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Fe (Souled American album)

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Fe
Yellow color with a box of shaded trees in the middle with the words Souled American at the top center and the word Fe centered on the bottom of the album
Studio album by
Souled American
Released1988
Recorded1988
Length46:49
LabelRough Trade
ProducerSouled American, Jeff Hamand, Jim Rondinelli
Souled American chronology
Fe
(1988) 		Flubber
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Fe is the debut album by Chicago-based alternative country band Souled American. It was released in 1988 by Rough Trade Records, and re-released, as part of the Framed box set, by tUMULt Records in 1999. The title of the album (pronounced "fee") was taken from the word used by Bob Marley for "feel."

Production

[edit]

According to 35 Days of Fe,[2] a booklet by Camden Joy based on his research and interviews with the participants, Fe was created with minimal overdubs in different studios over weekends and evenings when co-producer Jim Rondinelli was able to obtain the most favorable rates.

The debut stands apart from the rest of their more experimental discography, not just because the others were each recorded in a single studio but because of how well Fe documents the high-energy live performances that first caught the ear of the American subsidiary of Rough Trade Records to earn them a recording contract.

Defining features include the unusual dominance of Joe Adducci’s busy bass guitar, the rich evocative drawl of Chris Grigoroff's vocals, and a rhythm section that brought reggae-and-roots upbeats to the group’s folk-infused originals. The album performed poorly, failing to attract much critical attention outside of the band’s native Midwest. It was the first of three Souled American albums released over an eighteen-month period that concluded with the collapse of their record label.

Critical reception

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"Fe," wrote Mark Guarino, in his book Country & Midwestern,[3] "became an instant benchmark for a genre that had yet to be defined." Writing in a syndicated review for Knight-Ridder,[4] Tom Moon observed, "The bass and drum parts are locked up throughout, revisiting Bo Diddley beats and twang-bar blues with appropriate punk-like recklessness."

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Notes Campfire" – (4:52)
  2. "Field & Stream" – (3:16)
  3. "Soldier's Joy" – (2:34)
  4. "Full Picture" – (2:37)
  5. "Make Me Laugh, Make Me Cry" – (4:03)
  6. "Fisher's Hornpipe" – (2:33)
  7. "Tall Boy Blues" – (3:39)
  8. "Magic Bullets" – (3:22)
  9. "Lottery Brazil" – (3:15)
  10. "Goin' Home" – (4:24)
  11. "She Broke My Heart" – (4:45)
  12. "True Swamp Too" – (3:48)
  13. "Feel Better" – (3:33)

All songs by Souled American except "Soldier's Joy" and "Fisher's Hornpipe" traditionals.

Personnel

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  • Joe Adducci – bass, vocals
  • Jamey Barnard – drums
  • Chris Grigoroff – guitar, vocals
  • Scott Tuma – guitar
  • Bob Egan – pedal steel on "Tall Boy Blues," "She Broke My Heart"

References

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  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Joy, Camden (2025). 35 Days of Fe. Seaside, CA: Self-published. pp. 18–65.
  3. ^ Guarino, Mark (2023). Country & Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 365. ISBN 9780226110943.
  4. ^ Moon, Tom (January 28, 1989). "Souled American: Fe". The Anniston Star. p. 23.
  • Chicago Reader: "Arts & Culture: Souled American," by Renaldo Migaldi, June 30, 1988.
  • Chicago Reader: "Club Dates: The Eclectic Boogie of Souled American," by Dan Liberty, October 13, 1988.
  • Chicago Tribune: "You Never Know: The Texas Trip That Paid Off for Souled American," by Tom Popson, October 14, 1988.
  • Chicago Sun-Times: "Album feels good to Souled American," by Don McLeese, May 26, 1989.
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