I'm glad we were able to do that [tribute] for Alejandro. That's sort of a last positive effort that we all contributed to. I think it was just a good way to go out.

Mr. Koppel and 'Nightline' are hiding behind the so-called tribute in an effort to highlight only one aspect of the war effort, and in doing so to influence public opinion against the military action in Iraq.

This team worked exceptionally hard in the weight room, so it's a tribute to that.

It's a tribute to the effort and collaboration with the border to come together as a border community. I think they recognize the work we've done here.

[Earlier Son Volt releases possessed a more composed, controlled atmosphere, which showed off Farrar's songwriting chops well, but the new one has a more pervasive sense of urgency, not just lyrically but also musically. There's an immediacy that's palpable.] We were kind of a new configuration, so there's an edge there, a spontaneity that's basically good, ... Maybe we were aware that this was something special that never happened before?

I think I just sort of felt like with the original incarnation of Son Volt we'd hit a wall, ... I didn't want to necessarily be the person who had to crack the whip to try to push people in a certain direction that they didn't want to go.