I heard about this music on public radio at night driving to work. I heard a few songs, and liked them. Mostly because it was different. I hardly even listen to music on the radio, since all they play is the same 10 songs over and over. My background is rock/metal/pop/50-60-70-80-'s hits and 90's rap. I could just say anything but country music. I bought the cd. Some clever-ness in the lyrics but I don't think the music is too complex or fresh all around. Love the country rap style on one of them. Im still very glad I have discovered this album/artist.

superb songwriting and balanced material. A must for Crowell fans and newcomers to his music. Five stars plus!

Many reviewers have shared a lot of words about this CD. Let me simply say: damn fine - buy it!

I've been listening to Rodney Crowell's music since the '70s, as performed by him and others. This album has some stellar work, but it also has some "sleepers". Be that as it may, I will always support his music as long as he puts forth what I would consider an honest effort.

This is my first disc to sample from Crowell. (I came to him backwards, through his ex-wife Rosanne Cash). The sound mostly seems to be a little more ragged than the pop-country sound of Nashville, though still pretty polished. Where Crowell diverges most here is the lyrical subject matter: reflections on the nature of fate, laments for the state of the current world and attacks on Kenneth Starr (you know, the guy who was special prosecutor during the Clinton impeachment attempt) aren't the stuff of country charts.

HIGHLIGHTS:
If there's an overall tone to the album, it's introspective optimism as Crowell takes stock of his life at that point. Disc highlight "Earthbound" is one of those as he celebrates the joys of the present life ("With each new day that passes I'm in need of thicker glasses but it's all O.K./Someday I'll be leaving but I just can't help believing that it's not today") carried on a bouncy Bela Fleck banjo appearance. "Time to Go Inward" is the flip side of that coin ("Would you believe that I'm afraid/To stare down the barrel of the choices I have made?"). He leaves us with time honored wisdom .("Jesus and Buddha and Krishna and Minnie Pearl knew/to do unto others the things you want done unto you"). "Ridin' Out the Storm" is a great character sketch of a homeless man. ("Alcohol and sterno turns a doorway to a bed/And the ghost of who he might have been lives on inside his head..") There's a nice ghostly yodel near the coda. "Preachin' to the Choir" is Crowell's ode to the rascal inside us all. ("My wine and women were the best that you could buy...") "It's a Different World Now" is Crowell taking aim at ills from the environment("To sell the same hamburger rain forests had to go/'we don't need no air to breathe but just don't tell us no'") to teenage singing divas ("Sell sex like cotton candy to young and old alike/When you've outlived the fantasy, well, you can take a hike".)

LOWS:
"Come On Funny Feelin'" wants to be "Earthbound, Pt. 2" but it's just not the song the former is. Couplets like "The funny feeling comes when you're in love with everyone/and all your races have been run or laid to rest/Get this freakin' anvil off my chest/Come on funny feeling" just aren't as likable as what's on the former track. "This Too Will Pass" wants to be a grand statement ("Sometimes you gotta crawl through the middle of it all/But don't compromise your heart for something crass") but it just feels a bit overblown, particularly when the gospel choir kicks in near the end.

BOTTOM LINE:
While often I'm dazzled here at Crowell's wordplay, it doesn't really "say" anything to me: just clever turns of phrase in service of catchy music that won't really leave you with anything when it's over. It's still a bit above the average country disc in the pack, but not essential by any means.

3 1/2 stars