Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's

by Old 97's

Overview

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. Considering they've never won much more than a fervent cult following despite the strength of their recordings, it's a pleasant surprise that Rhino has deigned to release a greatest-hits disc, and while Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's isn't the ideal introduction to this band, it's a thoroughly enjoyable overview of their body of work. Hit by a Train covers the band's career prior to their recent association with New West Records (including one cut from the band's hard-to-find debut, Hitchhike to Rhome), and includes a few rarities along with the usual-suspects album cuts (most notably the brilliant Bloodshot single "Crying Drunk" and a rollicking version of Marty Robbins' "El Paso" cut for the television series King of the Hill). There isn't a dud track on this disc, through the truth is the Old 97's didn't record much material that isn't top-shelf, which points to this set's only real flaws -- anyone who is already familiar with the band is going to wonder why this song or that didn't merit inclusion, and the sequence doesn't always smooth out the distinct differences in sound and approach that dotted the five albums which provided most of this material. But there's no getting past the strength of the songs, the energy and skill of the performances, and the excellence of Miller's lyric and vocals. If you love the Old 97's, Hit by a Train will remind you why, and it will send newbies scurrying to the record shop to find out what they've been missing, and that's a powerful recommendation. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/20/2006
Label:	Elektra
UPC:	0081227764227

Tracks

1. Stoned
2. Cryin' Drunk
3. Doreen
4. Victoria
5. Timebomb
6. Niteclub
7. Four Leaf Clover
8. El Paso
9. Jagged
10. Lonely Holiday
11. Murder (Or a Heart Attack)
12. Valentine
13. The Villain
14. King of All the World
15. Question
16. Rollerskate Skinny
17. Barrier Reef
18. Nineteen

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Old 97's   Primary Artist
Ken Bethea   Guitar
Exene Cervenka   Vocals
Wally Gagel   Piano,Mellotron,Percussion
Jon Langford   Guitar
Jon Brion   Vox Organ
Philip Peeples   Drums,Percussion
Rhett Miller   Guitar,Vocals
Jon Rauhouse   Banjo,Pedal Steel
Murry Hammond   Bass,Vocals

Technical Credits

Ken Betha   Composer
Simon Ford   Composer
Siavosh Ahmadzadeh   Engineer
Michael Williams   Photography
Ken Bethea   Composer,Group Member
Chuck Uchida   Engineer,Producer
Frank Rinella   Mixing
Steve Woolard   Liner Notes
Wally Gagel   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Phil Smith   Project Assistant
Philip Peeples   Composer,Group Member
Danny Clinch   Photography
Cory Frye   Editorial Supervision
Rhett Miller   Composer,Group Member
Old 97's   Composer,Producer
Bradley Cook   Mixing,Engineer
Dave Schultz   Remastering
Tom Lord-Alge   Mixing
Marty Robbins   Composer
Alan Wooley   Producer
Murry Hammond   Composer,Group Member
Bruce Licher   Design,Art Direction
Mason Williams   A&R
Ginger Dettman   Project Assistant
Robert Christgau   Liner Notes
Dane Venable   Project Assistant
Lisa Liese   Product Manager
Mike Phegley   Compilation Producer
Tchad Blake   Mixing
Andrew Williams   Producer