Comments on: Songwriting and tradition http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sat, 26 May 2012 16:54:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: catfish http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/comment-page-1/#comment-77066 catfish Tue, 05 Jul 2005 17:26:07 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/#comment-77066 As a long-time Steve Earle fan, I have to second the complaint that his last two studio albums are not up to his previous standards. There are some good songs in there, but all in all, I think his songwriting suffers when it is overtly political (as opposed to character driven songs with politcal implications). I'm not sure about this, but I think this is true of most songwriters. In fact, the only counter examples that I can think of is the Clash, and even their most political songs were a little more obligue. Instead of "Margaret Thatcher is ruining England" we got the romantic "Spanish Bombs" ("bullet holes in the cemetary walls") or the "make-a-choice-young-man" advice of "Clampdown." As a long-time Steve Earle fan, I have to second the complaint that his last two studio albums are not up to his previous standards. There are some good songs in there, but all in all, I think his songwriting suffers when it is overtly political (as opposed to character driven songs with politcal implications). I’m not sure about this, but I think this is true of most songwriters. In fact, the only counter examples that I can think of is the Clash, and even their most political songs were a little more obligue. Instead of “Margaret Thatcher is ruining England” we got the romantic “Spanish Bombs” (“bullet holes in the cemetary walls”) or the “make-a-choice-young-man” advice of “Clampdown.”

]]> By: Amanda http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/comment-page-1/#comment-76822 Amanda Mon, 04 Jul 2005 11:11:47 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/#comment-76822 Big Steve fan here too. Glad you've discovered the Old Town stuff. Steve has a blog too, but unfortunately he doesn't update it much. http://www.steveearle.com/blog.html He and I are pretty much on the same page politically but I haven't been as big a fan of his last couple of albums, the most highly political ones. I just don't think the lyrics are up to scratch, too pat and cliched. Just not good songwriting, whatever the sentiment behind them. Train A Comin' is still my favourite. Big Steve fan here too. Glad you’ve discovered the Old Town stuff. Steve has a blog too, but unfortunately he doesn’t update it much. http://www.steveearle.com/blog.html

He and I are pretty much on the same page politically but I haven’t been as big a fan of his last couple of albums, the most highly political ones. I just don’t think the lyrics are up to scratch, too pat and cliched. Just not good songwriting, whatever the sentiment behind them. Train A Comin’ is still my favourite.

]]> By: Stephen Kriz http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/comment-page-1/#comment-76809 Stephen Kriz Sun, 03 Jul 2005 21:42:33 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2005/07/03/songwriting-and-tradition/#comment-76809 Chris, thanks for the link. I have been a big Steve Earle fan for years. An American original, Earle is not a great singer, but an outstanding and insightful songwriter in the mold of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Earle is one of the few songwriters brave enough to be writing songs about the war in Iraq, and I don't mean simple-minded, pseudopatriotic nonsense like Toby Keith puts out. Check out "Rich Man's War" on The Revolution Starts..Now. Basic but truly incisive lyrics - After all, this so-called War on Terror is all about lower socioeconomic people dying because of three very wealthy men - Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush. Chris, thanks for the link. I have been a big Steve Earle fan for years. An American original, Earle is not a great singer, but an outstanding and insightful songwriter in the mold of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Earle is one of the few songwriters brave enough to be writing songs about the war in Iraq, and I don’t mean simple-minded, pseudopatriotic nonsense like Toby Keith puts out. Check out “Rich Man’s War” on The Revolution Starts..Now. Basic but truly incisive lyrics – After all, this so-called War on Terror is all about lower socioeconomic people dying because of three very wealthy men – Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush.

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