Steve Earle Album: “Washington Square Serenade”

Let me say...from the first song of "Guitar Town" ....oh those decades ago...I started a love/like relationship with Steve Earle. I love most all of Guitar Town..and since then I've loved many tunes and "I'm Allright" is an awesome album...IMHO. I listen to Steve Earle albums...WANTING to love them... and I did with this one. Steve is a true artist, tortured, talented and restless as any I've ever been aware of. I agree with another reviewer that "Tennessee Blues" is much better acoustic on the DVD than "produced" on the CD...some of the songs just have a "demo" feel to them with production values that don't seem well thought out. Bottom line..for me ...this sounds like a box of song demos found in his apartment after he dissapeared or worse and is being released without his permission.

All that said Stever Earle's "experiments" are better than 99.9% of the other songwriter/singers best ofs! I could live without his expletives printed in his liner notes directed at political commentators he doesn't agree with...and the next video they shoot I'd recommend keeping the camera off the top of his head....maybe the ZZTop Beard and Long hair have him fooled that he's not bald but its a ridiculous look IMHO. If you are a fan ...you pretty much have to take the journey...and the DVD certainly has some wonderful moments so I'd recommend that package. If you aren't a fan...get GUITAR TOWN, I'm Allright or The Definitive Collection and become one!

I have always throughly enjoyed the music of Steve Earle. However I was slightly let down by his last two albums (The Revolution Starts...Now, and Jerusalem). That's not to say they were bad, simply not quite up to par with his earlier works. But I'm happy to report that this album is a return to excellence for Steve. It's not my all time favorite, that honor goes to Transcendental Blues, but it is great nonetheless and I certainly recommend it!

Will this be Steve Earle's over-looked forgotten masterpiece?

It took me a while but I finally got on to Washington Square Serenade....

This is top notch Steve Earle like none before... a must have !!

I wanted it to be soo good when it came out then was turned off by Satellite Radio

and City Of Immigrants, both of which were heavily played on the radio...

Take out those 2 songs and you have a perfect album...

Some have said WSS comes off as Steve talking or rambling through songs ranting

and raving about more Steve Earle complaints... This is not the case...

WSS is full of acoustic serenades about life, women and love.

The facts are I have become VERY fond of WSS...

I think it is going to take over the #1 spot !!

The beginning notes of Tennessee Blues immediately grab you and is a preview

of the rest of the cd.....minus Immigrants and satellite radio songs....

I can't get enough of Down Here Below, Sparkle and Shine, Down in the Hole..

It's a national treasure to have this type of music marked as "American Made".

If you are into driving acoustic finger-picked ballads that rock - look no further.

Steve Earle has miraculously come out with what is essentially a masterpiece.

Maybe even his best yet... Which doesn't seem feasible to accomplish such a feat.

Real musicians "age like wine" and Steve Earle is a "real" musician..

In time - - It only gets better ..

The DVD is a real winner here and is worth the extra cash..

Highly Recommended for ALL Ages

I saw Steve preform live before I ever heard the songs of this album. I think in the last couple of years more music is heading in a new direction of gratitude, acceptance, and voice of hope. There is a consiousness evolving that we are all very connected.

I just feel great and connected listening to this CD. It is about moving on in life and finding who we are. This music of change I welcome, I think we are tapping into the sea change that the 60's were supposed to take us to.

I think each Steve Earle cd is better than the last. Some people suck after they get sober, not the case here.

Some people suck by the time they turn 50, not the case here. And if you're new to Steve Earle don't buy a greatest hits like some people suggest, buy all the cd's. Start with the post incarceration releases, study them or just be inspired to be a part of the revolution. Then buy some of the earlier stuff.