Steve Earle is probably my favorite musical artist. Now, he wasn’t my favorite artist at the formative ages of 16 or 21 but by 30, he likely had taken the position, and one assumes, that won't change again with age at this point. Art is fluid, so the term “favorite” is subjective, of course, and listening will fluctuate.
Surprising to me, I was able to meet him in a post concert meet and greet. These in-person events are awkward and seemingly a recipe for disappointment, but I don’t have anything negative to say about the encounter. Like many artists with long careers, it’s hard not to think of his different eras. Earle will still always be most likely known for his 1980s peak chart period where he took a Springsteen singer songwriter approach to country music.
Many diehard Earle fans surely became that way in the 90s as Earle was one of a group of artists that was creating a new brand of country music. In a four year time frame, he put out four of the finest albums that I have ever heard - the span from Train A Comin’ that lasted to The Mountain. Earle has a new live album. He released a live album in 1991- the lightly regarded Shut Up and Die like an Aviator- the critics aren’t wrong as it serves as a book end to his first act and isn't particularly essential. His next major live album was a two disc album Just An American Boy in 2003 which sort of book ends that phase in his career. That album takes me back to 2004- a particular place and time.
For me, life seemed amped up. The Bush-Kerry election. The War on Terror. Fahrenheit 9/11. Web 2.0. I constantly played the two discs. While they don’t measure quite up to his 90s work- the three early 00s albums - 2000s Transcendental Blues 2002s Jerusalem and 2004s The Revolution Starts Now come pretty close. Overly political (not that Earle was ever apolitical) buzz formed around brash ideas like “John Walker’s Blues” and “Condi, Condi” After that flurry of activity, Earle returned in 2007 and also had quite an acting career appearing in two HBO series The Wire and Treme.
There have been 11 albums in those 17 years since 07s Washington Square Serenade. There have been some great moments. Four of those albums have been all cover tributes to Earle influences and friends Guy Clark, Townes Van Zant, Jerry Jeff Walker and his son Justin Townes Earle. 2020s Ghost of West Virginia- his last studio album which featured songs that were written for an Off Broadway play is among his best work. I would also rank 2016s self titled collaboration with Shawn Colvin and 2017s So You Wannabe an Outlaw as right up there with the aforementioned early Oughts records
Earle has often been backed by his band the Dukes. Longtime bassist Kelly Looney died in 2019. Guitarist Bucky Baxter passed in 2020. Chris and Eleanor Masterson who have their own band went their own way in 2022. But most famously after the 2023 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, the rest of the band emailed their resignations. I am not sure Earle is easy to get along with or what, but regardless he seems to always fight his way through and he landed on his feet by touring alone now and releasing some of the results as an album On top of that, though I know not all fans share the opinion, most critics seem to rank it as a career highlight. Good chunks of dialogue make it feel like one of those “Storyteller” albums. There’s also a good chunk of his whole career.
In interviews, Earle said he doesn’t understand how artists won’t perform their hits, which is why Copperhead Road and Guitar Town are here among many others. Still hearing, say “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” here reminds you how even the greatest artists- Lou Reed, Springsteen, Dylan, McCartney and so on- had long careers but they also had those indelible early hits. Even at 15 songs, it’s hard to get everything covered. Though the double shot of I Feel Alright is not only some great songs but is a nice acknowledgment of the rough years Earle lived through and equally doesn’t fall for the “romantic self-destructive artist” trope that some may fall for. The recent Ghosts of Virginia only gets one song which is It’s About Blood- but it sounds better live here than in the studio and has an extra benefit to the new listener as Earle explains the project.
Most critics have raved over this album but a select few have said Earle sounds tired and old. Even then for a country singer, that probably wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me- but I think he sounds great here in this setting. I tend to skip 2007s Washington Square Serenade which mainly is overshadowed by the two previous albums that had such a political bent. “Sparkle and Shine” from that album is a nice inclusion for the flip side of so many of the political songs. There are no surprises which pop up on the longer tour set lists, say covers of the Pogues or Justin Townes Earle. As a huge fan, I would have appreciated those, but this does make things as close to a “Where to start with Steve Earle” primer as it is likely intended to be.
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