I have downloaded one Steve Earle boot (Newport Folk Festival 2004) from DIME (or was it easytree).
This Earle man is new to me (shame on me!!) so I don't nothin'about he.

Would you please tell me something about him?

He once recorded a cover of Before They Make Me Run.

Also he did "Dead Flowers" live on Shut Up and Die Like An Aviator. Great songwriter but I disagree with his politics.

Elmo: what is his politics you disagree?

Too liberal for my taste - John Walker Blues, Ellis Unit One, etc. - I have a hard time working up any sympathy for murderers while the victims' families still suffer. Ditto the Taliban. That said I love Copperhead Road, Devil's Right Hand, Someday, Guitar Town and many, many others by him. "I Feel Alright" is an excellent CD, as is his stuff with Del McCrory Band (if you like bluegrass).

P. S. I encourage you to also check out David Allen Coe. Another excellent country flavored songwriter with a catalog of songs that is deep and wide like Steve Earle's. His bootleg X-rated stuff is hilarious if you can find it!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2005-04-20 20:26 by Elmo Lewis.

Thank for your advices Elmo.

Any time, my friend. What CD do you have or what have you heard by Steve that turned you on to him? Keep rockin'.

Scotty

A boot downloaded from from DIME:

Steve Earle
August 7, 2004
Newport Folk Festival
Fort Adams State Park
Newport, Rhode Island USA

That's the only one I got and only one I ever heard. It is good one, I really like it.

I'd get

Essential Steve Earle
Guitar Town
Copperhead Road
I Feel Alright

in no particular order next - well maybe Essential first.

Good listening.

I'd get Essentail Steve Earle next. And, in no particular order,

Guitar Town
I Feel Alright
Copperhead Road
Shut Up & Die Like An Aviator (Live) w/Dead Flowers

Thanks Elmo, I found and reserved "I Feel Alright" & "Copperhead Road" from my library now. It takes couple of days to get them.

It is always great to find something new.

Agree with everything Mr. Elmo said. I think El Corazon is also a good disc. Not quite as consistent as the ones he mentioned, but some real good songs.

Karl

"Hardcore Troubador" from I Feel Alright is great and even steals a line from Bruce's "Rosalita".

I saw him in Brussels last december, it was awesome.
He played a fabulous version of Sweet Virginia, with Allison Moorer
An other cover was played as encore : Isn't It A Pity of George Harrison.
Maybe the best concert i saw lat year.

another good Steve Earle disc is "Train A Comin", all acoustic, with a great band, and Emmylou Harris on some songs. Also Transcendental Blues is a great CD.
he seems to be a real Stones fan.
the CD Jerusalem is strong, check out the song Amerika version 5.0...
thats the one with 'John Walker's Blues'...
I saw him recently, he feels the Bush war in Iraq is 'personal' now for him since he has sons of draft age, if it comes to a draft, which a lot of folks feel it will...
he's very much a peace activist, anti- land mines, death penalty, Bush admin..
but a hell of a good band live!

all of Steve's albums are worth getting

I'd second "Train a Comin" as a particular favourite

His live show is fantastic as well

Steve hit the sceen and quickly became a country/rock crossover artist. He had a nice career for several years. But booze and drugs got him. He lost about a third of his body weight and was near death several times. A few trips to rehab and he got straightened out. Now he's on the other end of the scale, way overweight. When he decided to try and refire his career he got alot of help from Emmy Lou Harris. They had been friends before and she took him on tour with her show. He has a unique voice and delivery that can't be mistaken.

You're wrong about him being overweight, Skippy..lol

He certainly was until about 2 years ago, but he went on a serious diet and he's pretty much rake-thin these days (he lost about 60 pounds in a few months)

with the weight loss and having that bear-like beard shaved off, he's barely recognisable from the guy he was about a year earlier.

He certainly went through the mill in the late 80's and early 90's. He dropped out of the music scene for about 4 years in the early 90s due to heroin addiction, pawned his guitars for drugs and spent most of the next couple of years scoring smack on the streets of south Nashville. In the end he got busted and went to jail for a few months. It probably saved his life and he straightened out after that. His personal life has been pretty chequered too - he was married and divorced SIX times before he was 40.

His career is doing reasonably well but he doesnt really get played on country radio because he's too much of a rebel for Nashville and obviously he's considered too dangerous or outspoken for the sensitive ears of radio listeners. he's one of the last artists out there who basically doesnt sell himself out for the purposes of getting airplay and making lots of cash. He also hosts a regular radio show on Airamerica which is available on the web.

Auster - if you check Steve's official website www.steveearle.com you'll get a nice biographical section.

there's some other cool fan sites too that are worth checking out :

www.steveearle.net
www.steveearlefans.com

you can get a good guide to his albums, career and history here :

[www.allmusic.com]

Like I said earlier. All of his albums are worth checking out. He's been remarkably consistent throughout his 20 year career






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-04-21 02:15 by Gazza.

he's also played quite a few Stones covers in concert down the years

Officially he's released a studio version of 'before they make me run' (as biographical for him as it is for the guy who wrote it!) and a live version of 'dead flowers'

also has performed regular live versions of 'sweet virginia' (every night on the current tour!) and even'take it or leave it' amongst others

Glad to hear he's taking better care of himself. I wonder if I could loose 60 lbs. on his diet. If so I would only be about 70 lbs overweight. Getting old is a bitch.