Live in Nashville 1995 in Bloomington, MN

Live in Nashville 1995
is singer and songwriter
Steve Earle
's Nashville "comeback" concert, issued after completing rehab after a stay in a corrections facility. It was performed after the original
Winter Harvest Productions
issue of
Train a Comin'
(later picked up by
Warner Bros.
). The studio album was released in February of that year, and this gig took place in the fall. This is the first time this disc is being released as a separate title, but it should be noted that those who purchased the box set
The Warner Bros. Years
already have it. On-stage, a hungry, newly sober
Earle
walks a tightrope of instinct and desire. His acoustic backing band consists of the same legendary cats who backed him on
:
Peter Rowan
,
Norman Blake
, and
Roy Husky, Jr.
Also featured are guest appearances by
Emmylou Harris
and
Bill Monroe
. The songs are rooted in country, folk-blues and bluegrass, and string band music. The lion's share of this material is drawn from the studio offering, but these versions with their crackling loose energy are superior. Check the rag blues of "Hometown Blues," the thump and swagger in "Mystery Train, Pt. 2," the Celtic roots in "When Will We Be Married," and the sweet and roughshod "Sometimes She Forgets," as well as fun, back-porch readings of
the Beatles
' "I'm Looking Through You" and
the Melodians
' "The Rivers of Babylon," which finds
melding the reggae standard with Dobro, mandolin, upright bass, and acoustic guitar. It also features an excellent backing vocal from
Harris
. Also peppering this collection are excellent acoustic versions of the title track and "The Devil's Right Hand" from
Copperhead Road
, and the premiere of "You Know the Rest" that would appear -- thoroughly rearranged -- on
El Corazon
in 1997. This one contains a killer flatpicking guitar break from
Blake
. For
fans who didn't purchase the box, this is a real treasure, not a careless add-on to the catalog. ~ Thom Jurek