This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Nice to see some underappreciated heroes getting their due. Especially when those heroes are as influential as Uncle Tupelo.
Back in 1990, this trio led by singer-songwriters Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy kick-started the whole alt-country, neo-folk and Americana music wave with their debut album No Depression. Over four years, they issued an equal number of superb albums that married the raw energy of punk with the earthy beauty of country. Then they broke up, with Tweedy going on to form Wilco and Farrar starting Son Volt. If you love either of those bands — or kindred spirits like the Bottle Rockets or Waco Brothers — you owe it to yourself to check out 89/93: An Anthology, a 21-track retrospective of Uncle Tupelo’s finest acoustic gems and roots-rock charmers, along with worthwhile rarities and unreleased cuts (like a twangy, tangy cover of Iggy Pop’s I Wanna Be Your Dog). Better late than never.
