Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Down by the Old Mainstream

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Released
  
1995

Down by the Old Mainstream (1995)
  
Weird Tales (1998)

Release date
  
1995

Genre
  
Alternative country

Length
  
50:17

Artist
  
Golden Smog

Label
  
Rykodisc

Down by the Old Mainstream httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen887Dow

Recorded
  
Pachyderm Studio The Terrarium and Triclops Recording

Producer
  
Golden Smog, Sir James Bunchberry

Similar
  
Golden Smog albums, Alternative country albums

Down by the Old Mainstream was American Alternative country band Golden Smog's first full-length album, released in 1995. Its title is from a line in both the Wilco song, "Someday Soon" from the album, Being There, and from "Radio King," the last track on this album.

Contents

Background

Golden Smog was a loosely connected group of musicians comprising, at various times, members of Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Run Westy Run, The Honeydogs and Big Star. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, but relative constants who appear on all the recordings are guitarists Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), along with bassist Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks).

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album "a loose, relaxed affair that sounds like it was a lot of fun to record...it has an offhand, relaxed charm that is sometimes lacking from Jayhawks and Soul Asylum albums. Not all of the songs are first rate—"Pecan Pie" and "Red Headed Stepchild" are a bit too cute to be effective—but the performances are full of grit and fire, which is what makes Down By the Mainstream such an engaging listen."

Track listing

  1. "V" (Gary Louris, Kraig Johnson)
  2. "Ill Fated" (Dan Murphy)
  3. "Pecan Pie" (Jeff Tweedy)
  4. "Yesterday Cried" (Johnson)
  5. "Glad & Sorry" (Ronnie Lane)
  6. "Won't Be Coming Home" (Louris, Mark Olson)
  7. "He's a Dick" (Johnson)
  8. "Walk Where He Walked" (Tweedy)
  9. "Nowhere Bound" (Marc Perlman, Murphy, Johnson)
  10. "Friend" (Johnson)
  11. "She Don't Have to See You" (Bobby Patterson, Strickland)
  12. "Red Headed Stepchild" (Murphy, Perlman)
  13. "Williamton Angel" (Johnson)
  14. "Radio King" (Tweedy, Louris)

Personnel

The band members of Golden Smog used pseudonyms in the credits.

  • Rodney Amber – organ, piano
  • Andres Conlee – background vocals
  • Jarret Decatur – Chamberlin, drums, guitar, Bass, harmonica, mandolin, piano, slide guitar, tambourine, vocals, background vocals
  • Michael Hacklyn – guitar, background vocals
  • Anthony James – vocals
  • Michael Macklyn – guitar, piano, slide guitar, vocals, background vocals
  • Leonard son Saratoga – drums, sound effects, tambourine, background vocals
  • Davis Spear – guitar, vocals, background vocals
  • Scot Summit – bass, guitar, vocals, background vocals
  • Raymond Virginia – bass, E-Bow, fuzz bass, guitar, mandolin, background vocals
  • Dave Pirner – vocals

    • Songs

    1V3:12
    2Ill Fated3:42
    3Pecan Pie2:54

    References

    Down by the Old Mainstream Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA