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Steve Earle - Jerusalem Audio CD

A fair review of the Steve Earle "Jerusalem" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Steve Earle reviews here, or go back to the Steve Earle tabs.

Steve Earle Band: Steve Earle
Title: Jerusalem
Rating:
Release Date: 2002-09-24
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Ashes To Ashes 2: Amerika v. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do) 3: Conspiracy Theory 4: John Walker's Blues 5: The Kind 6: What's A Simple Man To Do? 7: The Truth 8: Go Amanda 9: I Remember You 10: Shadowland 11: Jerusalem

Steve Earle enters the new century
His response was that it was virtually impossible to get it heard and - given the right circumstances - a potential career killer. I asked a good friend and working musician awhile back why artists weren't making great protest music (He has, I should add) in response to the horror show of the Bush/Cheney years. We also spoke about the torment the Dixie Chicks were forced through just for saying they did not like the President. I commended my friend's courage to openly record songs that were critical, even if it meant a limited stature for success.

Courage comes naturally to Steve Earle. This album, "Jerusalem," was released in 2002, asked the hard questions on CD when it was dangerous to do so. (Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect anyone?) While not a commercial behemoth or even as popular as his Copperhead Road glory days, Earle was still a high profile artist and his song "John Walker's Blues" ignited a small firestorm for simply asking what would make an American teen of privilege fight against his own country.

Questions of faith and country run all the way through "Jerusalem" and the roots rock is some of Earle's best. "Amerika V 6. 0" asks what happened to our fight for the American Dream atop a Rolling Stones snarl. A backwoods porch banjo stomp undercuts the wickedness of the jailed prisoner who narrates "The Truth. " And the always beautiful voice of Emmylou Harris compliments Earle's gruffness of "I Remember You. " It makes this such an honest album that most radio programmers dodged it completely except to exploit the controversy around some of the songs.

What they all missed was that Earle refused to compromise his integrity for the sake of jingoism. They also completely missed out on the stunning beauty of the title track. A gentle plea for reconciliation, "Jerusalem" closes the album with the hopeful couplet "I believe that one that day all the children of Abraham/Will lay down their swords forever in Jerusalem. " It caps a terrific CD from one of our finest American artists.


Earle's Best
It seems like Steve Earle's been doing it for the past decade. Neil Young got a lot of press in 2006 for doing a "protest album".

Over the past 22 years, I've followed his personal ups and downs, seen him do some great shows and some "just okay" shows, but I have never been bored by any of his albums. This particular record is the one I always seem to go back to, because of the overall quality of the music and the really great lyrics.

From the opening, creepy whispers of "Ashes to Ashes", through the barely audible comments at the end of "Amerika V. 6. 0" (with some slightly borrowed Rolling Stones music), the backup vocals on "Conspiracy Theory", and the overall audacity of "John Walker's Blues", you know that this not an album of fillers or mindless Nash/Vegas country.

Listen to it a few times for the music, then listen again for the words. This is a great record.

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Wrong Turn
There are bluesy, dowtrodden, blue-collar politics in a lot of Earl's lyrics -- the politics of the little man, the outsider -- but some of the lyrics on "Jerusalem" go much further and are actually painfull to listen to. I love Steve Earl's music -- Guitar Town, Copperhead Road, Trancendental Blues, I Feel Alright -- all great CDs.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as some things here at home have brought out cynicism and venomous politics in some, and Steve takes that to extremes on this CD. It's a wrong turn for him, but he's taken wrong turns before and gotten back on track again.
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Great album by a true American patriot...
Steve Earle is a patriot, pure and simple. You know, if somebody is closeminded, that's their right, but if you don't listen to other opinions, than you're not going to learn anything or understand where they are coming from. He fights for those who don't have a voice, or whose voice is drowned out by the masses. This is an intelligent, thought provoking work of art, and will question your American identity. Steve Earle loves his country, and he tells us what he thinks will make us a stronger nation as a whole. If you don't like it, that's fine, but you have no right to call him a traitor. He asks you why did John Walker turn to the taliban. What were his reasons? and to be honest, I think Steve hit that one right on the head; Isolated and rejected by our present day society more infatuated by whose this weeks American Idol, who is left on some deserted island to be voted off next week, whose parents are choosing dates for their daughters on Mtv, whose daughters are getting birthday bashes diva style on Mtv, and who gets left behind by our own desires and egos.


Not Under Any Circumstance....
So why should I, or anyone else, listen to somneone who is against his own country in time of war to the cheers of foreigners who hate us? Why should I or anyone support him or give him further attention? 'Oh, it doesn't matter. Lots of good music out there. . . '. Yeah it does. . . if it really offended people they wouldn't listen. 'That's his freedom of speech' - yes it is, and this is mine.


You can see a complete list of all Steve Earle discography, or go back to the Steve Earle tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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