Rhino / Wea
2006
Hit By A Train
About This Album
In his liner notes to this collection, Robert Christgau writes "When the Old 97's were on Bloodshot, the myth was that they were 'alt-country' -- which was true in a way but misleading." True enough; while the Old 97's were one of the best and most consistently enjoyable bands to come out of the '90s alt-country boom, they sound less like hipster kids trying to nail hayseed affectations onto Replacements-esque rock & roll than the proud sons of Texas that they truly are. Like their spiritual forefathers Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller, and Doug Sahm, the Old 97's have always been a band that can't help throwing a bit of twang into the mix (as best evidenced by Ken Bethea's guitar, which at its best splits the difference between Luther Perkins and Neil Young), but they also know a great hook when they hear it (or write it) and realize telling a good story is the best way to draw in the listener (singer and primary lyricist Rhett Miller has a way with words that makes him sound smarter than average, but like a regular guy with regular girl problems at the same time). With the passage of time, it's doubtless significant that the Old 97's' two strongest albums are Wreck Your Life, which best captures their country-accented side, and Satellite Rides, which does the same for the pop side of their vocabulary.
Track List (try tracks 3,4,6,7,8,12,13,14 and 15)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.