The Top 10 Americana Songs of All Time: Paul Russell

Our new Feature seeks to find AUK’s writers’ pick as The Best Americana Song of All Time (some challenge!). Each writer will hand-pick their choice of 10 songs they think best fit this accolade, and we’ll collate the results and run them down over the coming months to find the all-important Best Americana Song of All Time. Starting us off, Paul Russell has the pleasure of sharing his picks. Feel free to comment as we make our way through our writers’ lists.

As always with any ‘Best of’ list, the choices we all choose will be highly personal. My list does not include what many might consider out-and-out classics. I have always preferred listening to less well-known material, so this selection avoids the true standouts of americana – but I’ve chosen to simply choose the ten songs that I think best exemplify what americana is all about – in all its complexities. There aren’t many songs from the sixties or seventies here, as my favourites tend to come from later decades.

Number 10: Old 97’s ‘How Lovely All It Was’ from “The Grand Theatre Vol 2″ (2011)
Rhett Miller and his band have been making what they call ‘loud folk’ since 1992, and whilst best known for their more raucous songs, this is a beautiful, melodic gem. It was taken from an album of songs left over from their previous Vol 1 album and shows the band at their most americana-influenced.

Number 9: Neal Casal ‘Fell On Hard Times’ from “Anytime Tomorrow” (2001)
Originally written for the “Rain, Wind and Speed” album, this track was from the album that saw Casal build as a musician from an acoustic artist into an electric one, and the transition is amazing. This oozes americana from every musical pore and is one of his best songs.

Number 8: Jason Isbell ‘Hurricanes and Hand Grenades’ from “Sirens of the Ditch” (2007)
Isbell had left Drive By Truckers in 2007, and there were high expectations when he released this, his solo debut album. It was an astonishingly accomplished set of 11 tunes, and helping him out were Patterson Hood and Spooner Oldham. This is a powerful highlight.

Number 7: John Hiatt ‘Slow Turning’ from “Slow Turning” (1988)
John Hiatt is one of the titans of americana with a back catalogue that’s simply incredible. This track is from his ninth album, and the pressure was on to follow up the astonishing “Bring The Family”, and he did so in spades.

Number 6: Ryan Adams ‘La Cienega Just Smiled’ from “Gold” (2001)
It’s a joy to remember Adams for what he is – a simply superb songwriter, and on his second album, he stated, “I was trying to prove something to myself. I wanted to invent a modern classic.” He was so right. Everything that americana stands for is included in this gem, and more.

Number 5: Lucinda Williams ‘Blue’ from “Essence” (2001)
The impact that William’s songwriting has done for the americana genre is legendary, and this song exemplifies the power and strength of her creativity from her 2001 masterpiece. Her raspy vocals and heartfelt playing are everything a great americana song should include, and she makes it all her own.

Number 4: Over The Rhine ‘Drunkard’s Prayer’ from “Drunkard’s Prayer”(2005)
Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist specialise in sumptuous, laid-back americana, and this stunning song was recorded in the aftermath of a bitter divorce when they had reconciled, and it oozes emotion, tenderness and passion. I find myself feeling genuinely emotional every time I hear this. Deeply effective.

Number 3: John Prine ‘Sam Stone’ from “John Prine” (1971)
Prine is, to these ears, simply the most accomplished americana songwriter ever and this deeply affecting song from his debut album and contains what he himself thought was his best line – “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes/Jesus Chris died for nothin’, I suppose.”

Number 2: Wilco ‘California Dreams’ from “Mermaid Avenue” (1998)
Wilco and Billy Bragg took on the challenge offered by Woody Guthrie’s widow, of taking some unheard Guthrie lyrics, and no one could have imagined Jeff Tweedy and his band would create such a stupendous song as this – a die-hard americana classic.

Number 1: Marah ‘Faraway You’ from “Kids In Philly” (2000)
The Bielanko brothers, Dave and Serge, managed to form a band that totally encapsulated everything americana was all about and quickly found fans in the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle. The latter released the band’s second album, from which this barnstormer was taken. They were simply the best americana live act I’ve ever seen, bar none.