Customer Reviews

Step Inside This House

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I grew up on twangy country since this is what my dad listened to and generally despised country music in general because of this. But after hearing the clever lyrics of "Here I am" I decided to check Lyle Lovett out. I picked up The Road to Ensenada and became converted. Step Inside This House was the second CD I bought on blind faith and I became a lifelong fan. I now have 5 Lyle Lovett albums and plan on buying all the others, since I have never been disappointed with any of them so far. This CD is unusual in that Lyle Lovett didn't write any of the songs. (He usually writes the majority of the material on his albums). Lyle has picked these songs and they are excellent. But he has also done something that I have never seen anywhere else, he shares the glory with the songwriters. On ever page with the lyrics he has a picture of himself and the songwriter. I think this is a very cool thing to do. Most perfomers use songs written by other people and hide the credit in the small print in the CD booklet. I have also converted several friends that hate country music into diehard Lyle Lovett fans. Check it out!

This is one of the finest albums in my collection, let alone one of the finest collection of gritty, yet subtle country/folk you'll ever hear. I don't consider myself a fan of country, but I wouldn't necessarily call this country. This, to me, is quintessential American music. The two disc set has enough variety to please all ears and its sonic qualities are nearly flawless. It's a real treat on the ears. It also rips or lifts your heart. It's the rare album that evokes such a broad range of emotions.

Imagery is big, and I can't help but be drawn to some dusty West Texas town when I listen to this music. I paint such a vivid picture of the places in my mind. It's one of my favorite albums to listen to on late night drives.

To be honest, when I first bought this album, it wasn't an immediate favorite of mine. I'm a big Lyle Lovett fan, and I generally buy all the albums of artists I especially admire; this doesn't mean, however, that I truly enjoy every album, and at first, Step Inside this House seemed to me a pleasant, but uninteresting diversion. None of the songs were written by Lovett himself, and that bothered me; and I'd never actually heard of any of the writers. However, time has changed my opinion, and it's now a treasured part of my collection. Lovett's voice is perfect for these songs, reserved and melancholy and drier than the most arid of deserts; and the songs themselves are real treats. I enjoy the "Texas Trilogy", and the title track is wonderful. I could go on and take apart each song in turn, but why waste the time- if you like Lyle Lovett, or good music, step inside this house, and treat yourself to a wonderful time.

For the most part, Lovett's versions of these songs by out-of-the-pop-mainstream Texas songwriters are so faithful to the originals that this CD often sounds as much like an advertisement for these writers' work as it does a Lyle Lovett album, particularly those songs written by Lovett's two biggest influences--the late Walter Hyatt and the late Townes Van Zandt. That being said, if you like Lyle Lovett at all, or are at least passingly familiar with any of the songwriters on this disc (also included are Steven Fromholz, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Martin Murphy, Willis Allen Ramsey, Vince Bell, David Rodriquez, and Eric Taylor), I can't imagine that you wouldn't really enjoy this album. This glimpse of Lovett's musical roots displays the bipolar nature of his great career, gravitating back and forth between gentle Texas folk and the ambiant bravado of a stripped-down version of Western Swing. Highlights include the title track, written by Guy Clark, "Bears" and "Texas Trilogy," both from Fromholz, the Van Zandt classics "Highway Kind" and "Flyin' Shoes," and every Hyatt song Lovett attempts.

I admit that I bought this 2-CD set completely blind--I figured it was a worthy gamble, and of course I was right (we're talking Lyle Lovett, after all).

At first, I was rather disappointed to see that none of the songs are Lovett's, but after a listen or two I changed my mind. Two of the Texas songwriters represented on "Step Inside This House" were familiar to me (Townes Van Zandt and Willis Alan Ramsey), but I've since begun to seek out work by Steven Fromholz, Robert Earl Keen, and the others represented on this remarkably well-chosen set of tunes.

I can honestly say that I like every single song on both CDs. "Step Inside This House," "West Texas Highway," "Rollin' By," all three songs of the Texas Trilogy, "If I Needed You," and "Texas River Song" are my particular favorites, but both CDs are so good my favorites are so only by a small degree.

If you are already a fan of Lovett's, this is well worth owning, not only as some great music but also as a glimpse at the songwriters who have influenced Lovett's own work and share his Texas roots. I swear, "Step Inside This House" makes me want to visit Texas sometime, if only to see the places that inspired such great songs.

I first listened to this album while driving back home from Tucson, fighting with my wife about some inconsequential nonsense. We were at that point when you're not saying anything, just sitting there, stewing. As the two of us and Lyle kept rolling, these songs lifted us out of that low place. There's a lot of wisdom and truth in these tunes, and after I popped in the second disc (actually disc 1), the song "Teach Me About Love" seemed to be talking to me about how close I was coming to learning once again about women and slamming doors. But we worked things out, and found ourselves playing these amazing songs over and over. Sometimes all you need is a message from the heart. It's here.

Once again, another great album by Lyle Lovett. Although the album is heavy with ballads and mid-tempo tunes, it is still one of the finest collections of covers I've seen in a long time. This ranks up with Nanci Griffith's Other Voices Other Rooms as one of the best cover albums to date. He makes each song sound as if it came straight from him.

Anyone who considers Lyle Lovett's music "pseudo-country" is sleeping. Is there no room for someone who's a true innovator and truly original? And if sonmeone the likes of Lyle Lovett wants to pay tribute to the music and writers that influenced him, then I think that's an absolutely wonderful thing and allows those of us who DO appreciate the man's music to see where it all comes from. If Lovett's looks even fall into the equation here, then the reviewer is paying attention to the wrong areas completely. I discovered Lovett with his debut album when I worked in country radio in Florida and have never regretted it a single day. The world needs more Lyle Lovetts.

My husband and I were living in Central California when this album came out. Since we have all Lyle's CD's I could hardly wait to get this one. From the first moment I played it, I grew more and more homesick for Texas. It speaks to my soul more than any other CD of his we own (and all are wonderful). When I first heard Step Into This House, it sounded like me talking with my odd collection of stuff from family, friends and trips. Every little thing has a small story behind it. I loved the songwriters before buying the CD and loved them all even more after hearing Lyle's interpretation of their music. By the time I got to the end song, Rivers of Texas, I was crying with longing to return home. Fortunately my prayers were answered and we are settled in San Antonio. Lyle speaks of life and love in America but in particular in Texas. For those of us fortunate enough to grow up here, Lyle is a savior in a way, showing you don't have to be country or rock or jazz or any one thing to be really great. The more I listen to this CD the more I love it.

I recently heard David Rodriguez (author of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy) original version of the song. It was a very matter-of-fact, almost throw-away song about a rich girl suffering from all that "Daddy's money" could not buy. Compare this to Lyle's version, where he drops the "daddy" and sings one of the most beautiful ballads I've ever heard. Much more of a love song than anything else. I find his interpretation masterful, powerful and highly pleasurable. This is the best song on the 2 cd set.