Son Volt: “Armagideon Time”

The reaction to the revitalized Son Volt and their recent release, Okemah and the Melody of Riot can be best described as mixed. It seems Jay Farrar has always been an acquired taste for some and it’s safe to say that he’s never really topped the band’s debut 1995’s Trace – which you need to go listen to RIGHT NOW! But Okemah just gets better with each listen and when I saw SV at Stubb’s this summer, they were so good I described them as “state of the art roots rock”. “Armagideon Time” was written by legendary reggae producer Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd and originally recorded by the obscure Willie Williams. Most of us know it because the Clash included it on their collection of odds and sods called Black Market Clash. Son Volt performed it on tour this year as an encore, removing the reggae and bashing it out as a garage rock protest song. This version is taken from a radio station only release of Okemah, a double CD set that features the original studio record with three bonus studio tracks and a live disc sequenced the same way as the original with versions taken from performances at radio stations and in concert. This is the last track on that second disc and was recorded at The Orange Peel in Ashville, NC.

Son Volt: “Armagideon Time”