Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade (DIG)
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Free Music Notes for Washington Square Serenade (DIG)
Free Music Review: great Steve or the second coming of Woody Guthrie
Hit: 4 Stars
Another great record from Steve Earle. Like all great artists, he changes his style and his focus on each album while retaining his origninality and vibrancy. His song for Pete Seeger is an instant classic. For only living in New York City for such a short time, Steve displays an uncanny feel for the city and its many diverse communities. Most of these acoustic tunes are quite catchy and witiin a few listenings you will be hearing these songs replaying in your head. Steves' love songs are a change of pace for him, and he converys his deep love and commitment in ways that are real and true and without being overly sappy.Free Music Review: Would have liked a couple rock tunes
Hit: 4 Stars
Great CD I just wish it would have had a couple more rock tunes on it.
You know the one's that have that Keith Richard's feel. Loved the DVD as well,I just hope I don't have to wait 3 more years for some great Steve Earle tunes!
Free Music Review: Steve Earle
Hit: 4 Stars
Steve Earle will always be one of my favorite artists, but he isn't quite up to par on this CD. To say that he is a brilliant artist, poet, songwriter, and author is an understatement.Free Music Review: Our First Steve Earl Album
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a great Steve Earl album. If you like his work, you will love this one.Free Music Review: A Mix of the Ordinary and Extraordinary
Hit: 3 Stars
It was with great anticipation that I looked forward to the release of Steve Earle's new album, Washington Square Serenade. After the first listen, I was initially disappointed, but subsequent listenings revealed more in the lyrics and music to make this project strike a resounding chord with me.
The album opens up with the track "Tennessee Blues", a sort of retrospective and look forward to the future at the same time. It's a solid opener. The CD quickly changes gears, moving on to "Down Here Below", a foot tapping tale of Steve's experiences and exploits in his new hometown. It's a masterful piece of songwriting from Earle, with excellent instrumentation and backing vocals from Alison Moorer.
The next track, "Satellite Radio", isn't as successful. It's got a driving beat, but the melody seems to drone on and on, never changing from the one or two notes that repeat throughout the song. Thankfully, the outstanding "City of Immigrants" appears next. This is the song Steve has been performing on various programs to promote Washington Square Serenade, and that was a good choice on his part, as it's one of the highlights of this album. Forro in the Dark provides excellent backing music.
Unfortunately, the next two tracks often sound boring and repetitive enough to lull you to sleep. But, no worries! "Jericho Road" is next, an outstanding track that sounds just like classic Earle. Well written, with a pounding beat and wailing harp.
But, following "Jericho Road" is, what I think, is the best track of the whole album. The "Oxycontin Blues". It opens up with clawhammer banjo, which continues throughout the song, with Earle lamenting about how "nothing grows on this mountain, and whats a poor boy to do", and how he's "headed nowhere but downhill with the oxycontin blues". Easily one of the best songs Steve Earle has ever written in my humble opinion.
This track is hard to follow, but "Red Is The Color" lives up to high standards. It's a rocker, with just a mandolin, harmonica, and a drum beat backing Steve's vocals. There's a lot of depth to the songs lyrics.
What follows is "Steve's Hammer", which ranks right next to "Oxycontin Blues" as far as lyrical and musical quality goes. Simply outstanding; Pete Seeger would be proud. Following is "Days Are Getting Longer", a duet with Alison Moorer, that, unfortunately, comes across nearly as boring as tracks 5 and 6. Well, at least we know Mr. Earle is deeply in love with his wife.
The closing track is a cover of Tom Waits "Way Down In The Hole". Steve sings it with emotion, and the at times bizarre backing music contributes much to the songs feeling. Perhaps it ties with "Oxycontin Blues" for the honor of best song. Perhaps it's too hard to decide what the best song is, but bottom line, in my opinion only, of course; 8 out of 12 songs are outstanding material, and that earns this project a three star rating from me.
Buy it; I think you'll like it. :)