Imaginary Albums #15: Uncle Tupelo

Uncle Tupelo managed four pretty unassailable albums between 1990-1993, a groundbreaking merger of Americana and post-punk, going out on a high (taking Neil's admonition about burning out vs. fading away to heart). Jay Farrar soldiered on with Son Volt, rarely straying from the general parameters established by Tupelo, while Jeff Tweedy, who'd largely been stuck in Jay's shadow, truly blossomed with Wilco.

When You Find Trouble, as noted when I first shared it, imagines Uncle Tupelo soldiering on for one more album, an out-with-a-bang fifth record, culling a sprawling double-LP out of the first couple Son Volt/Wilco releases (and a few other odds & ends). 

I tried to keep it mostly in the same country rock vein as 1993's Anodyne swan-song, and, while Jay & Jeff were clearly starting to drift in very different directions, I think it holds up as a pretty solid listen. Close your eyes and suspend disbelief, and you can hear it (maybe?) as a unified album with two frontmen sharing equally in the spotlight.