Steve Earle Rides Down The Blues Highway In His Terraplane, Lonesome And The King Of Loves Lost

Song For The Soundtrack:
Go Go Boots Are Back

I know Steve Earle.

Well, we really haven't met ... officially.

I have 22 of his albums and seen him live three times, twice with his most recent wife Allison Moorer.

I know her too.

Well, sort of.

Her sister Shelby Lynne and sometimes singing partner Lonesome Bob introduced us. Same thing, buy music by one person and end up running down the road with some of their friends.

Two of the three times I saw Earle, Moorer was with him - once by herself and once as a member of the Dukes (& Duchesses). When it came time for her introductions, Earle flashed a devilish smile and seemed just as surprised as many in the audience that she agreed to be a co-star in his seventh trip down the wedding aisle.

The two split in 2014 and Terraplane (2015) is Earle's first musical outing since. It's a full-on blues ride that references "Ol' Bob Johnson" and pays tribute to his mentor's (Townes Van Zandt) mentor (Lightnin' Hopkins).

Earle writes in the liner notes, "For my part, I've only ever believed two things about the blues: one, that they are very democratic, the commonest of human experience, perhaps the only thing that we all truly share and two, that one day, when it was time, I would make this record.

"And it's time. Hell, everybody's sick of all my fucking happy songs anyway."

It's impossible not to think of this as a "divorce record." But, for all his admissions of being "better off alone," Terraplane roars happily along for most of the 11 songs.

Earle "ain't nobody's Daddy anymore," but that doesn't mean he's having any problems finding company no matter how temporary, at least according to Baby Baby Baby (Baby), You're The Best Lover That I Ever Had and The Usual Time.

"I'm acquainted with the wind," Earle sings, "And me and him keep travelin' along."

Whether resigned to his singular fate or just not marrying material, Terraplane embraces his baggage and the blues.

"They ain't never made no love/I couldn't lose/I'm the last word in lonesome/And the King of the Blues."

I'm taking the Terraplane and headed to the record store for Moorer's Down To Believing. I gotta know what Allison has to say about all this.

Running Data for Sunday, May 23:
4.30 Miles
47:53
Additional Terraplane Candidates For Columbus Marathon Soundtrack: Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now, The Usual Time, King Of The Blues
Total 2015 Miles: 72.51 Miles