Audio CD review:
Steve Earle & the Dukes - The Hard Way

Steve Earle & the Dukes - The Hard Way

Band: Steve Earle & the Dukes Title: The Hard Way Rating: Release Date: 28 August, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Other Kind 2: Promise You Anything 3: Esmeralda's Hollywood 4: Hopeless Romantics 5: This Highway's Mine (Roadmaster) 6: Billy Austin 7: Justice in Ontario 8: Have Mercy 9: When the People Find Out 10: Country Girl 11: Regular Guy 12: West Nashville Boogie 13: Close Your Eyes

Customer Reviews Some of his best The Other Kind is simply the best song he has ever done, and arguably the best song ever written. If you are a die hard Steve Earle fan, this is his best and a must. Justice Ontario is right behind it, and there are at least 3 very good more. Five great songs is not a bad album. And yet if you're just getting started on my main man, I do recommend Copperhead Road and Exit O first. . Darned Good Earle ' Even with Earle in the depths of his drug addiction when this CD was released, there are some quite impressive tunes here. Earle's 4th MCA effort was released after his enormous crossover success of Copperhead Road, which ironically opened Earle up to an entirely new (and financially more rewarding) young rock audience and caused him to state (in the liner notes) that he needed to 'find another dream-fast. The prophetic, rocking "I'm The Other Kind" defiantly proclaims his refusal to conform or find success traveling well-trodden paths. The ascerbic "Esmerelda's Hollywood" and "Country Girl" are biting satires of west coast LA life, drawn from Earle's LA days. One of his berst tunes is here, "Billy Austin," a powerful ballad posing this question-who is better: convicted murder or executioner? (A theme later revived for the soundtrack of "Dead Man Walking. ") His voice is less than stellar, but given the circumstances, the fact that he produced anything musical at all is miraculous. Not his best, but.......... A lesser known gem appearing here is "When the People Find Out", a buzzsaw of a tune which is an odd marriage of a sometimes ragged Earle vocal with a gospel choir. This recording is not without its highlights, even though it was recorded while Earle was in the midst of dealing with his well chronicled drug problems. It's reason enough to buy this CD by itself. . You can see a complete list of all Steve Earle & the Dukes discography, or go back to the Steve Earle & the Dukes tabs