STEVE EARLE – TOWNES

STEVE EARLE – TOWNES

Often mislabeled as a country artist, Steve Earl is three parts roots and one part rocker; and he owes all three of those roots parts to his mentor Townes Van Zandt. It is not exaggerating to say Earle idolised Van Zandt, and owes his career to the man. Having graduated from the shadow long ago, now seems a good time for Earle to do what he has no doubt been itching to do for many years, record a tribute to his teacher, his idol and his friend. Stripped down and bare (get the edition with the second disc of solo acoustic versions), Earle and company take the obvious (Pancho and Lefty, To Live Is to Fly, and Don’t Take It Too Bad) and the less so (in particular one of my favorites, Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold, the world’s second best poker song behind The Gambler)and they’re reverent but never predictable. Upright bass, accompanying acoustic guitar (some of Earle’s best playing), mandolin, Dobro, banjo, fiddle harp and electric guitar give these tunes a timeless feel and allow Earle’s voice to wander the wondrous fields that Van Zandt’s poetic lyrics open up. Using his inside knowledge to explore nuance’s rather than be blinded by devotion, Townes is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest song-writers by the master’s apprentice, now a master in his own right.

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