Lyle Lovett
NewMusicforOldFolks says …
I used to be one of those "anything but Country" people. There are a lot of those people out there. Then I heard Lyle Lovett. I think it was "If I Had a Boat." There's was a realization that it wasn't Country music I disliked. It was just bad Country music, mainstream Country music. Lyle Lovett opened me up to Dwight Yokum, The Dixie Chicks, The Mavericks, Joe Ely and many others — even Willie Nelson who I had always thought of as my father's music. Lyle infuses his Country with a little of everything else, from Folk to Jazz to Gospel. He hasn't made a new album in quite a while and lately he's been appearing on stage with friends like John Hiatt, Joe Ely, Guy Clark and Vince Gill playing acoustic songs and telling stories. He's great at both, but I expect he will put his Large Band back together soon and do a new album.
Artist's Info
Website: lylelovett.com
See him live: Tour dates
Genre: Folk, Alternative Country
If you like this, look into: John Hiatt, Keb' Mo', Joe Ely
Bio (From AllMusic.com)
Lyle Lovett was one of the most distinctive and original singer/songwriters to emerge during the '80s. Though he was initially labeled as a country singer, the tag never quite fit him. Lovett had more in common with '70s singer/songwriters like Guy Clark, Jesse Winchester, Randy Newman, and Townes Van Zandt, combining a talent for incisive, witty lyrical detail with an eclectic array of music, ranging from country and folk to big-band swing and traditional pop. Lovett's literate, multi-layered songs stood out among the formulaic Nashville hit singles of the late '80s as well as the new traditionalists who were beginning to take over country music. Drawing from alternative country and rock fans, Lovett quickly built up a cult following which began to spill over into the mainstream with his second album, 1988's Pontiac. Following Pontiac, his country audience declined, but his reputation as a songwriter and musician continued to grow, and he sustained a dedicated cult following throughout the '90s. (more)
Spotify sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
RELEASE ME (2012): Some 27 years after Lyle Lovett signed with Curb Records he brings the association to an end with Release Me, a collection of covers and oddities to usher the singer out of his contract. Lyle makes no bones about his departure, not with the album's title or its cover of Lovett tied up in a lariat, but for as misshapen and wooly as it is, Release Me actually doesn't play like a contractual obligation. Sure, Lovett may have only two writing credits among these 14 songs and both of the cuts are holiday tunes, but the appeal of Release Me is that it's decidedly messier than Lyle has allowed himself to be on record. And it's a mess with purpose, too: the album touches upon nearly every style Lovett has tried on since he signed with Curb in 1985, so it's a summation yet it lacks pretension.
OTHERS
Lyle Lovett (1986)
Pontiac (1988)
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (1989)
Joshua Judges Ruth (1992)
I Love Everybody (1994)
The Road to Ensenada (1996)
Step Inside This House (1998)
Live in Texas (1999)
My Baby Don't Tolerate (2003)
It's Not Big, It's Large (2007)
Natural Forces (2009)
