Customer Reviews

Proof Through The Night & The Complete Trap Door

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This Rhino Hand-Made compilation (limited to 5000 copies) collects T-Bone Burnett's two Warner Bros. releases - the 1982 six-song EP "Trap Door" and the 1983 LP "Proof Through the Night", along with the 1984 Demon Records six-song EP "Behind the Trap Door" and an unreleased song, "Be Careful of the Stones That You Throw".

The "Trap Door" EP was a wonderful and concise collection of pop and rock songs that was recorded when Warner Bros. rejected Burnett's initial idea of recording an entire LP of Broadway tunes - of which his perfectly unique take on "Diamonds Are Girl's Best Friend" is the only refugee.

1983's full-length "Proof Through the Night" followed in the same robust production style as the EP, with an expanded musical range and even more insightful and cynical lyrics about a wide variety of unhappy characters. Every song on the album is strong and articulate with dynamic, inventive, and full production values. Guest musicians The Williams Brothers, Ry Cooder, Stan Lynch, Mick Ronson, Richard Thompson, Pete Townshend, and Masakazi Yoshizawa each (at one point or another) augment the lineup that had recorded the previous EP.

When the 2-CD collection, "Twenty Twenty - The Essential T-Bone Burnett" was released in 2006, the songs included from "Proof Through the Night" were radically remixed with new vocals and sometimes apparently re-recorded entirely. A hint as to why this was, and why Burnett has not really wanted the original album to be issued on CD, can be found in the liner notes to this Rhino set. The closing track of the record, "Shut It Tight", and the sole bonus track on this collection, "Be Careful of the Stones That You Throw", were recorded first, and are in a bluegrass/country style that was apparently Burnett's initial concept for the entire record. Warner Bros. then added an outside producer for the recording of much of the rest of the LP, perhaps leading to T-Bone's public unhappiness with the result.

The result is actually an amazingly written and tremendously well-produced record - one of the best of the 1980s.

At that point Burnett and Warner parted ways and, interestingly, he recorded an EP for Demon Records, "Behind the Trap Door", in much the same style as the earlier tracks compiled on this collection. The record may not have been as arresting as the Warner recordings, but it was still fairly strong, if a bit disappointing.

It's great news that these recordings are finally all available on CD, but the bad news is that it's been limited to 5000 pressings as a part of Rhino's Hand Made reissue series. Rhino has done a very good job of bringing the vinyl tracks to CD, although there is some slight background hiss, which might indicate that they didn't have access to the original master tapes. The booklet included with this set contains a fairly lengthy essay on the recording sessions, included in a carboard CD package featuring the original album covers.

Although I advance ordered this set through Amazon, it was nevertheless gone before my number came up. Therefore, I cannot comment on this Rhino release, and will confine my comments to the record of Proof and the six song ep of Trap Door, in my view, high on the list of best recordings of the '80s.

Whether or not T-Bone likes the recording and arranging (producing) on Proof, it remains a fan favorite, sort of like the Kinks' Give the People What They Want, and is far more accessible than his newest CD. The playlist of Twenty- Twenty-- forty songs with almost nothing from Proof, gave some inkling that the album would see the light of day as a CD, which it did, sort of. As democratic as T-Bone's instincts are, it seems odd to see this come out as an elite, limited set. If there ever was a Peoples' Music, Proof is it. The Proof is in the listening.

For instance: T-Bone has a number of not entirely successful talking blues heavy with metaphysics and social messages songs, but the best one is on Proof, called, I think, "The 60s" which he explained in an interview, is about the '90s. This disc also includes the excellent "Stunned," which I dare you not to dance to, along with "When the Night Falls," oft- covered by John Hiatt, himself no slacker in the realms of psychotic writers (listen to the fantastic, little heard "Shredding the Documents").

Hello Warner Bros.! Where is the long awaited Broadway My Way album? And the best song on Trap Door, "Poetry", was left off of 20- 20, not to mention "Hold On Tight". Where is the entire output of the Alpha Band (not on an unremastered import set), or at least Statue Makers of Hollywood? If the Bone doesn't like the final outcome of Proof, well, Bruce Springsteen didn't like Born to Run. But we do. The people have spoken. Give us Proof Through the Night.

I was so glad to see thes T-Bone Burnett Lp's issued on CD in order to replace my treasured vinyl copies but the typical lousy, cheap Rhino packaging is making me stay away. Rhino issues so many intresting titles that it's hard to refuse sometimes but, out of the many box sets and double cd sets I own from them, most are "falling" apart from poor quality materials. Come on Rhino!!. We are collectors paying good money for these issues, give us our money's worth. We keep this stuff, not listening and throwing away two weeks later like most current music cd buyers. Some of the booklets from the box sets are in pieces upon opening the box, the recycled cardboard doen't protect the inner discs and easily beomes ragged with even care. I don't want to discourage anyone from buying the T-Bone Burnett issue here if you don't have this material,it's the best of his career, highly recomended. If you do purchase, send Rhino an email and tell them to pay some attention in this packaging matter to ensure that the music survives for a long time. Five Star Music, 1 star packaging.

Profoundly disturbing images framed in minimalistic and perfect rock, folk, guided imagery etc. Defies any attempt to pigeon hole this music by genre except that of: True Americana
This could have been produced by none other than an American poet painfully aware of the contrasts, conflicts, hypocrisy and realities of this country in this time.
A near perfect couple of discs. One of my all time favorite couple of LPs FINALLY released in original form on CD.
(About time too! I've worn through my LPs and tapes of these works!

Finally Proof thru the Night has come out on CD .I've been waiting for this for years .I've had it on vinyl but it got scratched so having it on CD is very nice.The song the ^)'s is worth the price of admission for me at least.I bought it from an individual seller "the dude" and he got it from Vermont to Mississippi very fast faster than the estimated time of arrival by amazon

I've been checking every year, ever since the cd age began, to see if this stuff would get issued on cd. Today I see that it was released last year on Rhino Handmade. Now I see where it is no longer available. I understand that if you had know about its reissued status, you could have purchased it within a 45 day time-frame. If I had known about this, I suppose I would have sent Rhino Handmade the $29.95 for purchase. Alas, I no longer have the energy or interest to remain on pins and needles for its further availability. And with the current gas prices, nor have I got the resources to buy it on Ebay for $70. At one time the thought of Proof Throught The Night/Trap Door being on cd excited me, but given T Bone's indifference towards his fanbase, I really don't care anymore.