Steve's Still Exercising His Right To Free Speech

Since being released from prison, Steve Earle's second wind of a career isn't showing any signs of slowing down. He doesn't seem to be mellowing with age either, as The Revolution Starts Now may be the most "pure" hard rocking album of his career.

In 2002 Steve released his excellent Jerusalem CD, speaking out against the War in Iraq we were just getting into (again). He took the show out on the road, blending songs from that album with some of his other songs and a few choice covers, documented on his DVD and CD "Just An American Boy". After reaching new highs (even for him!) I was curious what his next step might be.

Before I get into the details, let me just say this is another record by a master craftsman still at the top of his game. You could almost call it "cow-punk" 'cuz it crackles with all the sizzling energy of the best punk, with a heavy country influence on a lot of the songs.

We kick off with "The Revolution Starts..." a rocking number that recalls late 60's pop, especially with the heavy chorus used in the vocals. It's a great opener and sounds like an obvious choice as a single, although I don't knwo many radio stations brave enough to play it.

Next we're headed "Home to Houston, the tale of a trucker haulin' high test gas outta' Bhazra praying just to stay alive and get back to Texas. It sounds a lot like his cover of "Continental Trailways Blues" a few years back with taht same driving country beat, only with the Amps cranked up to "10" this time.

His voice has a very ragged sound, the likes of which I haven't heard on a Steve Earle record since the live "Shut Up and Die Like An Aviator". The liner notes tell how they wrote & recorded these songs in 10 -16 hour marathon sessions, so that probably accounts for why. Which is fine, because it really makes these tunes that much more authentic.

"Rich Man's War" follows, chronicling the lives of the soldiers who are put into the fray, even if they don't really understand why. Even if you don't agree with Steve's politics, you still have to appreciate the craft put in to creating these characters, and you can't help but tap your toe to the infectious rhythms.

With every new record, Earle ussually has at least one or two songs I know I'll keep coming back to and marvel at for years to come. For me, the highpoint of an already monumental record comes in the form of "Warrior". I'll admit I don't yet fully comprehend what this loud, dark song is about, but then again how often is one truly challenged like this? Especially on a rock record? The sound reminds me a lot of The Doors "The End"; just as passionate but a lot louder and a lot more confrontational. Seriously, it's worth the price of admission for this song alone.

While you're still trying to focus on the glory that is "Warrior" Steve gives another of his great story songs "A Gringo's Tale". It bookends nicely with the previous tune as both remind me of "Apocalypse Now". Although our narrator didn't go to the extremes (or at least he hasn't admitted it to us yet) that Col. Kurtz went to, he still crossed over a line and asked questions the U S Army didn't want raised. Again, Earle's voice sounds griseled in a way that really fits the song.

I've found I tend to skip the next couple of tracks. "Condi, Condi" has a loud rockin' Reggae vibe, but the vocals sound horrible. As a joke aimed at Condoleeza Rice it's kind of a groaner, taken at face value it's just damn creepy. If he'd sang it in a higher register it might have been saved 'cuz the music sounds good; but the singing and the weaker lyrics sink it.

"F the CC" might have been a lot better too had it been given a little more time to develop. It rocks plenty hard but doesn't seem to know exactly what it's rebelling against. Given time out on the road, I could see it stretched and reworked to be something special, but as it stands now it might as well be called ACME rocker aimed at pi$ $ ing off the govt.

Add "Comin' Around" to another in the increasingly long line of great duets Steve has written and recorded. He's joined by one of his favorites, Emmylou Harris. I'm always amazed at how a guy married 6 times can write so many good songs about love.

Then we get to "The Seeker", a slower poignant song imploring us to seek out and find things on our own. This is a sweeter song that contrasts nicely with a lot of the edgier numbers on the record.

We end it all where it began, as "The Revolution Starts Now" is the same song as the opening track, except with a little more jamming in the middle.

Steve has crafted another excellent record, all the more satisfying because of each topic's relevance to whats happening in the world today. Since he illustrates his points with great stories (and universal themes), I'll still be enjoying it long after this election. The only downside is it's hard to look the other way after you've heard it; it damn near demands you get off your A s s and do something about it. This one was worth full MALL prices, check it out!