Whiskeytown - Pneumonia (Lost Highway, 2001)

Again, I have to wait until I get to Stranger's Almanac to tell my favorite/only Whiskeytown story (some of you already know it, or are tired of it). From reading this 2001 Magnet article about Ryan Adams, you probably don't want to hear this record at all... or maybe you do and can't stand not to. To know the drama that was swirling while they were making this record and then subsequently trying to release it for years later piled on top of the fact that it was an almost different crew than before, after Ryan fired everyone but a few, gives it something unique to me. Still one of the most rotated records in my collection. I remember my brother initially describing Don't be Sad as "nondescript" to which I agreed, but still liked it alongside most of the rest of the tracks. These are still some of the most well-crafted songs to me. The way Bar Lights seemingly falls apart at the end of the song (also signifying the end of the record and the end of Whiskeytown...other than the last steel drum track which is technically the last on the record, I guess) sums it all up pretty well when, at the end, Ryan forgets the words, then laughs, then breaks a string, then screams and then says "alright, im going to the bar, fuck this" after it just sort of... ends...I imagine Caitlin Cary and the rest looking around like "uh, what's he going to do now?"

Interesting liner note - James Iha plays guitar and backing vocals... never would have guessed it or heard it. Still dont know where or what he plays on this.