Conference mr1pst::music

265.0. "Rodney Crowell" by DPE::STARR (Halfway to Heaven) Wed Jul 08 1992 18:33

Rodney Crowell - 'Life Is Messy'
--------------------------------
1. It's Not For Me To Judge
2. What Kind Of Love
3. Lovin' All Night
4. Life Is Messy
5. I Hardly Know How To Be Myself
6. It Don't Get Better Than This
7. Alone But Not Alone
8. Let's Make Trouble
9. The Answer Is Yes
10. Maybe Next Time

I picked up the new Rodney Crowell CD. I had heard a lot about Crowell,
but had never had a chance to hear any of his stuff. All I knew was that
he was a well-respected songwriter and producer, and was one of the few
country acts consistently praised by rock critics.

The new album has tinges of country to it, but for the most part its more
of a light rock album, the kind of stuff that gets played on VH-1 a lot.
There are a bunch of guest appearances, including Steve Winwood, Don
Henley, Linda Rondstadt, Booker T. Jones, Marc Cohn, Albert Lee, Larry
Londin, Shawn Colvin, and Sam Phillips, among others. 

A lot of these songs remind me of someone else. In a way, there's no real 
identity of their own. Rodney is a fairly generic singer with a limited
vocal range, but it is sort of appealing. The songwriting is pretty strong.
And the production (by Crowell and others) is good, and changes to match 
each song, which is real nice.

"Lovin' All Night" and "It Don't Get Better Than This" sound like they're
right off a Dave Edmunds album. "Maybe Next Time" sounds like a John
Hiatt/Little Village kinda song. "Alone But Not Alone" steals from Chris 
Isaak's "Wicked Games" (right down to the falsetto note in the chorus). 

But the best song on the album is "What Kind Of Love", which I assume will
be the first single. Co-written with Roy Orbison and Will Jennings, and 
with harmony vocals from Henley and Rondstadt, this is a very radio-friendly 
tune, but it also sounds great! Although the rest of the album is pleasant,
too bad it couldn't be as good as this song!

Overall, 7 out of 10 stars. Nice album, if not spectacular.

alan

> "Maybe Next Time" sounds like a John Hiatt/Little Village kinda song. 

I made a mistake here. It was "The Answer Is Yes" that sounds just like
a John Hiatt song, not "Maybe Next Time"!

alan

    Lovin' all night has been getting a lot of air time. I think that
    was his first cut off the album.  
    
    I've never been impressed with Crowell. His latest album seems to 
    reflect his new lifestyle.  He admits that he's going thru a 
    mid life crisis and enjoying it. He recently divorced Rosanne Cash. 
    
    Kath

    I bought Crowell's first album some yesrs ago - "Ain't living long like
    this" and I thought, and still think, it is superb.
    
    He has an incredible line up on it, from Albert Lee to Ry Cooder to Dr
    John to Willie Nelson.
    
    My particular favourite track is the title track, but there isn't a bum
    track on the whole album.
    
    I have tried his later stuff but have been continually disappointed.
    
    I wonder why his first has not been reissued on CD. 
    
    Some of it has, on a best of compilation, but not the whole thing, 
    
    andy

    Rodney Crowell has been Mr. Roseanne Cash for quite some time now,
    FWIW.
    
    - Dave

    I thought they were divorced (or at least legally separated).
    
    Mark.

>    Rodney Crowell has been Mr. Roseanne Cash for quite some time now,
>    FWIW.
    
They've always had an up and down relationship, but as of a few months
ago they're definitely broken up again.  Not the first time, though, so
who knows what might happen.

-Hal

    
    I always liked "If Looks Could Kill".
    
    Does he also do "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried"?
    
    Are they both on his first album?
    
                -Joe

    No - neither is on the first album.
    
    From memory, the first album has.....
    
    Elvira
    A fool such as I
    California earthquake
    Voila, an Americam dream
    Ain't living long like this
    
    and others...... my memory fails me.
    
    
    andy