Track Listing

1. Timber
2. Bowling Green
3. Jettison
4. High On Cruel
5. Karoline
6. Lonely Old Lies
7. Honky Tonk Hiccups
8. The Virginian
9. Duchess
10. Thanks A Lot
11. Somebody Led Me Away
12. Misfire

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #319199 in Music
• Released on: 1999-10-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

CD Description
This 1997 solo debut by Neko Case features the darling Virginia-born/Washington State-bred vocalist offering up a covers-heavy set that both reinforces her alt-country tag and gleefully defies it. In addition to a few originals (most notably, "Jettison", which foreshadows the melancholy mood of FURNACE ROOM LULLABY), Case, backed by her trusty Boyfriends, runs through a number of twangy tunes, including Ernest Tubb's "Thanks a Lot" and Loretta Lynn's "Somebody Led Me Away". She also, however, takes on songs by Queen (the fast-paced "Misfire") and cult crooner Scott Walker (the dramatic "Duchess"). The latter performance, in particular, allows Case to show off her powerful voice, while "Bowling Green", a rollicking rendition of an Everly Brothers song, finds her paired with singer Carl Newman, who would later become Case's partner-in-crime in the New Pornographers. Although subsequent Case albums present more atmospheric, nuanced work and focus on her own compositions, THE VIRGINIAN is a significant step in her artistic development, and essential for her devoted fans.

Customer Reviews

so you think you hate country music...
Like many people, I've always been a little prejudiced against country music. Maybe's it's a reaction to the glitz and glamour of Nashville, but more likely it's a reaction to my parent's "Best Country Songs...EVER" CDs. But Neko Case's debut solo album, "The Virginian", blew all my expectations away. The first thing you notice is her achingly beautiful voice, most stunning here on "Somebody Led Me Away", and how versatile it is, as shown by songs as different as "Lonely Old Lies" which is pure country-rock and "Karoline" which can only be described as prairie-punk. But for me, the true highlights of the album have to be "Jettison" which is full of beautiful harmonies, "Bowling Green" because it is literally impossible not to sing along to it, and finally "Honky Tonk Hiccups" because it's ludicrous but ridiculously catchy.

So in conclusion, don't just assume you wont like this because it's country music; in fact, you'll probably love it for breathing a new life into the genre - this is pure genius.

Honky tonk hiccups???
The first solo album from Neco Case has a far more traditional country feel to it than her later album. This in no way detracts from the over all beauty of the album though. It is like a flip side to 'furnace room lullaby'. While it may have less of an Americana feel it still retains roots of progressions that are so obviously in place now.
For an artist who has not only been voted in John Peels top ten albums of the year, but also in the New York Times top five (both for furnace) Neco remains unknown for the most part. To liken her voice to another singer in nigh on impossable. Her voice is distinctively her own. This is in part what makes this album such a must have, not only for those who heard about and bought the furnace room lullaby album, but also for all fans of genuine country music. Compared to the country-pop fusion that proliferates (and has done for far too long) this is a breath of real country air.

Not a great album, but some great performances
Those who are into Neko for her "country noir" music will probably be disappointed by her debut album, "The Virginian." Released a good seven years ago, it's pretty straightforward country/rockabilly--and for that reason I find myself playing it a lot more than "Blacklisted." No, it's not the best album ever, but "Bowling Green" surpasses the Everlys' version, "Misfire" is an inspired Queen cover, and "Honky Tonk Hiccups" is a great little original. Well worth picking up if you liked the more uptempo stuff on "The Tigers Have Spoken."