Steve Earle – The Texas Troubadour Is Back! By Michelle S.
What got me interested in Steve Earle was the song “Copperhead Road” off the 1988 album of the same name. With this song he takes the listener on a narrative tour of an infamous road in Mountain City, Tennessee called Copperhead Road. It’s an enchanting ditty of a moment in American history. This road was a money road, it was a road full of history, fun times and hiding from the law. It was what the character learned from Vietnam to protect his heritage and many others during these trying times. With the result that always ties everything back to Copperhead Road and the historical folklore surrounding it.
Like many of his songs, when you listen to them, the details of the story draw you in. This is one thing only a great songwriter and story teller can do. Earle is one such person. Some people have wondered what Steve Earle has been up to over the years, after his success with “Copperhead Road” and “Guitar Town” albums, well, he stepped out of the spotlight to deal with his addictions, relationships and to find himself.
No, he wasn’t dead, he just hit rock bottom and pretty much lost everything. So, what do you do when you have nothing left? You either throw yourself off a cliff or you get back up, brush yourself off and figure out how the hell you get yourself out of the conundrum you got yourself in. He has made amends with the people he had to and surprising enough found the inspiration and the kick in the ass he needed in his son who has autism and the people that believed in him to become a part of the living again.
Nowadays, Steve Earle has never been so busy and optimistic. The 64-year-old is a singer-songwriter, actor, playwright, novelist and political activist with the rest to be continued…He now is clean sober and still on his road to recovery and taking care of his son. To him, these two things are the focus he currently has on his mind. Ok, maybe also his new album “Guy” which is dedicated to one of his mentors Guy Clark whom he met in 1974. “Guy” takes the listener back to the beginning, namely Guy Clark’s beginnings which Earle says it’s what every good tribute does.” The main thing “GUY” has to tell you: “to remember the cornerstone, never forget where you came from.”
Here is Dublin Blues from the upcoming release:
The band playing with Steve Earle on this album is The Dukes: Kelley Looney on bass, Ricky Ray Jackson on pedal steel guitar, Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle and mandolin, Chris Masterson on guitar and Brad Pemberton on drums. And the record wouldn’t be complete without a load of friends, including Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Camp, Terry Allen and more. The release date is March 29, 2019.