I always heard of Lyle Lovett but I never heard on the stations I listened to. I just checked out the Road to Ensenada. The man has some serious talents. Are some of his other songs that good? What kind of music is that called - Country? That doesn’t seem a fitting description.
I think “Texas” is kind of its own genre in a way. The state has produced a bunch of guys like Lovett who don’t quite fit into any category perfectly: Townes Van Zandt, Doug Sahm, Terry Allen, Danny Barnes, Kinky Friedman, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, the list goes on. And yes, the rest of Lovett’s records are just as good.
Dubist has it right;
“That’s Texas Music Son”
Lyle plays a combination of Swing, Country, and Blues. When you get a chance to see him live don’t miss it. He’ll show up with his Large Band; 17 musicians and singers. Usually Francine Reed and ‘Sweet Pea’ Atkinson will sing with him.
When he first broke nationally, it was the song “If I had a boat”, Nashville/CMT played it. They couldn’t pigeon-hole his music and he doesn’t promote himself, so they dropped him. If you live near a decent college radio station, or a real independent station, he does get air play.
Concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley:
(a pause between songs)
Female audience member, stage left; “I love you Lyle”
(pause)
Male audience member, stage right; “That’s my wife”
(audience laughter-pause)
Lyle Lovett; “I used to be married”
(audience laughter-pause)
Large Band Breaks into “She’s already made up her mind”
I have never heard Lyle Lovett played on the radio, I think because he’s kind of hard to pin down. Of course, I’m in California, where even the country station plays pop. I’m with Ichbin Dubist in that I think you can just call him Texas.
One of my favorite albums of his is Joshua Judges Ruth, which is gospelly. Then there’s Lyle Lovett and His Large Band – half jazz (first six songs), and half country (including a great cover of Stand By Your Man).
I saw him (last year? two years ago?) at the Hollywood Bowl. Their theme that night was American folk music (which, frankly, he’s not a real good fit for), but he is an engaging performer. If you can see him play somewhere, I would recommend it.
I’m a big fan after seeing him perform live (at a trade convention, of all places).
Lovett is categorized as country, but he really takes from all sorts of influences. He’s also a terrific (and very subtle) lyricist. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard a song several times before realizing what the song actually said.
There was a PBS live special a few years ago where he took call-ins. At least twice someone called in asking for a particular song and Lyle had to gently tell them the song really wasn’t appropriate, though he was glad to play it (the one I recall was a woman saying her husband proposed to her by singing “LA County” and she wanted to hear it again).
It’s a soing about someone tracking down his ex-girlfriend at the altar and shooting her and her groom. :eek:
Lovett has a very wry sense of humor. In “Penguins,” the original lyrics included a line “I don’t go for movie stars.” He never sings that line in concert any more. 
A good starting point is his “Live in Texas” album, which most of his big songs up to that point. I also love his “Large Band” album, too, but all of his CDs are well worth it. If life was fair, he’d be a big star – but, then, I don’t think he wants to be.
Yeah, Lyle is a style unto him self.
I saw him live a few weeks after he married Julia Roberts. At a quiet moment in the show, some audience dorq yelled out, “IS SHE HERE?” After a moment or two of laughter, Lyle leaned into the microphone. The audience quieted and he kind of whispered, in awe, “She’s everywhere man.”
Beautiful.
Lyle graduated from the same University and with the same major as I. He remained friends with a certain professor, who was my academic advisor and in whose office I worked. Because of this, I met Lyle once when he came to town for a concert and visited the professor. He is remarkably down-to-earth, unassuming and nice. Truly a remarkable talent.
If you like him, check out Robert Earl Keen, Jr., his college buddy who plays similar music.
Hey, he’s a supermodel now! Check out the Johnston & Murphy catalogue.
His first three albums are my favorite. He kind of lost me around Joshua Judges Ruth, though.
Of course girls like Lyle Lovett. Tall fella, good head of hair…
–George Costanza
I absolutely love Joshua Judges Ruth: second CD I ever bought. His next album, where he foolishly encouraged Julia Roberts to participate, doesn’t fare so well IMO.
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band is about my all-time favorite.
It has some of everdamnthing on it from bop to country, and all of it very well done. And Francine Reed to boot.
Hard to pigeonhole but very easy to appreciate.
Still the best, I think, even though it’s what, 15 years old? Something like that.
TubaDiva
Nobody loves me like my baby.
Huge Lyle fan here. I’d recommend the “Cowboy Man” anthology. Maybe not my personal favorite, but a really good introduction to what Lyle’s all about. Sometimes his lyric writing may seem a little weak, but he always slays me with his humor, plus he just has an indefineable human quality to his music that never fails to get me. I’ve been fortunate enough to see him live a couple of times, and he’s about as personable an entertainer as you’ll ever find.
One of my ex-girlfriends dragged me to a Lyle Lovette concert back in the early 90’s. I wasn’t a fan and never really listened to him.
It was the best concert I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen hundreds of concerts). The band was simply amazing. They were tight and obviouusly having a blast. The broke into a couple bars of ‘Pretty Woman’ in the middle of one song, this was about the time he got married, then popped right back into the groove. Pretty funny.
Lyle was extremely funny. The band got to do little solo bits here and there and they all rocked.
Another thing about that concert which was really cool is that it was the best audience I’ve ever been in. No jerks, no one talking when the band was playing band or when Lyle was talking, no pushing, no drunk idiots.
I haven’t been following him lately, I’ve got to be in the right mood for Lyle, but now I have to go get his full collection.
Slee
Make it a cheeseburger.
I just happened to re-watch The Opposite of Sex this weekend, which, by the way, is a very funny movie. And concerning Lyle Lovett, I was reminded of this: as an actor, he makes a good… singer.
Seriously, he was pretty bad. But a great movie nonetheless.