The Outsider

Rodney Crowell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B000A2EKLI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,742 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Rodney Crowell's on a roll. The Outsider may be a cut below its predecessor, the artistic, critical, and commercial breakthrough that was Fate's Right Hand--perhaps the element of surprise is gone, perhaps the songs aren't quite as sharp, perhaps it's just not possible to catch lightning in a bottle twice in a row--but that was a tough act to follow, and this one's none too shabby. It's his most topical effort yet. After teaching a generation how to write modern country songs, Crowell, it turns out, all along really just wanted to rock. Rockin' Rodney employs guitars that ring, spring, crunch, and snarl, and writes songs full of Dylanesque lyrics (only the portentous and cornball "Ignorance Is the Enemy" falls flat). In fact, he's so under the sway of Bobby D. that he name-checks the man in "Beautiful Despair" and, with the help of Emmylou Harris, turns Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" into such a moving duet that the very idea seems like a no-brainer. Why hadn't somebody thought of it sooner? --John Morthland

Product Description

The Outsider by Rodney Crowell

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of few honest songwriters left...a true tunesmith, August 16, 2005

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Outsider (Audio CD)

Rodney Crowell has been called many things throughout his long career, and he's about to add on a new nickname: "Rockin' Rodney." Because, really, one just can't resist, after hearing the jangling electric guitars on the opening numbers. But never fear; for Rodney Crowell, it has never (at least, not recently) been about sounding commercial, or even sounding "country." It's been about the music--whatever style you want to call it.

His songwriting, as witnessed on his previous release (the incredible FATE'S RIGHT HAND), has not diminished any. This album covers a wide range of topcics, from love to lust, from anger to addoration. He criticizes greedy celebrities ("Give to me my Aspen winters/Sorry 'bout the World Trade Center/But I Can't help the ones in need/I got my own mouth to feed"), hippocrites ("The Dixie Chicks can kiss my a**/But I still need that backstage pass"), all the while praising one of his influences and compatriots, Bob Dylan ("Beautiful despair is hearing Dylan when you're drunk at 3 a.m./And knowing that the chances are no matter what you'll never write like him"). He even covers Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm," re-worked as an amazing duet with Emmylou Harris, a long-time friend and collaborator (Harris was one of the first to record a Rodney Crowell song).

With guests including Harris, John Prine, the Jenkins, Jedd Hughes, Buddy and Julie Miller, and others, Crowell manages to stand on his own, as he's always done. THE OUTSIDER is yet another great masterpiece by this truly unique singer/songwriter, who has influenced many artists over the years, and continues to do so today. If you miss THE OUTSIDER, you're missing what music is all about--honesty.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars +1/2 -- Crowell's autobiographical eye turns outward, August 26, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Outsider (Audio CD)

Following a six year hiatus from releasing new albums, Crowell dropped the autobiographical "The Houston Kid" in 2001. This observation of the songwriter's beginnings was complemented in 2003 by the introspective spiritual self-examination, "Fate's Right Hand." Crowell now converts the pair into a trilogy as his latest collection of songs turn his view outward, contemplating how his being and philosophies fit in to the current political and social landscape.

Crowell's often written autobiographically, such as 1992's divorce-inspired "Life is Messy" LP, but his recent arc is broader and more seasoned, weaving personal issues into a larger world context. His latest lyrics are among his most forceful yet, and they're backed by a four-piece rock 'n' roll band that weaves searing guitar lines with touches of organ and horns. Writing on tour in Europe, Crowell catches the poetic qualities of being lost in love in the northlands ("Glasgow Girl"), and tense moments in a pub ("Don't Get Me Started") during which the human and monetary costs of America's foreign policy connect uncomfortably to the USA's capitalistic imperative.

Consumer culture's contradictions come to the fore on "The Obscenity Prayer," laid out in a greedy inner-monologue of callous materialism and hypocritical contradiction ("The Dixie Chicks can kiss my ass / But I still need my backstage pass"). The overbearing punditry of the modern world gives way to the value of trusting one's personal observations in "Dancin' Circles Round the Sun," and a similar sense of self-empowerment is found in "Beautiful Despair." Crowell sings of self imposed limitations and that "Beautiful despair is slouching forward toward a past you might regret."

There are a few tender moments here, including the choral harmonies (courtesy of Emmylou Harris, Buddy & Julie Miller, and others) on "Ignorance is the Enemy," and a superb duet (with Harris) on Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm." Given the context of Crowell's recent trio of releases, Dylan's words gaze nostalgically at early challenges and their fleeting havens of respite, before finally turning an optimistic eye to the future.

The triple-crown of Crowell's most recent releases actually threaten to dwarf his earlier works. As memorable as these earlier albums remain, his new works are more fully realized, deeper experiences for both singer and listener. The youthful fire that fueled his hit records may not have been sustained, but the wisdom brought of age, the spring of experience, and the freedom to sing for oneself (rather than for the radio) has clearly elevated Crowell to a higher plane of songwriting. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2005 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ear for hooks and a sharp tongue for the times, January 31, 2006

By 

Glen Engel Cox (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Outsider (Audio CD)

The first six songs of this album are as hook-laden and catchy as anything by today's teen queens, but that's where the comparison ends, because Rodney Crowell's lyrics are unusual and his voice has a frequently noticeable twang that, unlike many of today's country stars, is unaffected and natural. Since country has increasingly become pop, you would think that this album would have been enthusiastically embraced by country radio, but this is the third of a series of Crowell albums in which he delves into subjects and areas that reflect his personal beliefs, so while the music may be in tune with Big & Rich, the lyrics are as far from Toby Keith as you can get.

I first discovered Crowell with his breakup (from Rosanne Cash) album, Life is Messy, and enjoyed it because it used the tropes of country music (steel guitar, a singer with a drawl, distinct lyrics that seem as if they are spoken directly to you) but didn't pander. Like Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam, Crowell was unusual and the very fact that he didn't fit within mainstream country made his songs much more interesting to me. That album marked his first departure from Nashville, where he had made a name for himself as a songwriter and producer. I have no idea if this was an intentional break, or if it just grew organically from life events, but no matter, it was the stuff of good albums. I picked up his greatest hits collection, which was okay, but much too like the others songs of its era, and not as unusual as Life is Messy.

I had forgotten about Crowell until recently when I heard a new song of his on a local indepenent radio station and realized that he was back, and back with the kind of songs that I was looking for. Appropriately enough, the song was "The Outsider," from the album of the same name. The music on this song has a soul feel, slightly funky, with a horn section in the middle. Crowell's lyrics are clever, a repetition of what you can or can't be, culminating in the chorus that celebrates those who would hang out on the fringes. What better song to encapsulate what I had found interesting about Crowell originally? And yet the song also is a paeon to those who speak out with minority opinions, mirroring the dissent of those against the current goverment administration and media conglomerates. From that song alone, I knew I needed this album.

The first song, "Say You Love Me," is probably the most country-pop of the album, a bouncy ditty that is infectious, with a multi-voiced chorus yelling "Say" that sounds like everyone is having lots of fun. The lyrics aren't sublime, but they don't need to be, because this is a love song that is an anti-ballad: rather than crooning up at her balcony, Crowell is dancing up to his partner and inviting her to join him. Track 2 is the most unusual song of the album, "The Obscenity Prayer," a prayer from the standpoint of the most vain, self-absorbed American imaginable (i.e., a Young Republican). The chorus is a call and response of "give it to me" followed by "give it, give it, give it, give it." The best line is "the Dixie Chicks can kiss my ass/but I still need that backstage pass," capturing perfectly the inconsistency of those who were offended by the Dixie Chicks criticism of the government at the same time that the Dixie Chicks had the number one album in the land.

Other songs continue this mixture of political commentary and bright, breezy melodies. "Dancin' Circles Round the Sun (Epictetus Speaks)," is another fast moving song whose lyrics are positive encouragment to keep on keepin' on by explaining that we're all circlin' the sun together. The first time I heard "Beautiful Despair" I wasn't sure I cared for, but on repeated listens it has gotten its hooks into me. It's in a minor key and isn't nearly as fast as the previous six songs, signaling a shift in the albums mood, and has a break in the middle where Crowell's voice is joined by a female voice in an a cappella repetition of the title. "Don't Get Me Started" returns to the political theme of the album, but is solidly from the personal viewpoint of Crowell, wherein he alternates between itemizing the problems that he sees and warns that this listing is nothing--you really don't want him to get going with his full opinion of what's going on. I probably dislike "Ignorance is the Enemy" the most--unlike the other songs, its political opinions are done in a series of guest-voice spoken word lectures and comes across as more pedantic than personal, even for someone like myself who agrees with the sentiments. The sung sections are beautiful, though, in their gospel-like harmony.

"Glasgow Girl" is unusual in its celebration of Scotland--in fact, I'd love if this started a trend of country music about countries outside the U.S. It's a simple story song of a Texan who is searching for the girl that he met once and wants to find again, but the music is sweet and the affection seems genuine. "Things That Go Bump in the Day" channels John Hiatt in both its dirty electric guitar over smooth rhythm section and lyrics that work off a central play on words. The only cover song, and true duet (with Emmylou Harris), on the album is "Shelter From the Storm," which I like much more than Bob Dylan's original, if only because Crowell and Harris have voices that aren't nearly as nasal or annoying. In fact, without the distraction of Dylan's delivery, I was finally able to hear and understand the lyrics and enjoy them. The final song is "We Can't Turn Back," which is somewhat like "The Outsider" in its lyrical structure, but instead of focusing on those on the outside, it encourages those within to hold to their principles and not let actions modify what they believe or stand for. It's a nice way to end an album that is alternatively strident and sweet, a melange of wit and wisdom that is worthwhile on the basis of the fact that Crowell undercuts his preachiness by constantly reminding you that this is just him talking. That personal touch gives each song, and the album, a center to which the opinions can be heard, and an alternative to the shouting heads of TV news talk who never qualify their statements. Perhaps if Bill O'Reilly could hold a tune, he'd sound more reasonable, but somehow I doubt it.