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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Like his musical pedigree, the debut release by Justin Townes Earle is a mixed blessing. In Texas songwriting circles, having Steve Earle as a father--who gave him his middle name in commemoration of his creative hero Townes Van Zandt--is the sort of burden that a basketball-playing son of Michael Jordan might carry. Half of these cuts that sound like Lone Star roadhouse ready-mades, dimly remembered from some 1960s jukebox (though all Earle originals.) During this stretch of The Good Life, neither his voice nor his songwriting is strong enough to raise the results above the generic. Yet the folkier intimacy he displays on "Who Am I to Say" and "Turn Out the Lights" shows a singer-songwriter who can really get under the listener's skin when he isn't trying to sing over a band. Saving the best for last, he sounds a little like his dad on "Far Away In Another Town," but he also sounds like an artist coming into his own. --Don McLeese
Product Description
With Justin Townes Earle’s pedigree come mixed blessings. As the son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle, high expectations are the name of the game, and he’s shown that he is up to the task on The Good Life, crafting stark portraits and narrative tales with elements of blues, classic country and rock n’roll. A modern-day troubadour, Earle blends genres seamlessly, framing his songs in warm musical settings and creating tunes that could easily be mistaken for classics. "I started out to make an old timey country record, but I listen to so many other kinds of music," Justin explained. "Some of the songs were rearranged on the spot and took on other lives and album is now more of an exploration of southern music." Earle approaches universal topics like traveling and matters of the heart ("Hard Living", "The Good Life") with the same fervor with which he evokes the bleak loneliness of a Civil War soldier on "Lone Pine Hill".
With inspirations as diverse as Townes Van Zandt (he was named in honor of the elder Earle’s hero), Jimmy Reed, Kurt Cobain, The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues, Justin forged his own brand of American roots music. Going through life with a namesake of Van Zandt’s stature cannot be easy for a young songwriter, but Earle takes it in stride," saying, "Anyone who tries to live up to Van Zandt is a fool. I’m honored to carry the name, but if I spent my life trying to live up to it, I’d have a pretty miserable life." Likewise, his father’s incredibly acclaimed, prolific career casts a huge shadow, but Justin Townes Earles makes a name for himself by focusing his writing on the personal rather than the political, narrative tales instead of protest. The Good Life melds the qualities of a short story with the lyrical acuity of excellent songs, celebrating grand southern traditions and blowing a fresh breeze across the musical gardens and dive bars of Nashville.
With inspirations as diverse as Townes Van Zandt (he was named in honor of the elder Earle’s hero), Jimmy Reed, Kurt Cobain, The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues, Justin forged his own brand of American roots music. Going through life with a namesake of Van Zandt’s stature cannot be easy for a young songwriter, but Earle takes it in stride," saying, "Anyone who tries to live up to Van Zandt is a fool. I’m honored to carry the name, but if I spent my life trying to live up to it, I’d have a pretty miserable life." Likewise, his father’s incredibly acclaimed, prolific career casts a huge shadow, but Justin Townes Earles makes a name for himself by focusing his writing on the personal rather than the political, narrative tales instead of protest. The Good Life melds the qualities of a short story with the lyrical acuity of excellent songs, celebrating grand southern traditions and blowing a fresh breeze across the musical gardens and dive bars of Nashville.
Justin Townes Earle Photos
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected,
By Justin (Stone Mountain, Ga United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Good Life (Audio CD)
I really had no idea what to expect from this album. I knew the lineage but hadn't heard anything about it when I put on the headphones at my local shop's listening station. It sounded really great from the start and the amount of "country" it contained blew me away. I guess I thought there would be some amount of over-production or pretention given who His parent(s) and in-laws are. If there is any, I can't find it. This album is creative and really goes back to what I would call "old-school" country. Ya, ya think Hank Williams Sr. I can't come up with a better example but I never claimed to be at all creative. Lucky for us Justin Townes Earle is and this album hasn't lost it's shine even after I listened to it through a number of times. "The Good Life" stands alone as a great album by a creative artist regardless of how he may be compared to his father. That being said, He does a great job living up to his namesake(s)!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great CD,
By clutj "John" (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Good Life (Audio CD)
I think Justin has a couple songs that show dad's influence: particularly the civil war ballad, and another 1 or 2 (Who Am I To Say sounds a bit like SE, as does Turn Out the Light). But he is definitely his own man -- by no means a Steve Earle imitator. I love the harkening back to Tin Pan Alley (Hard Livin) and a variety of other styles, from pretty straight C&W (Good Life and Lonesome & You, with all that pedal steel) to bluegrass (Glad I'm Leaving -- although there is another country style that sounds like this, too -- can't think of the name), to country swing (What Do You Do When You're Lonesome is great!) and a little Muscle Shoals (South Georgia Sugar Babe, although I am never completely clear on what I think Muscle Shoals sound is...).In addition to Americana and Alt-Country folks, I think the Dwight Yoakum fans might like this CD. Also fans of old country blues like Lightnin' Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb. Last word: I think Far Away in Another Town is a great, great song. Just pitch perfect. A bit of SE as well in this one. Dozens of top stars would be proud to have produced a song like this.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Justin Townes Earle,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Good Life (Audio CD)
This CD,"The Good Life", is my all time favorite JTE CD. You must listen to the song, "Who am I to say" and read the lyrics. And also, "Far away in another town". Both songs have startling lyrics. The entire CD is well produced and engineered.
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