic version of the song – also recorded during the "Baseball Park" sessions – was released on the 2008 deluxe edition of Strangers Almanac.

"Yesterday's News" is a song by alternative country band Whiskeytown, co-written by Ryan Adams and Phil Wandscher. It first appeared on Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac album, and was released in 1998 as a CD single.

"Don't Be Sad" is a song by alt-country band Whiskeytown, from their album, Pneumonia. It was co-written by Ryan Adams, Mike Daly, and James Iha, and issued as a single to radio in 2001.

References

  1. ↑ Faithless Street (Media notes). Whiskeytown. Los Angeles, CA: Outpost Recordings. 1998. OPRD-30002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ↑ Deusner, Stephen (2008-03-12). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Whiskeytown: Strangers Almanac: Deluxe Edition". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  3. 1 2 3 Blackstock, Peter (1997). "Whiskeytown - Falling down, standing up: Americana and Roots Music - No Depression". No Depression. Archived from the original on 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  4. 1 2 Cary, Caitlin (1998). Faithless Street (Media notes). Whiskeytown. Los Angeles, CA: Outpost Recordings. OPRD-30002.
  5. ↑ Adams, Ryan (1998). Faithless Street (Media notes). Whiskeytown. Los Angeles, CA: Outpost Recordings. OPRD-30002.
  6. 1 2 3 Langer, Andy (1997-09-05). "No Expectations". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  7. 1 2 Blackstock, Peter (1997). "Whiskeytown - Falling down, standing up: Americana and Roots Music - No Depression". No Depression. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  8. ↑ Faithless Street (Media notes). Whiskeytown. Los Angeles, CA: Outpost Recordings. 1998. OPRD-30002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ "Drank Like A River". Answeringbell.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  10. ↑ "Tennessee Square". Answeringbell.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  11. ↑ Blackstock, Peter (1997). "Whiskeytown - Falling down, standing up: Americana and Roots Music - No Depression". No Depression. Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  12. ↑ "Midway Park". Answeringbell.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  13. ↑ "Lo-Fi Tennessee Mountain Angel". Answeringbell.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.