in 1997 Ryan Adams was coming up with tons of new songs. In fact most of the suggested tracks for the second Whiskeytown album Strangers Almanac were replaced by new stuff that he had written on his way to the studio in Nashville. Recorded with guitars bought at a pawn shop because his own gear was left behind on route Strangers Almanac became the essential album for a group that breathed live into alt-country with songs like Inn Town, Houses On The Hill and Losering.
The Deluxe Edition reissue doesn't get past including some radio performances - which sound great by the way, but it's the second disc that has all the goodies. A cover of Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) finally sees the light of day and there is a nod to Adams' heroes with Grams Parson's Luxury Liner and the Johnny Cash song I Still Miss Someone. If you don't own any alt-country albums yet, Strangers Almanac is a good start. The duets with fiddler Caitlin Cary should be an integral part of your musical reference points.
Strangers Almanac is released on Geffen / Universal.
MP3: Whiskeytown - Houses On The Hill (Live)
MP3: Whiskeytown - Dreams
» en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskeytown
» www.ryan-adams.com