* SOUND CHECK // Steve Earle turns to bluer pasture
* 02/19/99
The Orange County Register
REVIEW
COUNTRY
* Steve Earle and
the Del McCoury Band
"The Mountain," E-Squared
* If you're going to cross the country-folk-rock line and do your
* first pure bluegrass album, it doesn't hurt to bring along one of
* the top bluegrass bands in the business.
* Steve Earle's music has always had shadings that pointed to
this, though, so it's no surprise that his latest effort, "The
* Mountain," with the Del McCoury Band, is top-shelf bluegrass.
It's a record that stands as much on the strength of Earle's
songwriting as the McCoury family's fine pickin' and grinnin'.
The genesis of the disc came in 1995 when Earle was touring with
the acoustic combo of Peter Rowan, Roy Huskey Jr. and Norman Blake
in support of his album "Train a Comin." Bill Monroe, the Father of
* Bluegrass, strolled on stage one night uninvited and sang several
songs with the band.
Earle called it "the biggest thrill of my life" and probably
would have dedicated this record to Monroe if not for the death of
Huskey two years ago from lung cancer.
At any rate, this music is worthy of Monroe, and that's no
shallow compliment.
Earle's best songs have always been exquisite in their
* simplicity, a prerequisite to respectable bluegrass, and that
quality abounds here, perhaps most strikingly in the title song.
"The Mountain," a tale of life in the coal-mining business,
resonates with a mournful blend of defiant pride and resignation.
And Earle displays a knack for tapping into the cheerful
desperation that has always defined southern mountain music in
songs such as "Yours Forever Blue," "Leroy's Dustbowl Blues,"
"Lonesome Highway Blues" and "Pilgrim."
Throughout, the instrumental work of the McCourys is
exceptional, particularly the lead banjo breaks of Rob McCoury and
the intricate mandolin work from Ronnie McCoury.
The brightest light of the effort is "I'm Still in Love With
You," a bittersweet duet with Iris Dement, whose sweet, fragile
vocals draw a clever, comfortable contrast with Earle's gruff tone.
Tongue in cheek, Earle says in liner notes he made this album
for "immortality. I wanted to write just one song that would be
* performed by at least one band at every bluegrass festival in the
world long after I have followed Mr. Bill (Monroe) out of this
world. Well, we'll see."
* Chances are better than good that the close-knit bluegrass
community will embrace this album and Earle will get his wish.
* You might enjoy if you like: Bluegrass music, previous Steve
* Earle.
By GENE HARBRECHT
The Register
