Steve Earle preps new CD
Monday, January 24, 2011 –
Steve Earle is set to release "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive," his 14th album, on April 26 via New West Records. The album is the anticipated follow up to the Grammy Award winning 2009 release "Townes."
The 11-track set was produced by T Bone Burnett and is Earle's first collection of original material since his 2007 Grammy Award winning, "Washington Square Serenade." The CD will be available as a single compact disc, deluxe CD/DVD set, digitally and 180 gram vinyl.
Writing for the new CD began three years ago, the longest span of any song cycle in Earle's career. The first two compositions were God Is God and I Am A Wanderer, 2 songs written by Earle for Joan Baez' 2008 album, "Day After Tomorrow," which Earle also produced.
The album also includes This City, written for the HBO Original Series, "Treme," which Earle also appeared in as an actor. This year, Earle will be reprising his role of Harley during many episodes of Treme's second season. This City features horn arrangements by Allen Toussaint and has garnered a Grammy Award Nomination in the Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media Category. Additionally, the song also garnered Earle's first Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Category. "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive" also features Heaven or Hell, a duet with Earle's wife, Allison Moorer.
"They are all, as far as I can tell, about mortality in one way or the other; death as a mystery rather than a punctuation mark or at least, a comma rather than a period," Earle said on the liner notes.
Earle's long anticipated debut novel of the same name will be published on May 12 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The novel imagines the troubled life of Doc Ebersole as he is haunted by the ghost of his former patient and friend, Hank Williams. The title of both Earle's new album and debut novel is taken from the Williams song by the same name; the last single released during his lifetime in 1952.
After many years of touring solo and acoustically worldwide, Earle will tour in support of the album with his former backing band The Dukes.
Songs on the CD are:
1. Waitin' On The Sky
2. Little Emperor
3. The Gulf of Mexico
4. Molly - O
5. God is God
6. Meet Me In The Alleyway
7. Every Part of Me
8. Lonely Are The Free
9. Heaven or Hell (with Allison Moorer)
10. I Am A Wanderer
11. This City
More news for Steve Earle
CD reviews for Steve Earle
The Low Highway
If you're a forever smitten fan of Steve Earle who's always looking forward to his next record, you'll likely be satisfied with "The Low Highway." It's a 12-song collection of strong songs, all stamped with his signature sound.
The title cut is a beautiful, world-weary ballad that narrates a trip along the highways and byways of America. Over a gently rocking beat, Earle crosses paths with empty houses, hungry people and broken factories, a bleak picture that belies »»» |
I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
After Steve Earle's 2007 album "Washington Square Serenade" left some quite cold, his subsequent tribute album to the late great Townes Van Zandt seemed to right his singer-songwriter ship, but then again it's hard to screw up a Townes Van Zandt song.
Thankfully, Earle's new album seems to travel down a dusty, rickety old road in the vein of "I Feel Alright" when the Waitin' On The Sky opens up although Earle's vocals sound like he's somewhere »»» |
Townes
Steve Earle has paid tribute to Townes Van Zandt often over the years. He's recorded a couple Van Zandt songs - most effectively, Tecumseh Valley on "Train a Comin'" - and he dedicated the moving Ft. Worth Blues to Van Zandt. There's the business of his son's middle name and the oft-quoted testimonial about Van Zandt's song writing that involves Bob Dylan's coffee table. But this collection of 15 Van Zandt songs has the feel of a closing statement. »»» |
Editorial: Walking the talk –
When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»
Concert Review: Music City goes (Boston) Pop(s) –
On the face of it, the idea of top shelf country songwriters coming up from Nashville to play with the Boston Pops may seem incongruous. The idea of the venerable Boston institution and fixture on the July 4 scene, playing patriotic songs doesn't have all that much to do with country.
The idea isn't without precedent, of course.... »»»
Concert Review: O'Donovan goes home –
Aiofe O'Donovan had plenty of reason to be filled with good cheer. This was a hometown gig, after all, and only three days before the release of her first full-length solo debut, "Fossils."
Joking that the audience was filled with people she knew from high school and her parents' friends, O'Donovan made it clear that Boston... »»»
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