Steve Earle – 2015 blues album, ‘Terraplane’.

Another new discovery.

Now I’ve always liked Steve Earle. I loved the ‘Copperhead Road’ album (particularly ‘Johnny come lately’ with the Pogues). He seemed to be the rougher, grittier edge of what I understood as country music. Steve Earle also made a decent fist of trad Irish music by writing ‘Galway Girl’. Lots of people think it’s an old song but it was actually penned by Earle when he was living in Ireland and working with Irish musicians.

But this new ‘Blues’ album is a different thing altogether.

There is an obvious clue in the title ‘Terraplane’. Reference to the old Robert Johnson song ‘Terraplane Blues’, in fact “ol’ Bob Johnson” gets a name check on the album.

Earle is obviously a believer of the concept that to sing the blues you’ve got to know the blues. Wrapped into the lyrical content of the album it’s easy to discover regrets, hard times, relationships broken, which is a pretty close reflection of what Steve Earle has been through in these last few years.

There are some sparkling tracks on this album; the pace changes constantly; it’s not all gloom and doom and certainly not all traditional 12 bar. ‘The Tennessee Kid’ is a spooky hard hitting epic growl retelling the Crossroads legend using the language of an earlier age. ‘Go Go Boots Are Back’ is a foot tapping rocker with a meaty guitar solo. ‘Ain’t Nobody’s Daddy Now’ is a freedom anthem.

The album is also a showcase for his musicians, ‘The Dukes’, some really impressive stuff going on with this band.

Ian Siegal.

Sometimes listening to Tim Aves on Saint FM can yield some interesting stuff (thanks Tim). The Gary Clark Jnr. Live album he recommended has been a real treat. But my ears pricked up when I heard a track by Ian Siegal called ‘Only trying to survive’. I then stumbled upon the Siegal album ‘The Picnic Sessions’ on which the aforementioned track features.

Here is an interesting album, seemingly performed live and informally, almost campfire style, entirely acoustic, lots of banjo and excellent guitar playing from Siegal. His raspy raw singing style grows on you, but the songwriting skills and witty delivering are entrancing and engaging. But Siegal is a Brit, I wonder how that goes down across the pond? I intend to track down more work by Ian Siegal. I have one reservation in that I feel that he gravitates towards Country and what is often referred to as Americana; I have to struggle with my prejudices against country music, I groan when I hear twee overly sentimental Country crooning, one or two tracks on the ‘Picnic Sessions’ album lean dangerously close to these problem areas – ‘Gallo Del Cielo’ is one such track; Siegal didn’t write it, maybe American audiences like that brand of cowboy song?

There’s another track called ‘Talking Overseas Pirate Blues’, to me the addition of ‘Blues’ to the title is a tad misleading – every time I hear it I think of the title theme to that old American TV comedy series ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’, what was he thinking?

 I played my favourite track ‘Only trying to survive’ to a friend; I asked her what she thought? She dismissed it as sounding too much like Chas and Dave; a little unfair.

I don’t care what anyone say, I like it!

Ian Siegal.