Search - Steve Earle :: Sidetracks

Jewels from the vault

Miquel Botella Armengou | Barcelona, Catalunya | 04/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Con una honestidad que desconocen la mayoría de artistas que triunfan en las listas, Steve Earle siempre ha evitado el concepto de "canciones de relleno" para alcanzar la duración habitual de un álbum.

Y por eso este "Sidetracks" no debe verse como un disco de descartes al uso, sino como un trabajo a la altura de sus álbumes anteriores. Si fuéramos rigurosos, diríamos que hay dos outtakes o cortes que finalmente no se incluyeron en "Trascendental Blues": los instrumentales "Dominick St." (de raíces celtas, grabado en Dublín con la banda de la acordeonista Sharon Shannon), y el luminoso bluegrass "Sara's Angel".

"Sidetracks" reúne algunas de las canciones que Earle compuso para el cine: el melancólico "Open Your Window" (para "Pay It Forward"), el precioso vals folk "Me And The Eagle" (para "The Horse Whisperer"), la lánguida balada "Ellis Unit One" (para "Dead Man Walking", en una versión diferente con los magníficos coros gospel de The Fairfield Four), y la reciente "Some Dreams" (para "The Rookie").

A lo largo de su carrera, Earle ha colaborado con gente de todo tipo, y "Sidetracks" recoge algunas de estas inspiradas aventuras periféricas, como el country rock "Creepy Jackalope Eye" con los Supersuckers. Y no falta un puñado de apasionadas versiones: el reggae "Johnny Too Bad" de los Slickers; el rabioso "Breed" de Nirvana; la balada "My Back Pages" de Bob Dylan; el "Willin'" de Lowell George (con sonoridad bluegrass y brillantes armonías vocales); el "My Uncle" de Gram Parsons (grabado en directo en Fargo); y el enérgico "Time Has Come Today" de los Chambers Brothers, a dúo con Sheryl Crow, para acallar a todos los modernillos que ultrajan el talento de la cantante.

"Sidetracks" documenta la personalidad atípica de Steve Earle, alejada de la etiqueta de "nuevo tradicionalista", y explica por qué es uno de los cantautores americanos más admirados, algo que Ryan Adams nunca conseguirá ni por asomo.

"

WEIRD, DIVERSE AND FASCINATING

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 03/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Whew, talk about eclectic. Steve Earle sings with one the most potent southern accents known to mankind, but he puts his voice to all kinds of interesting use on Sidetracks, including reggae, grunge-punk, an Irish jig, psychedelic pop and (the least surprising, I suppose) bluegrass. All of it's good, too. Sidetracks compiles odds and ends that were made for various, non-album projects - movie soundtracks, e.p.'s, etc. that never occupied a space in his `official' catalog. Now they do, and the most amazing about this collection is the degree of continuity that is derived from such diversity.

"Some Dreams," "Open the Window" and "Me and the Eagle" open the album. All are written by Earle, and they set the tone for what might be much like any of Steve Earle's other great records, except for the sudden shift in styles that then takes place. From the `toasting' version of "Johnny Too Bad"(an outlaw song that fits Earle's persona like a glove) through a surprisingly vital version of Kurt Cobain's "Breed", the extent of Earle's talent and interests transcend any attempt at pigeonholing him as a country artist, alternative or otherwise.

His choice of covers spell out his abilities in ways that his songwriting does not. He duets with Sheryl Crow on "Time Has Come Today", the 60's soul-rocker made famous by the Chambers Brothers, and reinvests it with a rocking energy that updates, then eclipses, the original. Once Steve Earle takes hold of a song, it becomes his. Little Feat's "Willin'" has been covered so often that I could easily live without it these days, but Earle's version is the first that brings something new (and believable) to the song since Lowell George first recorded it in the early `70s. All in all, Sidetracks pulls itself together much better than otherwise might have been expected from such eclecticism. This'd make a cool choice for the CD scrambler. A- Tom"

New fan

R. D. Carlson | Tennessee | 09/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the reviews have been written by fans of Steve Earle and have many valid points. I was not a fan when I received this cd as a gift.

I am now a fan...and will go see him live as soon as I can make that happen. I put this cd in my player with five other discs when I had friends over for dinner and everytime one of these tracks came on someone was asking who's that? Every song stands on its own, showcasing his talent and versatility as a musician, to a neophyte these tracks can draw you in and make you want to hear his other cd's. Breed will immediatly attract your attention if you like bluesy power rock. Johnny to bad stands out and is very well done. They got me interested in really exploring the other tracks and his whole discography. If you like rock, americana, blues and just down home good music you will enjoy this cd."