Copperhead Road

REVIEW: Steve Earle – Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator (1991)

STEVE EARLE – Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator (1991 MCA)

Steve Earle was nearing the end of the first chapter of his career, when he rolled into London and Kitchener Ontario, to record his live album Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator, with his band the Dukes.  Amusingly, Kitchener is misspelled “Kitchner” on the inner sleeve, which led to no end of amusement to us who live here.  Steve had a bad spell with drugs and jail before making a triumphant comeback with the albums Train a Comin’ and I Feel Alright.  This is simplifying and shortening the story quite a bit, but the point is that the Steve Earle that was on tour supporting the album The Hard Way was not as strong as past or future Steves.  Yet the album he made, his first live, remains an important part of the discography to own.  He even produced it himself.  The reality was, this was a contractual obligation album with MCA that received mixed reviews.

The brief album intro featuring news clips from the time sure brings you back to the early 1990s.  Canadians will recognize the Oka crisis (which is addressed during the encores), and the Gulf War too is mentioned.  It’s almost like Steve wanted a time stamp for his first live album.

The crowd fades in and we open with Guitar Town classic “Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough)”, and indeed the live version is a bit tougher with louder guitars and backing organ.  After a brief intro, a rasp Steve introduces “The Devil’s Right Hand”, and the cracks appear in the armor with a shaky start.  According to the liner notes, all the lead vocals are 100% live (some guitars were overdubbed where there were technical difficulties).  Even when Steve is pushing his voice, the Dukes are solid as rock, with solos and rhythm anchoring the singer.

A personal favourite, “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied”, one of the best songs from Exit 0, is a slightly more delicate song.  Here, you wish the piano hooks and backing vocals were more audible, but it’s a beautiful song even in this rougher guise.  Once again the Dukes save the day when Steve sometimes flounders.  It leads well into the 1986 single “Someday” from Guitar Town, which is performed slower than the album, with crunchier guitars.  Steve delivers a wonderful performance here.

A jamming “West Nashville Boogie” gives you a ZZ Top vibe.  It’s over twice as long as The Hard Way studio version.  It really smokes as an album highlight, and a showcase for the abilities of the Dukes.  Zip Gibson rips on the solos with Bucky Baxter shredding the steel guitar, while bassist Kelly Looney holds down the groove with some flavour.  Then a blazing “Snake Oil” from Copperhead Road keeps the momentum going.  This is all before a big change of pace.

“Blue Yodel #9” is as folksy as it gets, a Jimmy Rodgers cover, which surprisingly leads into the ballad “The Other Kind” from The Hard Way, one of Steve’s best!  Regardless of the state of affairs, it sounds as if Steve is pouring 100% of what he’s got into the song.  The chorus still rings powerful.  “There are those that break and bend, I’m the other kind, I’m the other kind.”  The song seems to be expressing unhappiness in the face of success, but with Steve singing it in full rasp, it sounds like defiance.  Listen to that beautiful mandolin accompaniment.

Sticking with the new album, it’s “Billy Austin”, captured big and bold on stage.  “Doin’ fine,” says Steve to an audience member who asks.  Unaccompanied, Steve and his guitar tell the story of fictional Billy, on death row.  Again, Steve is a little shaky at first but he soon finds the notes.  This long, slow version reveals both the flaws and the passion.  This was Steve’s big statement on capitol punishment, which he is vehemently opposed to.  “I didn’t even make the paper, ’cause I only killed one man.  But my trial was over quickly, then the long hard wait began.”  It really is chill inducing, as keyboards enter the fray to add soft backing texture.  Even at a weaker moment in his career, Steve Earle manages to deliver an awe inspiring performance, and makes us question our hearts.

“Copperhead Road” was the big hit, and it lies somewhere in the the middle of the set.  “My name’s John Lee Pettimore, same as my daddy and his daddy before.”  The ode to moonshine remains a signature song.  This is not a definitive live version (there is a brilliant later version on the bonus disc to Transcendental Blues).  Once again though, the Dukes absolutely smash it.  Even if Steve has trouble delivering, the guitars compensate.

A version of the ballad “Fearless Heart” features prominent drums by Craig Wright, but the song feels off.  It’s the first Steve Earle classic that just doesn’t sound quite right.  He’s very raspy in his A cappella intro to “Guitar Town”, but the song kicks.  A little sloppy but full speed and it holds together, with all the hooks delivered satisfyingly.  “I Love You Too Much” keeps that momentum going, a smashing performance.  From there it’s goodnight and of course the obligatory three song encore:  A punchy “She’s About A Mover” (Sir Douglas Quintet cover), ballad “The Rain Came Down”, and the Stones cover “Dead Flowers”.  These are solid closers, of different styles.  “The Rain Came Down” is raspy glory, while the other two songs just make you want to party.

Though a rough ride to the end, Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator should be applauded for its “all lead vocals are live” approach.  It’s not as bad as some reviews would have you believe.  It is most definitely a snapshot in a time of the life of Steve.

3.25/5 stars

John the MusicNut: The Live Cut: Steve Earle – Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator with Mike Ladano and Robert Lawson

I was thrilled to be asked to join my friend John the Music Nut on his channel for the first time ever!  John has been on Grab A Stack of Rock, and we’ve both been on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions and My Music Corner among other shows, but this was my debut on his channel and it was really, really cool.  John wanted to do Steve Earle’s live album Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator for his series The Live Cut.  Since that album was partly recorded in my home town of Kitchener Ontario, I immediately said yes.  And then, something cool happened.

After posting the album cover on social media, author Robert Lawson mentioned that he was at both shows recorded for the album, and numerous other Steve Earle concerts too.  It was a no-brainer to get him on too, and it’s a good thing because Robert is the star of this episode!  He brought with him tickets stubs and merch that you won’t likely see anywhere else.  He also has so much insight and relevant stories about the album and tour, that some Wikipedia articles might need some additions and corrections now.

Don’t miss this episode which will premiere Saturday, January 24.  This is what John had to say:

On the latest edition of The Live Cut, I am joined by Mike Ladano (Grab a Stack of Rock) and author Robert Lawson as we discuss Steve Earle and the Dukes’ first live album, Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator. Released on September 17, 1991, this album features performances from October 5, 1990 at Centennial Hall in London, Ontario, Canada and the following night at Centre at the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, respectively. Robert attended both of these shows and shares his stories from seeing Steve during this era. What do you think of this album as well as Steve Earle and the Dukes’ music? Please let us know in the comments! 

I will be posting my text review of the album on Sunday the 25th!

 

Part 269: CD Singles (of every variety) featuring T-Rev

Welcome back to the WEEK OF SINGLES 2! Each day this week we’re look at rare singles. Today, we’re looking at lots and lots of them!  WARNING:  Image heavy!

Monday: Dream Theater – “Lie” (CD single)
Tuesday: Jimi Hendrix – “Valleys of Neptune” (7″ single)
Wednesday: Them Crooked Vultures – “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” (10″ single)
Thursday: Megadeth – “Creepy Baby Head” (“Crown of Worms” CD single)

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RECORD STORE TALES Part 269:  CD Singles (of every variety)

Featuring T-Rev

I’m going to take the blame for this.  It was I who got T-Rev into collecting singles in 1994-1995.  Oasis kicked his addiction into gear big time, but it was I that sparked his interest in singles.  According to Trevor today, “I suppose it was Oasis that started that ball rolling…then Blur taught me the tricks…Metallica helped mix the sauce…and then I was almost a pro, like you!”

T-Rev was already familiar with the dominance of singles in Europe.  “They’re so much cheaper in England!” he told me then.  “They have entire walls of them, like we do here with albums, but with them it’s singles.”

He had seen me go crazy for some of the singles that came into the store in the early days.  He saw me plunk down my hard earned pay for CD singles by Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and many more.  He didn’t get why I was spending so much money on so few songs.  CD singles are much rarer here and commanded (new) prices similar to full albums.

IMG_20140205_130708“Why do you buy singles?” he asked me one day.  “I don’t get it.  The song is on the album, they come in those little cases, and they’re expensive.”

“I buy them for the unreleased tracks,” I explained.  “I don’t buy a single if it has nothing unreleased on it, but I want all the different songs.”

“But the unreleased songs aren’t usually any good, are they?” he continued.

“Sometimes,” I answered.  “But check out this Bon Jovi single here.”  I handed him a CD single that I had bought recently at an HMV store. “This one has ‘Edge of a Broken Heart’.  It’s a song that was recorded for Slippery When Wet, but it didn’t make the album.  Sometimes you find these amazing songs that are totally worth having.  Sometimes you only get live songs or remixes, but I still collect those because I try to get everything.”

When Oasis came out with (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, there were ample new singles out there to collect with bonus tracks galore.  T-Rev got me into the band very quickly.  Oasis were known not just for their mouths, but also for their B-sides.  Noel Gallagher was passionate about giving fans good songs as B-sides; he wanted them to be as good as the album.  Oasis had a lot of singles from the prior album Definitely Maybe as well, and one non-album single called “Whatever” that was absolutely marvelous.

Once T-Rev got onto the singles train, he had his own rules about what he wanted to collect and what he didn’t.  Packaging was important to him.  He hated CD singles that came inside little cardboard sleeves.  He couldn’t see them once filed on his CD tower, because there was no thickness to it; no spine to read from the side.  It didn’t matter what was on those CD singles; if the packaging sucked T-Rev was not usually interested.  This applied when we both started collecting old Metallica singles.  I found an Australian copy of “Sad But True” with the rare B-side “So What” at Encore Records for $20. This came in a cardboard sleeve; T-Rev didn’t want it.  (He also already had a live version via the Live Shit: Bing & Purge box set.)  Oasis started releasing their old singles in complete box sets, but T-Rev was only really interested in collecting the UK pressings.  There were a lot of variables to consider.  If you can’t or don’t want to buy everything, you have to set rules and pick and choose.

Once we understood each others’ needs, we were able to keep an eye open for each other.  T-Rev knew if it said Bon Jovi, Faith No More, or Def Leppard on it, that I’d be interested.  If it was a Brit-pop band like Blur or Supergrass, he’d want it (as long as it didn’t come in a paper sleeve).  Foo Fighters too, or virtually anything with Dave Grohl.  Our collections grew prodigiously with rare tracks, EPs we never heard of before, and loads of Metallica.  I believe at one point, T-Rev and I had nearly identical Metallica collections, duplicated between us.  More than half was singles and rarities.  We used to joke that there were probably only two copies of some of these things in town, and we had both of them in one apartment.

IMG_00000064T-Rev sold a lot of his singles but not all.  He still has some treasures.  Highlights include a Steve Earle tin can “Copperhead Road” promo (that he got from local legend Al “the King”).    There’s also Megadeth’s uber-rare “Sweating Bullets” featuring the in-demand “Gristle Mix” by Trent Reznor  Then there was a Blur thing, some kind of “special collectors edition” signed by Damon Albarn, in a Japanese pressing.  Trevor’s seen one sell for upwards of $100.  Then there was another band called “A”.  As Trevor said, “Remember these guys? It was like ‘Britpop punk’. I liked it anyway.”

Also still residing in his collection:  a Japanese print of Oasis’ “Some Might Say” that has two bonus tracks over the domestic version, and two versions of Foo Fighters’ “Big Me”.  One is from Canada, the other from the UK.  Both have different tracks.  I’d forgotten about these until I saw the pictures.

Those were the glory days of collecting.  I miss collecting CD singles.  I preferred hunting the stores downtown to get all the extra tracks to the way it is now.  Now, often you need to buy an iTunes download and several “deluxe editions” to get all the songs.  CD singles were just better, period.  Even just for the cover art of those Oasis singles, singles were much more fun to collect.  I miss those days!
T-Rev’s pics:
LeBrain’s pics: