Whiskeytown, the highly acclaimed band of the alt-country/No Depression scene, who launched the careers of four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-guitarist Ryan Adams as well as that of fiddler-singer-songwriter Caitlin Cary and singer-songwriter-guitarist Phil Wandscher will have its 1997 major label debut, Strangers Almanac re-released in a deluxe, 2-CD edition on March 4, 2008 on Geffen/UMe/Mood Food/Outpost.
Disc one is the original album plus five previously unreleased live public radio performances. 17 of the 19 recordings on the second disc were previously unreleased recordings and are from the pre-production sessions for Strangers Almanac (commonly referred to as the Barn's On Fire sessions). Intimate acoustic demos of "16 Days," "Avenues" and "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart," are included plus several original songs making their premieres in the Whiskeytown catalog: "Kiss & Make-Up," "Indian Gown," "Barn's On Fire," "Streets Of Sirens," "Breathe," "Nurse With The Pills" and "10 Seconds." Also included are covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," Gram Parsons' "Luxury Liner," Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" and an early version of the True Believers' "The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over." For fans of Whiskeytown, the added tracks on this Deluxe Edition are a long-lost treasure.
Founded in Raleigh, NC, in 1994, Whiskeytown made its indie debut with Faithless Street. Upon hearing this release the band was signed to Outpost, a Geffen Records label. The liner notes featured in the Strangers Almanac - Deluxe Edition package tells the tale of what when Whiskeytown entered a Nashville studio. The band, led by 22-year-old Adams, was in turmoil: There was a new rhythm section (bassist Jeff Rice and drummer Steven Terry joined Adams, Cary and Wandscher), Cary was in a relationship with the former drummer Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, Adams had been offered his own solo deal and they had no guitars because they had been misplaced during the trip to Nashville. The acoustic guitar heard on Strangers Almanac was bought in a pawnshop. Despite all the misfortunes the band sensed something special and continued on.
Producer Jim Scott tempered some of Whiskeytown's spirit of reckless abandon while still allowing the band's earthy emotion and beautiful raggedness to shine through on tracks such as "Yesterday's News," "16 Days," "Inn Town," "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight," "Everything I Do" and "Dancing With The Women At The Bar."
After one more album, Whiskeytown disbanded. Adams went on to a highly successful solo career and Cary and Wandscher to other worthy musical ventures. Now Strangers Almanac - Deluxe Edition reveals why Whiskeytown is still invoked as one of alt-country's all-time best.
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