Step Inside This House

Lyle Lovett

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1998
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00000C2CO
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,194 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Music > Indie Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana
  #27 in	Music > Folk > Singer-Songwriters
  #71 in	Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Lovett puts down his pen and applauds the work of fellow Texas songsmiths on this inviting dissection of his musical influences. Buttressed by the fluid work of acoustic pickers such as Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush, Lovett attaches his uptown drawl to the works of writers including Robert Earl Keen, Guy Clark, and Michael Martin Murphy as well as to a pair of Lone Star traditionals. Disc 2 is dedicated to two of Lovett's biggest mentors, Walter Hyatt and Townes Van Zandt. --Marc Greilsamer

Amazon.com

The most mercurial of Texas singer/songwriters, Lyle Lovett has assembled a two-disc homage to mentors and fellow travelers--a homecoming of mixed emotions and uneven meditations on Texas land and soul. The first disc is the most spacious--including songs by Vince Bell, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, and Michael Martin Murphy--while the second concentrates on Walter Hyatt and Townes Van Zandt (who died in 1996 and 1997 respectively). The meticulous and mostly acoustic layering of dobro, steel guitar, and piano sonically celebrates Lovett's Lone Star roots; his band even jaunts into western swing on Walter Hyatt's "Teach Me About Love." And Lovett's voice sounds warmly weathered with the respect and affection he has for the material. But the material is perplexing. Eric Taylor's "Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning" never drives home its lonely impressions; selections from David Rodriguez and Willis Allen Ramsey never draw from the depth of those writers' imaginations (at least "Sleepwalking" is a rarity in Ramsey's small but legendary catalogue); and Steve Fromholz's "Texas Trilogy" never transcends aimless local color. But the two traditional pieces, "More Pretty Girls Than One" and "Texas River Song," number among the album's finest surprises. A similar grace and clarity animates both the title track--one of Guy Clark's most lambent but unrecorded compositions--and two of Van Zandt's greatest mysteries: "Highway Kind" and "Flying Shoes." --Roy Francis Kasten

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even if you hate country you will love this album!, November 1, 2000

By	Darren Burton "virtualbloodhound" (Ogden, Utah United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Non-country fans, take note..., January 15, 2005

By	J. Cote (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It grows on you, January 7, 2001

By	Zack Handlen (Lewiston, ME United States) - See all my reviews

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.