Dez's Top Rock/Pop, #21: Uncle Tupelo

United We Stand, Divided We Are Mediocre

It is a rare thing to find a musical partner with whom you have a connection. I have played and written music with many people off and on over the years. But there has only been one person who I really had a special musical connection with, someone who’s musical strengths complemented my own, and together we created a body of work of which I am still proud. There is nothing like having that bond with someone. You can have a musical idea, a riff, a chord progression, a verse of lyrics, or whatever, and bring it to that person and they can help you make it a full song. I view songwriting as naturally a solitary exercise, but if you find that bond with someone who can instinctively complete your musical thoughts, it is beyond description.

Look at some of the great songwriting and musical teams in rock. Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Bell/Chilton (from my last entry), Evans/Long. From what I have read, John Lennon / Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger / Keith Richards worked in much the same way that I worked with my friend Dave. One person would have the root of the song or even a substantial part of it, but the songwriting partner would often be able to finish it, to make it more than it would have been had just the one writer completed it.

There is something about those two together vs. when they are apart. My favorite Big Star record is #1 Record, the one where Chris Bell was a full collaborative partner with Alex Chilton. Just look at Lennon and McCartney’s solo careers vs. The Beatles. There was obviously something special when they worked together, they were often competing with each other and pushing each other to excellence, that was lacking when they were solely in charge of their own music.

This is how I feel about Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy. Both have gone on to, arguably, greater acclaim after they parted ways in the bitter break-up of Uncle Tupelo. Farrar is a respected solo artist and leader of Son Volt, while Tweedy has gone on to lead critic darling Wilco. While I enjoy both Son Volt and Wilco, they don’t have the power or diversity of Uncle Tupelo. Tupelo was Farrar’s band, even Tweedy admits that. But Tweedy was crucial in his input to the songs. In fact, it was Tweedy’s burgeoning talent that caused the rift, as Tweedy started to demand more equality and Farrar simply refused to cede it to him.

Uncle Tupelo only lasted about four years and for four records before their break-up, but those records have been very influential in certain musical circles. They weren’t the first to bring together elements of punk and rock and mix them with folk and country sounds and themes, but they were a crucial link between what the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Flying Burrito Brothers were doing in the late 60’s and modern alt-country. In fact, a genre magazine and musical movement was named after Tupelo’s debut record, No Depression. I can’t help but wonder about the great music that could have been made had they stuck it out for a couple more albums.

What To Listen To:

Uncle Tupelo only released four records, but I love them all. They each have their own character and sound. Debut No Depression is the most uncompromising, pure distillation of their punk/country ethos. Still Feel Gone is generally considered their weakest, but it has always been a favorite of mine. It is the transitional bridge between the raw energy of the debut and the more polished and sophisticated sound of later Tupelo. March 16-20, 1992 is a gorgeous, stone cold folk record, with Farrar and Tweedy setting the electric guitars aside and making acoustic music. Swansong Anodyne is their most polished and was recorded with mainstream breakthrough in mind, with the former trio expanding to a five piece to add more musical textures. 89/93: An Anthology is a good intro to the band and features some great b-sides and rarities as well, but I’d stick with the actual records.