I’m really digging *Manhattan Square Serenade * right now. Partly because I miss Manhattan (I’m living in NC now, but spent the better part of the last 15 years in NYC.) The album is chock full of NYC references, but mostly it’s some good damn music. I’m not an Earle afficionado, but I liked Copperhead Road. On this CD he sounds like he’s channeling Tom Waits sometimes. Anyone else listening?
Missed the edit window, but that would be “Washington Square Serenade”… :smack:
I liked Copperhead Road but Guitar Town is my favorite album, mostly for Little Rock 'n Roller. I’m a patsy for songs sung to kids by their absent dads.
Steve had a small role in The Wire (HBO) as an ex-junkie, and he’ll be recording the title song for season five. The Wire uses the same song for each season, but different interpretations by different artists (one of which was Tom Waits).
Big Earle fan here. I started out with the “Aint Ever Satisfied” compilation and would recommend it to anyone wanting to check him out. I have almost all his stuff and haven’t heard the new one but will order it soon.
I’m not a fan of country music, but I do have Copperhead Road I got it because The Pogues play on it. I like Johnny Come Lately not only because The Pogues play on it, but because starts out during an era in which I have an interest.
I wonder about this verse though:
*Now my granddaddy sang me this song
Told me about London when the Blitz was on
How he married Grandma and brought her back home
A hero throughout this land
Now I’m standing on a runway in San Diego
A couple o’ Purple Hearts so I move a little slow
ain’t nobody here, maybe nobody knows
About a place called Vietnam *
The P-47 entered combat in late-1942. Let’s say the pilot was 22 years old. So he may have been born in 1920. The narrator in the song was wounded in Vietnam. That war officially ended (for the U.S.) in January 1973. Let’s say he’s 18, so he would have been born in 1955. His ‘granddaddy’ would have been 35 years old.
The timing has always bugged me.
I have Copperhead Road and really like all the songs on it, especially the eponymous track, Snake Oil, and Devil’s Right Hand. I’m unfamiliar with the rest of his work, though.
Johnny, that has always bugged the hell out of me as well, and I too did the math and came out with the same basic numbers. I mentally sing it as “ol’ Daddy” and “Mama.” Used to see Earle all the time when he played Knoxville back in the mid-late 90s in support of “Train a Comin’” and “I Feel Alright.” Guy had a great sense of humor and cutting wit when dealing with drunken yokels in the audience. The following exchange I witnessed live, and it got written up in a review of the performance.
Steve and the V-Roys (a great local band) are playing such and such song. Song ends.
Yokel: “Play ‘Copperhead Road.’”
Steve lights a smoke, tunes his guitar, ignores the drunk.
Yokel: “Play ‘Copperhead Road.’”
Different Yokel: (to first Yokel): “Shut up. Do whatever you like, Steve.”
Earle glances up, and in a southern drawl version of an icy Jack Nicholson voice says, “I usually do.”
"Train a Comin’ is my favorite album. Love “Ben McCullough.”
Sir Rhosis
I used to like him - particularly the post-prison years albums like ‘I Feel Alright’ and ‘El Corazon’. Then he went all political and spoiled it all 
Not a big fan, but I really like The Revolution Starts Now.
Especially **The Gringo’s Tale ** and I Though You Should Know.
For my money, Steve Earle is one of the great songwriters. But as a singer? Not so much.
On the other hand, I do like Earle singing Goodbye.
Yep, Steve Earle is one of my best faves, and I love his new albums, too. He has a wild true heart.
Memphis concert memory, sitting next to a really whupped up truck driver fan, screaming “Devil’s Right Hand!!! Devil’s Right Haaannndd!” for half the night. When Earle did play the song, my new buddy Michael crumpled up against me, sobbing, “Dahmmm, Dahhhmmm, that meant a lot, man, that song…ever since my brother-in law shot my baby sister…shit… shit…” Composing himself abit…" Man I gotta drive a truck load of frozen ass chicken to California tomorrow. This made it worth it, though."
Steve Earle is great at helping ya get through it all.
I have been a Steve Earle fan for many years. Two years ago he toured Australia and played 9 gigs in 12 days. Somehow I managed to not know that he was coming or that he was here until the day of his last show, which of course was sold out. It was the lowest key tour by any name act I can recall. I saw no publicity (although no doubt there was some) and most of the gigs were at pubs and small clubs.
Kicked myself for weeks over that.
Here’s an interesting Steve Earle cover for you (YouTube clip):
“My Old Friend the Blues” as performed by The Proclaimers.
And here’s a song cowritten by Jason Ringenberg and Steve Earle (pardon the Firefly video and enjoy the tune):
“Bible and a Gun” as performed by Jason and the Scorchers.
Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks did a nice cover of “The Devil’s Right Hand,” but I can’t find that one on the internets.
I’m a big Steve Earle fan also. I first got into him in college with Copperhead Road. I’m not sure exactly where we first heard him though. I want to say he must have been on Letterman but I’m sure that’s wrong. I have quite a few of his albums and I love listening to them chronologically to hear the changes he goes through musically. If you only ever buy one Steve Earle CD it should probably be Copperhead Road but if you are willing to listen to a little more I would add Guitar Town and I Feel Alright. Those three really give a good sense of the talent he has and the life he has lived.
I love Copperhead Road but I think my favorite is I Feel Alright.
p.s. Sorry for the double post but I forgot to add. I still love his music but I did drop off from his new music a little bit because he has become too blatantly political for me to really enjoy.
Unless they are going over my head (which is extremely possible…) the songs on the new album don’t seem very political to me.
Steve has been doing political stuff for years. (I haven’t heard the new album yet.) Much of it is pretty subtle. For example, here’s a bit of “Dixieland”–on his Bluegrass set, The Mountain.
It’s a song about an Irish immigrant who fights for the Union. But some might find more current meaning in the words. Occasionally, Steve gets more obvious–he even refers to Woody Guthrie in one song!
Of course, it may be that I don’t disagree with Steve Earle’s politics. Those whose beliefs match Lee Greenwood’s (of the execrable “Proud to Be An American”) are probably put off when confronted with Steve’s obvious talent.
He’s an amazing songwriter who’s adapted many “styles”–solo acoustic folk, folk rock, hard rock & stone Bluegrass. (With lashings of Irish traditional.) And he’s a good singer in the “folksinger” vein–no great technical skill, but plenty of feeling. I’m glad he’s still producing good work. And annoying those who need it.
I was just musing today about which current musician can live up to Woody Guthrie’s bold guitar statement of his time; “This Machine Kills Fascists”
Steve Earle lives up to that. And I ain’t at all ashamed to love it.
I’m sure you’ve heard his Christmas In Washington–here’s the chorus:
From El Corazon. An album that also includes some hard rock, stone honky-tonk & a tender farewell to Townes van Zandt.
Yeah, I like Steve’s politics. But they’re just icing on the cake. He’s hardly a one-trick pony. (Mixing metaphors much?)
I didn’t mean that I was turned off because I disagreed with his politics. I just thought that some of the songs on The Revolution Starts…Now sacrificed quality for preachyness. And I hate being preached to.
I think I will have to pick up the new one and give it a listen. Thanks.