Customer Reviews

Road to Ensenada

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

How do you pick the best Lyle Lovett album? Do you go for the melancholy and jazzy strains of Pontiac? The big band meets country of the Large Band album? Perhaps the sad and beautiful Joshua Judges Ruth? All would be albums most artists would kill to call a career best. But Lyle? He beats them all with The Road to Ensenada.

He has quirky, laid-back and humorous moments in songs like Don't Touch My Hat (a Texan answer to Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes) and Long Tall Texan, which pairs him again with Randy Newman in a gently humorous cowboy song (you'll of course remember You've Got a Friend in Me which the two sang together). The western swing of That's Right, You're Not From Texas is so infectious that you simply can't help singing along. The best of these is Her First Mistake, with it's marvelous wordplay and off-beat rythm. If you're not sure what people mean by country cool you'll have no question after hearing Lyle's delivery on that one.

But while his wry and humorous songs can always be counted on, it's with the songs that dig deeper into human emotion that Lovett excels. Listen to the loneliness of the narrator in Christmas Morning: :Lesser songwriters might have included some vitriol or nastiness to flesh out this song of a lonely man ignored by the world. Lovett manages it with quiet resignation, answering people's empty "have a nice days" with "Hey, what could they mean by that, perhaps I'm the fool they take me for, not anything more."

The title track reaches a similar level of sadness, and the hidden bonus track crosses between the humorous, the lonely and the hopeful for a beautiful finish to a perfect album. The Lyle-curious should start here. The Lyle-faithful surely already play this one on a regular basis.

Does Lyle Lovett ever put out a bad album? The answer, as he reaffirms us with The Road to Ensenada, is a no. This is definitely one of the finest country albums of the 90's. Lyle Lovett proves that he can cut through the trash that populates today's country market and still make an excellent album. This is one of the most personal and revealing albums I've ever listened to (by any artist). Although this album was put out after his split with Julia Roberts, Lyle doesn't wallow in misery or self-pity. He even manages to slip in some of his now-famous dry wit on several of the tracks. He's also one of the few singers who can look at relationships objectively, while still incorporating all of the feelings that go with them. This is simply a phenominal album. This is a very intelligent album, but it doesn't sacrifice good music in the process. This album is both thought-provoking and fun to listen to at the same time. No CD in my rather large collection has received as many spins as this one.

As with all reviews, this only reflects my personal taste, so many listeners of "The Road to Ensenada" would likely disagree. In my humble opinion, Lovett's strongest and most powerful work appears in his more serious songs, like "It Ought to be Easier" and the title track. Although songs such as "Don't Touch My Hat" are fun at first, their novelty eventually wears off. Of course, some of these cute tracks are Lyle Lovett classics, including "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)," and as a Texan myself, I feel quite guilty for not enjoying these songs as much as I should. Anyway, my complaints are minor-this is an incredible CD, and I highly recommend it to people just beginning their Lyle Lovett album collection. There are few artists who defy genre as convincingly as Lovett.

Although Lyle Lovett's most recent CD is quite good, No collection of Alt-Country music should be without THE ROAD TO ENSENADA. This CD is both elegant and self depricating, big and brassy, and closae adn intimate. Every song is good, and every song speaks to you from the heart AND the brain.

If you are looking for an alternative to the "HAllmark Card" sappy sacharin sweet themes that permeate modern country music, than Lyle lovett is your man, and THE ROAD TO ENSENADA is the CD to start with.

I saw Lyle on a PBS special with Willie Nelson and a couple of other country music giants doing acoustic stuff together, performing some solo stuff as well as collaborating on each others stuff. Lyle blew me away with his humor and easy, natural manner and vocal timing. So I ran out and bought The Road to Ensenada and became a fan. My friends said, "What?". I said , "Just listen". They said, "Wow!". There are 12 very strong songs on this CD. That's 12 of 12 folks. Lyle Lovett is one fine storyteller. Don't Touch My Hat had me howling, Her First Mistake kept me going, Fiona is brilliant, and The Road To Ensenada is beautiful. The rest are each great in their own unique way. Don't even try to put a label on this stuff because to call it "country" would be misleading and "rock" it is not. "Folk"? Who knows...but a great piece of work it is.

The first time I ever heard Lyle Lovett's music was on VH1's Storytellers. Much to my surprise, not only did I like his music but I really enjoyed HIM! He was so funny! Dry but fun!

At that moment, I was hooked. Lyle's songwriting style is something I haven't heard in a long time. He writes/tells stories rather than formulaic songs (i.e. 1st verse, 2nd verse, chorus, 3rd verse, bridge, chorus, repeat).

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM! And try to sit tight to hear the bonus track, "The Girl in the Corner." It starts about 4 1/2 minutes after the last song is over. "The Girl in the Corner" is the song that Mr. Lovett sold me on.

Rare is the artist who is difficult, if not impossible, to categorize. One moment country down to his boots, the next a smooth crooner with incredible wit who draws comparison to a modern-day Frank Sinatra...in a strange way.

Lyle is the consumate musician and he surrounds himself with nothing but the best (if not better) supporting musicians. This is particularly evidenced on his Live in Texas album (which I highly recommend), but for his best album start to finish, look no further than this beauty.

Songs that make you laugh, cry and just scratch your head in amazement at how he manages to survey a chapter of the human condition and then put every nuance into a 4 minute song....man, this guy is simply amazing.

What I like most about this album is that it touches upon so many genres. Rock, country, folk, pop...put them all in a blender and you have Road to Ensenada.

With too many great songs to list individually, I highly recommend that everyone out there picks this album up. You won't be disappointed.

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The combination of traditional country with whatever strikes Mr. Lovett's fancy continues here on THE ROAD TO ENSENADA. This CD starts with a typical touch of humor with the man showing his attachment to his Stetson ("Don't Touch my Hat"), working up an incredible series of country fried pick up lines ("Her First Mistake") and chasing after a young lady who can "Look right through you." ("Fiona") Listen to the throwback sound of the peddle steel and fiddle blending in with the big band horns on "That's Right" and you know right away your in Lyle Lovett territory. Things get serious as the CD moves along, particularly on the brilliant "Promises," where "words are like poison," and on the bittersweet "Christmas Morning." By the time you finish listening to the epic title track, you will realize Lovett has created another wonderful collection songs for the heart and mind.

Many people are reluctant to listen to Lyle Lovett because he is catagorized as a "country" singer. That's a shame. Lovett transcends any genre with his masterful songwriting and storytelling, and "The Road to Ensenada" is his best work.

This collection of songs demonstrates his amazing breadth. How many people could create both heartwrenching ballads like "The Girl in the Corner" and total feel-good ditties like "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)" and equally amaze you with both? And -- perhaps even more impressively -- Lovett writes perfect mid-tempo songs, the hardest type of all to do well. "It Ought To Be Easier" and "Private Conversation" are just two examples. Regardless of the musical style, all of these songs feature Lovett's wonderful lyrics. His descriptions of people, ideas, events and emotions are pithy and spot-on. Too often, songwriters are called poets, but the moniker fits Lovett perfectly.

This is one incredible album and should always be played while driving long distances in West Texas or anywhere else. Toe-tapping, dreaming, Get High music --- THANK YOU LORD for Lyle Lovett!! J from Texas