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Some are lucky enough to have seen Jay Farrar in concert
since he [disbanded] Son Volt and struck out on his own.
Maybe you've been lucky enough to have seen him, either solo acoustic,
or with a band. For anyone who's missed out on these amazing times,
now we've been given Stone, Steel and Bright Lights. Nineteen
live tracks of Farrar musical beauty spanning his two solo records,
as well as a few great Son Volt songs, and a fantasticly noisy
cover of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane". These
songs were culled from a number of shows in the fall of 2003,
but the record flows as if it were one amazing night, all in itself.
The album kicks off with a few numbers, just Jay and his acoustic
guitar, that set the pace a little bit low of mid-tempo. An amazing
acoustic version of "6 String Belief" leads us nicely
into the bands appearance on "Feel Free". This live
version stands out over the album track due to the immediacy of
the drumming. Same beat, more push. The band lashes through an
energetically laid back "Make It Alright", into a very
acoustic and intimate "No Rolling Back", and then jumps
straight into a miraculous rendition of "Damn Shame",
which is a perfect juxtaposition of the original album version
with the "Memphis mix" found on the thirdshiftgrottoslack
ep. The song sings with intensity and beautiful rhythms, outstripping
either of the previously recorded versions. This is just one small
example of the amazing moments on this record. Just when I begin
to think it can't get any better, it does. Just when I start to
think that there is no way for a song to feel more personal and
intense, I am proved wrong. Just when I start to think I can maybe
skip ahead a song or 2, I am floored by the intro and stay glued
to the speakers, rapt with aural bliss. And don't forget to stay
tuned to catch the covers at the tail of the album… they
are both wonderfully noisy and filled with the joy of a band completely
in it's element, having a very good time doing exactly what they
obviously love to do.
This album will make a believer out of anyone who claims to not
be a fan of live recordings. Each song is filled with soul, and
the entire record is second only to being in the audience at a
show. This recording is that emotive. One listen to Stone,
Steel and Bright Lights will have you sitting on the edge
of your seat waiting for the next opportunity to catch Farrar
live. Hopefully it will not be far away. I guess you could try
this… It's not exactly the same as being there in the same
room as the band… but I suppose if you turn your stereo up
really loud and stand right in front of the speaker, it'd come
pretty close.
-Embo Blake
1. Doesn't Have To Be This Way
2. Greenwich Time
3. 6 String Belief
4. Feel Free
5. Make It Alright
6. No Rolling Back
7. Damn Shame
8. All Of Your Might
9. Cahokian
10. Heart On The Ground
11. California
12. Fool King's Crown
13. Vitamins
14. Voodoo Candle
15. Damaged Son
16. Feed Kill Chain
17. Clear Day Thunder
18. Lucifer Sam
19. Like A Hurricane
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Jay
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