February 21 2003 LOS ANGELES —
Sire/Rhino will rerelease ANODYNE, the first and final Uncle Tupelo album recorded for Sire Records, on March 11, 2003.
The reissue will include three previously unavailable studio outtakes and two live tracks from an Uncle Tupelo performance in Chicago in 1993. Led by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, Uncle Tupelo mixed equal parts rock, folk and country, refining their sound over the course of three albums before moving to a major label and releasing ANODYNE in 1993.
The band cut the album entirely live at Cedar Creek Recording in Austin, Texas, with no overdubs. The move paid off, as ANODYNE captured a band at the height of its powers and was met with rave reviews. In addition to the album’s original 12 tracks, Sire/Rhino’s reissue features three previously unreleased session outtakes-a cover of Waylon Jennings’ "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" featuring lead vocal by Joe Ely and the Farrar/Tweedy originals "Stay True" and "Wherever." The reissue also includes two live bonus tracks — "Truck Drivin’ Man" and a searing seven-plus minute version of Dale Hawkins’ "Suzy Q," both tracks unavailable except on the promo-only The Long Cut + Five Live EP until now.
After ANODYNE, Jay Farrar left Uncle Tupelo to form Son Volt with original Uncle Tupelo drummer Michael Heidorn, while Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the band became Wilco. Uncle Tupelo have long been recognized as the pioneers of the modern alt-country movement, but ANODYNE is a record that truly transcends the genre.