T Bone Burnett

T Bone Burnett

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 1995)
• Original Release Date: November 4, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca Special Products
• ASIN: B000002QWR
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,895 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Texas native T Bone Burnett is celebrated for his production efforts on the behalf of Gillian Welch, Counting Crows, and Elvis Costello. His solo albums released in the '80s and early '90s on Warner Brothers and Columbia didn't sell, but they generated a fair share of mostly positive press (doubters are put off by the righteous air of some of his songs). This self-titled country-folk gem from 1986, however, is as good as anything in Burnett's extensive oeuvre, even if few people have heard it. Exceptional originals (the ought-to-be-classics "River of Love" and "I Remember") are expertly sequenced with faultlessly chosen covers (Tom Waits's "Time," Bob Neuwirth's "Annabelle Lee," the country standard "Poison Love"). Sidemen David Hidalgo and Dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas shine without showboating and Burnett has never sounded so guileless and relaxed. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my top 5 records of the 90s, October 18, 2001

By	"ruddy64" (South Pasadena, California USA) - See all my reviews

With great support from David Hidalgo (T-Bone was producing Los Lobos in those days), Jerry Douglas (who reinvented Dobro playing during this time) and a couple of his old Alpha Band cronies, this is T-Bone's best overall record. Not a bad song in the bunch (with a couple of terrific covers, like Tom Waits' "Time"), and two songs that just kill me whenever I hear them: "River of Love" and the quintessential T-Bone song "Shake Yourself Loose" which blends his love of a good pun ("I'm not running away from trouble/I'm walking away from an accident") and the ability to take a simple phrase (namely the song's title) and let it resonate and change meaning throughout the lyric--sophisticated stuff.
This is a great price on the CD and it has

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a great producer, January 19, 2003

By	Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

T-Bone Burnett the performer/song writer is a victim of his own success as a producer. He is arguably one of the best half dozen producers on the planet, and in 2001 managed to produce the only album to win the Grammy for Best Album of the Year with absolutely no air play whatsoever (the soundtrack for O BROTHER! WHERE ART THOU?). But he is also a very good song writer, managing to blend a strong moral sense from his own religious beliefs (he is a Christian, but a Christian on the edge, not unlike a fellow traveler like Bono). Tragically, most of his best studio work is out of print, like the incredible PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT and the great BEHIND THE TRAP DOOR, featuring an absolutely chilling version of "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend," which he sings with none of Marilyn Monroe's playfulness, but with the utmost seriousness, as if he were articulating a philosophy of life. One of the scariest songs ever recorded.

Of all his albums, T-BONE BURNETT is by far his most mellow, filled with less moral combativeness. His albums are usually ironic and sardonic, but this one is peaceful and calm, as if he was have an extraordinarily good day when he recorded it. The arrangements are minimalistic, and the sound utterly uncluttered. It is almost impossible to listen to this album without feeling calm and peaceful. Burnett by background is a rocker, but this album seems almost folky in contrast.

This is not Burnett's best album, but it is very nearly his best. And until PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT or BEHIND THE TRAP DOOR become available again, this is probably the best T-Bone Burnett album one can find.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Found it at last!, March 12, 2000

By	JMC (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This was one of the albums I brought with me when I went to work in Moscow back in '91. We would play it in our minibus on the way to work every morning and our Russian driver loved it so much, I let him have my copy. He now drives a taxi and still plays it for his passengers. I haven't been able to get my hands on a fresh copy until now (Thanks, Amazon!)and at such a great price too! T-Bone Burnett is normally a bit more avant-garde, but he plays it straight on this one, and with a wonderful group of session musicians. This is not just a great album, it also reminds me of sunny August mornings in Moscow with the window down and "Annabelle Lee" playing loud. If you like acoustic music, treat yourself!