Steve Earl(e) fans sound off!

[mr_lebowski]

20. Train A Comin', I Feel Alright, El Corazon ...

That string, immediately post-Jail, were his apex, so if you like Steve, you MUST hear those three ... ESP. I Feel Alright, his greatest imho though Corazon is damn close.

If you like Bluegrass, his next one 'The Mountain' is a brilliant BG album he did with the Del McCoury (sp?) Band. You gotta like BG though because unlike most of his albums that one could argue are a Rock/Country hybrid for the most part ... The Mountain is STRAIGHT UP start-to-finish twangy vocals and fiddles and banjos and songs about Dixieland and such. Talking BLUEGRASS. Hardcore. I love it but ... it's a departure.

And then the next one Transcendental Blues is about 85% awesome with a couple songs I don't dig that much. But like I say, something here starts changing w/his voice and it's not been the same since. Some might like it better now, it's subjective, but I don't.

I kinda feel though like if he waited longer between albums to really gather up his best material for each one, his 'streak of awesome' could've continued. The best songs from Jerusalem and Revolution Starts Now could have made up one BANGING album. Likewise, just the best ones from Washington Square and Low Highway ... though a bit 'less so', sadly.

Of the earlier stuff, of course Guitar Town & Copperhead Road are must-hear. The other two, Exit 0 I think it is, and The Other Kind have some real good tracks but aren't top to bottom great like the other two.

Also, the B-Sides compilation SideTracks is pretty damn good as well. His covers of 'My Back Pages' and esp. 'Time (Has Come Today)' with Sheryl Crow are def. highlights. I think it may also have 'Ellis Unit One' from Dead Man Walking soundtrack, I forget ... but it's arguably his most powerful song ...