Steve Earle Album: “Train a Comin'”

Description :

Personnel: Steve Earle (vocals, 6-string, 12-string & high string guitars, mandolin, harmonica); Peter Rowan (vocals, gut string guitar, mandolin, mandola); Emmylou Harris (vocals); Norman Blake (Hawaiian guitar, guitar, dobro, mandolin, fiddle); Roy Huskey (acoustic bass). <p>Recorded at Magic Tracks Recording Studio and Masterfonics, Nashville, Tennessee. Originally released on Winter Harvest Entertainment (3302). Includes liner notes by Steve Earle. <p>TRAIN A COMIN' was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. <p>When you need a break from THE MOUNTAIN (Earle's 1999 release with the Del McCoury Band), you could flip on his earlier all-acoustic TRAIN A COMIN'. Released in 1995, after the Texas-born songwriter's bout with heroin addiction and jail time, this was Earle's "comeback album." Not only is it an unfiltered pleasure to hear Earle in such pared-down environs, but the band itself is a killer outfit. Peter Rowan, Norman Blake, and the late Roy Huskey don't make "guest appearances" with the band-they are the band. And they're allowed to do what they do best. Blake is even given a solo spot, the guitar instrumental "Northern Winds." <p>Earle draws on material written over the last 20 years, but there's never a sense that he's culling from his notebook material that he was smart enough not to record the first time around. "Tom Ames' Prayer," "Mercenary Song," and "Ben McCullough" are great story songs with at least one leg planted in the 19th Century. "Sometimes She Forgets," "Goodbye," and "Nothin' Without You" are the kind of smart, acrid love songs that will, of course, never show up on the country charts.

Train catches the essential Earle. Great musicians on this album. Fantastic stories, good music, wonderful "comback" compilation of old and new. I was priviliged to see SE in his first live show after getting out of the grey bar hotel at the Vic in Chicago. Still the best show I have ever seen. He was truely moved on several occasions and once had to turn his back to the crowd because of it. I have been to dozens of shows in my day but never experieced a show where they turned on the lights to the theater and turned on the recorded music, and nobody left. SE came on for a 4th encore and said " I don't know where your staying tonight but it can't be here, so I'll do one more and you got to promise to go". Well he went into a acoustic version of Someday and made everyones night. What a great album and eclectic talent.

I only know Steve Earle thru "The Mountain" and this album. To me, he is the world's greatest folk and bluegrass musician...even though most of his albums are made with other instrumentation. I just see a guy who's loaded with talent and musical intent. He picks up a guitar, he opens his mouth, and what comes out is just perfect. The way this album starts up..."Hear that train a comin', hear that train a comin'..." Nothing could be simpler, and yet it comes out like the very spirit of music. "The Mountain" deserves 6 stars. This one gets a 5. Great.

I bought this CD several years ago because of one of the songs on it that I had heard someone else play and I'm still listening to it today. I don't know eveything, but this CD ranks this as one of the best of the 90's, It doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to Train is a masterpiece.I admit that while I new of SE before his vacation, I would hardly call myself a fan. But I can't tell you how many people I've turned on to the man simply by forcing them to listen to this CD. Just once and their all hooked. As good as this CD is you haven't lived until you've seen him live. If he ever comes to your town drop everything and go, you won't regret it.

I remember when I found this cd. It was the day it was released, and to my knowledge, Steve Earle was in prison on drug charges. The dude at the music store had this in his hand to put on the shelf, and I was like, a new Steve Earle recording? I had to buy it, but I figured it was some "outtakes" from his previous recordings which I had grew less and less fond of.

I got home, and SON!!!! New recordings!!!! Acoustic recordings!!!! Steve Earle had been up to something and didnt' even tell anyone!!!!

All the songs here are top notch bluegrassy, stringband type songs. No overblown "I want to be a rock star" songs. He covers and now has the definate version of "Tecumseh Valley." But I can't single out one song here that is better than the others.

This is the album, that to me, stands next to "Guitar Town" as the works that define what Steve Earle is all about.

Now lets just hope for another effort like this one.

Every party I have, I play this CD. I love turning friends on to Steve's musical works. He such a versatile singer/songwriter. Nothin' Without You is perhaps the best country song ever written, if only for its complete simplicity and Steve's wonderful delivery. Emmy's background vocals lends an etheral memorable quality to it that reverbrates in the mind long after the song is over.

Steve can do covers better than the originals. Rivers of Babylon and Tecumseh Valley are two fine examples. Imagine reggae Steve Earle style. Sometimes She Forgets reminds us that no one can do Steve's songs better than himself, even Travis Tritt who made a hit of this song several years ago.

Buy it and introduce it to all your friends. Maybe we can get a pyramid scheme going to get everyone in the US to listen to this great, great work of art!