Son Volt

Straightaways was Son Volt's middle child. There were no standout tracks such as "Drown" or "Windfall" (as heard on the band's first album). But like Jan Brady Straightaways is endearing. The album's moody, alt country-folk songs grow on the listener after repeated listening. There may be no hits, but isn't that what made Exile On Main Street so good?

With each passing year, the rolling stones' "exile on Main Street" looms ever larger over
rock & roll. In the mid-'80s, noise punks Pussy Galore recorded their deconstructed version
of the album; in the early '90s, postmodern singer/songwriter Liz Phair claimed her debut
album, Exile in Guyville, was a song-by-song response to the 1972 Stones LP. And at the end
of last year, country rockers Wilco released Being There as a double CD, replica... More >