Steve Earle ~ I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive

[Jailtime]

Artist - Steve Earle
Title - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Year of Release - 2011
Record Label - New West Records
Genre - Folk/Americana

Just picked up Steve Earle's latest release today. More great down to earth folk/Americana from Earle. He's still got the trademark gruff voice, and lets 'er rip a few times, like the Copperhead Road days. But now there's loads of interesting instrumentation, great pedal steel and acoustic bass. There's ballads that will damn near make ya cry, a couple punchy rockers, and unique Celtic tinged stuff. Earle deals mostly with mortality and death, so the subject matter is a bit dark. Somehow, the album is uplifting, he really looks at mortality in a different light.

This album was produced by T-Bone Burnett, so expect lots of thunder in the bass and drums. Sounds just like Raising Sand, which was also produced by Burnett. Some folks don't like that style, but I think the Earle album sounds pretty good. Jay Bellerose is on the drums, he was also on Raising Sand. So I'm saying if you liked that album, you'll really dig this new Earle release.

I'm a big Steve Earle fan, so I may be a bit biased, but this album is five out of five stars. There's not one song that's even mediocre on it, they're all outstanding. If you can't find something to like here, I'd think that you're walking dead. Really, go out and grab it. You'll enjoy it.

 

[vintagedavid]

Artist-Steve Earle & the Dukes
Album-The Hard Way
Release Date-1990
Label-MCA

Steve Earle has been called “The Outlaw Country Singer,” but I’d prefer to call him “The Hot-blooded Hillbilly.” His voice is closer to the hills of Tennessee than the Black Hat Nashville Boys that make up the Top-10 Country Chart. The Hard Way rocks like the tough hitting music of early Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. You’ll also find heavy doses of Bruce Springsteen craftsmanship (Promise You Anything, Hopeless Romantics). The blues guitar grove on ‘West Nashville Boogie’ would make B. B. King proud. No one has charged a two-step dance number with as much electricity as “Regular Guy.’ And ‘When The People Find Out’ is so spiritual that it would be welcome in any God-fearin’ Southern Baptist Church.

Steve and The Dukes may rock with the brawn of a Peterbuilt, but Steve’s lyrics have a softer touch. It’s not necessary to listen to ‘Hopeless Romantics’ to realize that Steve is, well, a sensitive guy. You may give a second thought concerning the death penalty after the poignant ‘Billy Austin.’ And the miscarriage of vigilante justice is examined in ‘Justice In Ontario.’ Lastly, ‘Close You Eyes’ is a solemn anthem to living one day at a time. Steve Earle does just that - making kinetic music like there was no tomorrow.

Technical note: The original 1990 MCA release is a flawless DDD recording.

 

[ScramMan2]

I have I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive. Really a good album.

Worked one of his shows last summer with John Hiatt. Great combination.

 

[Sam Cogley]

I need to listen to more of his stuff beyond "Copperhead Road" (a great album, BTW).

A while back I passed a highway sign that said "Copperhead Rd. Next Right." All I could do was laugh...and keep driving.

 

[ScramMan2]

He's got a pretty hefty catalog. I also like his son Justin Townes Earle.

 

[Ronald1973]

And not one mention he's covering an old Hank Williams tune? His musical roots run deep!

 

[mike_p]

Saw Steve & the Dukes @ the Tarrytown Music Hall recently. Great show. I didn't realize that T-Bones' band was behind him on I'll Never Get Out, etc.

 

[ScramMan2]

Oldy thread. I need to see Steve Earl again. Hope he'll show up on my summer schedule.

 

[PackmanJim]

Listening to Guitar Town now.

 

[avionic]

Put " I never get out ..."on my shopping list.
Hows the AF treating you Kyle ?

 

[joekapahulu]

I love Steve Earle. He is a great writer, decent singer in the Dylan mode and certainly eclectic. I have a number of his CDs as well as some homemade discs compiling random works from soundtracks, ompiltions, tributes etc. My favorites are El Corazon, Jerusalem, The Revolution Statts Now, Copperhead Rd. His rocking stuff is fun to play loud but it's his ballads that kill. I must have 20 different versions of Goodbye and it always gets me. His live version with Emmylou Hrris is tearjerker and her solo version is great too. His most recent cd is a blues set Terraplane...quite good.

 

[SPEC2man]

I was a late comer to Steve Earl but I am making up for lost time - I will heed your advice and crack the seal this weekend. I bought Washington Square Serenade back in 2007 and I think I wore the CD out. I took it to Burning Man that year and we ran the whole CD back to back at least 15-20 times. That was one of the best weeks of my life and I will never forget it. It was my first adventure into Steve's music and I love it. As soon as I could pick it up on LP, I grabbed it and started filling in the catalog. Copperhead Road, Guitar Town, Exit Zero, Townes will keep me going for quite a while. I bought "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" a while back and it's still sealed. I tend to buy LPs in groups and I take my time getting around to breaking the seal. I never rush the first sit-down with an LP. I picked up the Tom Petty box set this last weekend and I probably wont crack the seal for months. It's been a rainy winter in the PNW and this weekend looks to be another soaker ... I'll pull out a good bottle of wine, load up the wood stove and fire up the tubes.

I forgot all about this LP ... thanks for the heads up.

 

[Sondek]

Great review JAILTIME. Appreciated. This album is now on my list to check-it-out.

Truthfully, I was a bit of a latecomer to Mr. Earle. I had enjoyed COPPERHEAD ROAD (Who didn't?) but had never really dug any deeper.

It was TRAIN A COMIN' that really pulled me in and revealed to me what huge talent this guy is.

For anyone who missed it, TRAIN A COMIN' is a great album - and an audiophile reference recording that has recently been issued on VINYL LP. I can attest the very high quality of the new US VINYL LP reissue, BTW. Don't hesitate.



Have a taste...

 

[Snutedute]

Lonelier Than This may be the saddest song I’ve ever heard.

 

[PackmanJim]

I saw Steve Earle and the Dukes at a small auditorium (packed house maybe 300 people) in Eureka Springs Arkansas this past weekend. The Dukes now include The Masterson's on guitar and fiddle. Great show!

 

[BigElCat]

Lonelier Than This may be the saddest song I’ve ever heard.

You should that one to this thread
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...absolute-saddest-song-you-know.441350/page-31

 

[Sansushi]

I saw Steve Earle and the Dukes at a small auditorium (packed house maybe 300 people) in Eureka Springs Arkansas this past weekend. The Dukes now include The Masterson's on guitar and fiddle. Great show!

was there myself. great show!

 

[Buttercup]

I saw Steve Earle and the Dukes at a small auditorium (packed house maybe 300 people) in Eureka Springs Arkansas this past weekend. The Dukes now include The Masterson's on guitar and fiddle. Great show!

I saw him last year at The Harvester, in Rocky Mount, Va. Small venue and a really good show. My only gripe was his political monologues between the songs... not that I particularly disagreed with his point of view, just don’t really care to focus on political divisions at a music show.

 

[grillebilly]

I saw him last year at The Harvester, in Rocky Mount, Va. Small venue and a really good show. My only gripe was his political monologues between the songs... not that I particularly disagreed with his point of view, just don’t really care to focus on political divisions at a music show.

I have a few of his early records and they are not only full of great songs they are recorded well. As far as his ranting I assumed his shows in my locale were the only ones he stood on the soapbox since I live near DC. I never go back to see an artist that does that. No matter how good the show is otherwise.