Bottle Rockets

Even though Brian Henneman made crucial contributions to Uncle Tupelo's landmark acoustic album, March 16-20, 1992, he's best known as alt-country's premier guitar hero, leading the Bottle Rockets' widely admired Crazy Horse-meets-ZZ Top stomp and crunch. Fans might therefore approach the live, "unplugged" Not So Loud with a little trepidation, but Henneman and the rest of the band prove just as potent in this unfamiliar setting. Without the fuzz, the focus naturally shifts to the substance of the songs, and long-time fan favourites like "1000 Dollar Car" and "Rural Route" hold up surprisingly well. Anyone who hasn't heard the originals will do well to search them out, but having Not So Loud as a document of the Bottle Rockets' softer side is a great addition to their already rich catalogue.