I pre-ordered this album quite far in advance because I was very excited when I read about it. Though I’m not the biggest fan of Steve Earle’s voice, the thought of him bringing an album full of Townes Van Zandt songs sounded awesome to me. Having listened through it a few times, I wouldn’t say that I’m blown away by it, but it’s something I’ll still listen to quite often. The first song Pancho & Lefty is one of my all time favourites, mainly Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s version, but the song itself is legendary and I think Steve does it justice, however Steve Earle isn’t the storyteller that Townes and Willie are, so it doesn’t come across as sincere as it perhaps should have. The up-tempo songs such as Colorado Girl, White Freightliner Blues are certainly more suited to his voice.
The rest of the album is largely a mix of blues and bluegrass sounds, and Steve has done a lot of rearrangement in favour of a more electric sound instead of the acoustic roots of the songs on the album. That’s were the second CD comes in and really makes the album worth getting. The disc known as ‘Basics’ is basically an acoustic version of most of the songs on the main CD which I think is an excellent idea and I urge other artists to do similar things. I found my enjoyment of most of the songs improved when listening to ’stripped down’ versions, which is much closer to how Townes used to sound.
Having said that though, it’s quite clear that the originals are better than the ones covered on this album. I think Steve Earle is the type of guy to do only Steve Earle songs, because that’s when he sounds the best. Artists like Johnny Cash are able to instantly apply their style into a cover, whereas it doesn’t quite work for Steve as well. I still think it’s a pretty good album though, I’ll be listening to it a lot I’m sure - but perhaps not enjoying it as much as I should have.
I think this is Guy Clark’s best album to date - original, solid, soulful, impeccably arranged and 10 songs of pure quality music. What really stands out in this album is the carefully crafted excellence of the lyrics which integrates seamlessly into some beautiful instrumental peices, including spanish and electric guitars, Irish drums and elegant violin. I’m not normally the biggest fan of Guy Clark’s lyrics in comparison with other country music songwriters, but what’s on offer on Dublin Blues rivals anything ever written.
The title track, Dublin Blues is a masterpeice. He talks of the wonderful places he’s been and the amazing things he’s seen, but the truth remains that he’s a lonely man in Dublin, miles from home and wallowing in heartbreak. The acoustic guitar in this song with its simplicity and prominence really add character to the song. The Randall Knife is overwhelming in its sadness and sensitivity, but rewarding in its beauty - I noticed it shares a similar tune to Let Hiem Roll. The tribute to Hank Williams in Hank Williams Said It Best is justified in what is one of the most creatively written songs I’ve ever heard. I never took much notice of Be Careful of the Stone that you Throw, but there’s actually a deep message in there and guy clark lets the world know about it.
I also love The Cape, a song about believing in yourself during all the stages of your life, never change and never give up. The great rythm in this song too also makes it a great listen whatever mood you’re in. I could go on praising this album and its many qualities but I’m sure you get the idea - go and buy it if you haven’t already, it’s an absolute classic.
Just a couple of the country music artists that will make May 15, 16 and 17th a huge weekend for WYCD’s Downtown Hoedown in the city of Detroit.
This marks the festival’s 27th Anniversary bringing over 800,000 attendees participating in 3 days of country music. This year will be the biggest ever and is expected to surpass all the rest with other National Artists such as Zac Brown Band and Lee Ann Womack.
The Downtown Hoedown was established in 1983 and is widely recognized as the largest Country Music Festival of its kind in the world. Hosted by 99.5 WYCD, Detroit’s Best Country, the Hoedown is regarded by the Country Music Industry as a premier showcase opportunity for new and established artists. Located at Hart Plaza in the heart of downtown Detroit, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic country music fans from the Midwest and beyond.
This year is expected to surpass all the rest with over 30 artists taking to the stage, including local Detroit artists and many of country music’s biggest national stars! Not surprisingly, many artists have gotten their big break at the Downtown Hoedown, namely Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich, just to name a few.
This is my second in a series of Billy Joe Shaver Compadre Records reviews, a label which doesn’t seem to put a foot wrong - but then Billy Joe Shaver rarely does anyway. Freedom’s Child is probably my favourite Billy Joe Shaver album because the quality of the songs and the meanings behind them don’t let up for a second.
If you’ve got the actual CD version you get the privelage of the booklet which contains lyrics for each song along with a short passage by Billy Joe describing the story behind each one and why he wrote it. He covers a large spectrum of feelings and thoughts from the power he’s found in love in Hold On To Yours (And I’ll Hold On To Mine), to the blues of divorce in Drinkin’ Back. The title track Freedom’s Child is an exceptional song with a very powerful message about America’s soldiers. Billy Joe says that “In a perfect world, everyone would understand this song.”
You’ve gotta love That’s Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues, a song which is probably a tribute to Johnny Cash’s style of music - I thought it was Johnny Cash first time I heard it! My favourite songs on the album are Honey Chile and Corsicana Daily Sun. The latter is about Billy Joe’s youth, a time when things were simpler and delivering the Corsicana Daily Sun is a memory he won’t forget. I love the amount of detail in the song about things he remembers such as the smell of his grandma’s apple pie, and the warm sunlight flickering across the clover fields of his old hometown. It would be great to write about things you can remember like that - I can’t even remember what happened last week!
I recommend you track down a CD version of this album as the booklet really makes it worth the extra you might have to pay over a download. I got mine for a bargain…. and it’s signed by Billy Joe himself:
I stumbled across the three videos of Guy Clark perfoming new songs, may these appear on a new album? Only time will tell, but I’m loving ‘The Guitar’ most!
