Album Reviews

With a nod to the Hank Williams tune of the same name (which also was the name of a book Earle authored), this Steve Earle album released last spring is a collection of songs dealing mostly with mortality, keying off of his father’s passing.

Though the songs were written over a three-year period beginning shortly before his father’s death in 2007 through the fall of 2010, they were all recorded on one spring day in New Orleans and in “five short ones” the next fall in Los Angeles.

With a nod to the Hank Williams tune of the same name (which also was the name of a book Earle authored), this Steve Earle album released last spring is a collection of songs dealing mostly with mortality, keying off of his father’s passing.

Though the songs were written over a three-year period beginning shortly before his father’s death in 2007 through the fall of 2010, they were all recorded on one spring day in New Orleans and in “five short ones” the next fall in Los Angeles.

Like Ry Cooder on his album Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, Earle also can’t let go of the Bush years and on “Little Emperor” he unleashes a tirade aimed at the former president: “No Pomp and Circumstance No More Shock And Awe, You’re Just a Little Emperor That’s All.”

The other songs cast politics aside, dealing with the stated theme in a variety of richly drawn settings. The opening autobiographical tune framed in muscular Tex-Mex rhythms and chords takes a military “brat” from “waiting for the sky to fall” (being drafted), to, as an older and wiser person “sitting on top of the world” and counting blessings with “…eyes wide open till the messenger calls.”

“The Gulf of Mexico” tells the story of three generations living and working on the Gulf ("in the days before the spill"). “Molly-O” is about a fugitive whose unrequited love for a girl destroys his life. A song about God is accepting without being reverential or fearful  and doesn’t subscribe to any particulary religion as the singer sees each day another chance to “get it right.” Earle wrote "God is God" and "I Am the Wanderer" for Joan Baez's album Day After Tomorrow, which he also produced.

“Meet Me In the Allyway” has a Dr. John the Night Tripper feel with Earle singing into what sounds like a harmonica microphone. “Every Part of Me” is a tender love song to his wife Allison Moorer who duets with him on “Heaven Or Hell”

The album concludes with “This City,” a Springsteen-ish (forgive me Steve) love song to New Orleans featured in the HBO series “Tremé” with a horn arrangement by Allen Toussaint.

The album is redolent with Earle’s acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin and Greg Leisz’s pedal steel guitar plus producer T-Bone Burnett’s electric guitar and that of Jackson Smith. Rhythm is via acoustic bass and drums. Sara Watkins adds a wonderful fiddle part and background vocals on “I Am a Wonderer.”

Producer Burnett remains committed to producing great sound that reflects the music’s intent, with whatever budget or technology he’s got to work with. This album has much going for it sonically, particularly the strong, deep foundation and the instrumental solidity and weight.

Bass is particularly deep and tight and the entire sonic balance aims low. Nothing about the balance screams “sparkly-glisten-y”—even the guitars have a dense, chewy texture with the balance skewed toward the body and away from the strings. The dense atmosphere is consistent throughout.

As for the 180g United Nashville pressing, it’s decent but suffers from minor “non-fill” “tick” noise at the beginning of both sides. It’s better than many from United but not as good as what others are pressing. Still, the packaging is well done, including the insert and the vinyl edition is recommended.

‘l’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”  is among Earle’s strongest albums. His vocals are emotionallly powerful, and with its richly drawn lyrics and intricate arrangements  it’s an album you can come back to often and uncover new pleasures each visit.