Customer Reviews

Tom Russell

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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All of Tom's albums are quite good, so it's difficult to choose one to call his most essential. I always, however, keep coming back to this one. The quality of the songwriting is unparalleled, as are the arrangements and playing.

The thing that sets this one apart is probably what one would refer to as the amount of "classic" songs. A lot of the essential TR material is right here on this disc, and it is a great place to start if you haven't heard of him yet. Mezcal, William Faulkner, Road To Bayamon...wow.

Not enough can be said about US Steel, undoubtedly his finest work lyrically, and that rumbling Johnny Cashian arrangement-goosebumps! The details (he makes you feel like you are looking at that closed down plant with him) and powerful imagery sum up everything that a TR song is all about.

I remember seeing TR at Matty T's (in NY ) shortly after this disc was released, and asked him why it was so hard to find his stuff in the stores. He suggested I "call Rounder every day to complain, I do." He didn't stay with them for very long, but thank god that this album still exists. Don't pass up this oppurtunity, buy it now!

Tom Russell is one of the greates singer/songwriters I know. This cd, recorded in the late 80's in Norway, contains 12 country-rock songs, and each one of them is a classic.