Sex & Gasoline

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This release finds songmaster Crowell working with YepRoc records on a set of songs that are primarily personal to the writer yet for so much of the time, the listener cannot help but recognise and relate to the dilemmas, the uncertainties, the joys and the conundrums. Human beings are complex creatures. It’s not just women who can want what they don’t have and undervalue what they already have ; it’s not just men  who can be insensitive and selfish. Any one of us can be in trouble when we lose our perspective yet we would be uncomfortable in a world ruled purely by cold logic. Country alumnus and sometime philosopher Kenny Rogers maintains that all a happy human being needs is something to do, something to look forward to and someone to love. It’s hard to knock this notion, as a basic creed.

Joe Henry produced this set and sings a little ; the musicians include drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist David Piltch, keysman Patrick Warren and Greg Leisz on assorted stringed instruments. Plus !! guitar maestro Doyle Bramhall 111, a guy whose skill at working with others is legendary and deservedly so.

Crowell’s often turbulent past has given him a rare gift. His love songs don’t sound corny, his rockers breathe and gasp authenticity, his lyrics are way outside the homilies passing for talent in much of country-related music. It’s a moot point whether Rodney Crowell IS a ‘country artist’. I think he’s a folk singer if you have to label him at all, in the sense that his compositions can work in stripped down form as well as in arrangements. Much closer to Patrick Sky or Donovan than mainstream country stars. Given that one of Willie Nelson’s best outings was his to some at the time blasphemous ‘Stardust’ versions album, Crowell must be right to be brave. All of his Columbia albums mixed the obvious with the fresh and when reissued the quality of the bonus tracks make you wonder just how  many brilliant songs we never go to hear.

Title cut ‘Sex & Gasoline’ sets the tone for the album, the ghost of Guthrie transported to today and note the delayed entrance of the beautiful piano sound set against the urgent acoustic strumming and words worthy of Gore Vidal, it’s the truth according to Crowell  ;

check the guitar weave of ‘The Rise And Fall Of Intelligent Design’ in a song that the Alan Jackson’s et al couldn’t get their heads around ; Phil Everly adds his voice to the hypnotic    ‘Truth Decay’ ;  the stealthy tread of ‘I’ve Done Everything I Can’ reminds me of the splendid Cicadas album Crowell made a few years ago but with a lighter arrangement in the vein of John Prine ; a syncopated beat pushes ‘Who Do You Trust’ and out-Dylan’s Bob.

I would have preferred the inclusion of a couple of electric rocking tracks on this set to balance out the introspective likes of ‘Forty Winters’ but that’s a minor carp. On the latter it is telling that Crowell sounds less like Roy Orbison these days.

Closing song ‘Closer To Heaven’ seems uncomfortable to have raided this writer’s brain and psyche as Crowell shakes his head at other people’s lifestyle choices and beliefs ( of course, the greatest pleasure known to mankind is the sustained belittling of the tastes, past record/companionships and current pastimes/allegiances of others. I don’t recall Mr Crowell calling me to liaise on the lyrics of this song, but..it’s as if he HAS ! That’s Rodney’s gift of personal connection, that and melodic and harmonic invention. No wonder the likes of Keith Urban often use Crowell’s songs and you could do a lot worse than make this your first  RC purchase, there will be much for you to discover about this true original

Pete Sargeant   www.fairhearing.co.uk