By virtue of the greater number of votes at a higher level, this track ranks No. 6 in our countdown, although equal 5th in points obtained.
From the album frequently voted Whiskeytown’s best (Stranger’s Almanac), this track showcases the early songwriting talent of Ryan Adams, which remained with him throughout his procession of solo albums, but, some would suggest, never reached these heights. Our editor Mark (possibly one of the aforementioned ‘some’) noted “The lyrics about the loss to the brutality of war against the mundanity of remembrance along with the melody are still unbearably moving, and regardless of anything that’s gone on personally for Adams, I will always love this song dearly” while Andy Short stated “With reference to Eisenhower and the line “And when he hit shore / It must have been a target for the gunner-men”, Adams and Cary must be referring to D-Day in the Second World War—a tribute and a warning, weighing in at two and a half minutes —perfect”. Peter Thompson also had his say: Houses on the Hill is a song that is far too short, at 2 minutes and 38 seconds, but very sweet. It’s one of the handful of songs of which I’m tempted to restart when it reaches its conclusion. To me, it’s almost the perfect americana song – very well written, the playing and singing are top-notch, and the arrangement is spot-on”.
This series is about the song, but the impact of such a song is clearly influenced by the performance of the song on the album. A lot of credit goes to Caitlin Cary (violin and harmony vocals) on this track, recorded when the band consisted just of Adams and herself, probably the only constant over the life of Whiskeytown. It’s short but a very sweet and somewhat bitter, and brilliant song, with a continued and repeated relevance even today.
