Swan Song

By the time PNEUMONIA had been recorded, Whiskeytown had been through a number of changes. The band started to break up while touring for their STRANGERS ALMANAC album. The only members who were from the original group that appear on this disc were lead vocalist Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary. Other members on this disc included Mike Daly, Ethan Johns, with James Iha and Tommy Stinson appearing on a few tracks.



The album is very different from the bands first two. There's no real loud rockers, or the country twang of certain songs you'd find on their first two albums. Instead this sounds more like a Ryan Adams solo album in some ways. Still, this is their most ambitious effort.



There's some great pop moments like "Mirror Mirror", and "Dno't Be Sad". "What The Devil Wanted" is a haunting song, and "Crazy About You" is a low key ballad. The album proved that Ryan Adams had matured in his songwriting, and overall music. Other highlights include "Reasons To Lie", "Don't Wanna Know Why", "Sit And Listen To The Rain", "My Hometown", and many others.



This album was recorded in 1999, but not released until 2001 because the Outpost label folded. Nevertheless, it's a fine piece of music, and one of their best. It's a fine swan song for the band, it makes one wonder if it had been originally released in 1999 what would have happened to the band, or if they would have even still been together.

beautiful pop

This album will put a smile on your face. You feel like kicking back on your front porch,sipping julep, and waving to the neighbors with gun racks on their trucks. All the tracks on here are gorgeously crafted pieces of alt-country pop. There is none of the hard punk influence that would inform some of Ryan's later stuff, just melodic and delightful. Possibly the best whiskeytown has to offer, and some of the best pop that you will never hear on the radio.

Saving the Best til last

When I purchased this album I was already familiar with the works of Ryan Adams, with the self proclaimed Gold and Heartbreaker LP's. I was stunned at the immediate introduction into the great sound of Whiskeytown. The Balled...is a meloncholy yet striking song. The second tune, Dont wanna know...is Adams at his honest best, as is the majority of the tracks that follow. Apart from a few tunes that seemed to fall off the track Whiskeytown cannot go wrong with this great piece of work.