Classic Albums: All Hail West Texas by The Mountain Goats

Release Date: February 19 2002

This album is a series of stories all taking part in West Texas. The stories range from quite mundane to heartbreaking. There’s a song about accepting differences, There’s a song about a mother who is financially unable to look after her children, so she leaves them on a doorstep, various songs about a failing marriage, there’s a songs about driving and listening to the radio. It’s the masterful song writing that makes these stories so compelling and rich. The Lyrics tell you small details, that speak volumes about the characters in the songs. The whole vibe of this album is gloomy, wistful and has a sense of hopelessness. This is felt in the passive aggression in “Fault lines”, the frustration in “Balance”, the absolute sadness in “Blues in Dallas”. I really can’t say enough nice things about John Darnielle’s voice through out the album, it’s expressive, intense and his nasally vocals are great combined with the minimalist recording. The whole album was recorded on a Panasonic RX-FT500, which not only creates a DIY sound, it also adds to the sense of isolation from the rest of the world. This album also has 6 bonus tracks, if you listen to the remastered edition, these songs are shorter, but just as good. I love this album, because of the story telling devices, I love the seemingly meaningless details that create a perfect setting in my head to imagine myself in rural West Texas. I love the negative emotions felt by the characters and how they’re described. All The stories are interesting and meaningful and often devastating. That’s why this is one of my favourite albums ever.

Song Ranking (Excluding Bonus Tracks):

1. Pink and Blue [track 7]

2. Balance [track 6]

3. Color in Your Cheeks [track 3]

4. Fall of the Star High School Running Back [track 2]

5. The Mess Inside [track 9]

6. Fault Lines [track 5]

7. Source Decay [track 13]

8. Distant Stations [track 11]

9. The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton [track 1]

10. Jenny [track 4]

11. Riches and Wonders [track 8]

12. Absolute Lithops Effect [track 14]

13. Blues in Dallas [track 12]

14. Jeff Davis County Blues [track 10]

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