Song in my head July 19

July 19, 2005- Someday-Steve Earle. He looks like (or once did) a biker and has breached the gulf of country to rock in his career. He's been addicted, convicted and some of his music at times restricted, but he's still out there putting the tunes out. When Earle first came out on the music scene his was more of a country sound, with a look like Waylon and sound of a David Allen Coe, he seemed to be the new wave of the outlaw music scene. His tunes were straight ahead country with flashes of rock thrown in to show what may lie ahead.

1986 launched him on the scene with Guitar Town, backed by his band the Dukes his first commercially successful album gave us a number of hits. The title track had the catchy guitar riffs that automatically grabbed your attention, as did Hillbilly Highway another of the songs that found success for him. But it was Someday that gave a glimpse to his songwriting abilities and reflected his ability to stay in tune with the audience he was starting to attract.

Someday brought out the theme of a young man pumping gas at a small town gas station, Earle brought out dreams that had gone wrong, people who had moved away and a hope that soon his chance to leave would come soon. Anyone who has ever lived in a small town can relate to the opening lines of Someday "There ain't a lot that you can do in this town, You drive down to the lake and then you turn back around". Instantly he hits a chord with the quest for something, anything to come along and take the drudgery away. A chance to like Steve jump into the car and get away as the final line goes, "Someday I'll put her on the interstate and never look back"

Images that have worked well for Mellencamp and Springsteen also found a home through the years with Earle, who is as passionate about the issues off the stage as anyone out there. Long a favorite in Canada he has tackled Canadian folklore at times in his music, the most famous being his examination of the Donnelly saga on his 1990 album the Hard way, Justice in Ontario brought this controversial time in Ontario history to a wider audience.

Guitar Town however, was the start of road for Earle, there were many potholes along his way and he stumbled at times, but he's still keeping at it. And while he's been considered counter culture and anti establishment at times, we find (with a bit of trepidation) his music now the theme to Chevy Trucks new revolution of products. It seems a tad out of character for our troubadour (as pointed out in many blogs but captured intensely here) but as Dylan once said "The Times they are a changin'." Somehow the establishment came a courtin' and he took the money and followed in the footsteps of Bob Seger in product placement, once Seger went commercial his monster sale days began to dwindle, one hopes it doesn't suggest that Earle's recording days may now be winding down!

His latest the Revolution starts now (beyond the commercial endorsement angle) is just as vital as the early days with Guitar Town. We can even check out his work in the blogsphere with his blogsite, where he puts out his thoughts on politics, music and anything else that comes to his mind (though he seems to have been quiet since March).

Someday he may put it all aside, but for now it's full speed ahead, long may he keep on driving down that interstate!