Product Description

Following on from 2002's 'Jerusalem' and its controversial slant on the events of 9/11, this album continues the theme of analyzing the George Bush administration's 2001-2004 foreign policy. With Earle's wry take on country rock reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan with an Americana twist, country, folk and blues are merged to focus on individual issues such as censorship and truths behind war. The album also includes a collaboration with fellow left-wing country star Emmylou Harris.

Track Listing

1. The Revolution Starts
2. Home To Houston
3. Rich Man’s War
4. Warrior
5. The Gringo’s Tale
6. Condi, Condi
7. F The CC
8. Comin’ Around - duet with Emmylou Harris
9. I Thought You Should Know
10. The Seeker
11. The Revolution Starts Now

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15132 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-23
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Having finally gained some commercial popularity whilst remaining true to his own individual sound with his 2002 album Jerusalem, Steve Earle, continues what he does best on the much-rocking, politically active The Revolution Starts Now!. Putting paid to the theory that country music is the home of all things right wing, Earle has put together an album that acts as a musical equivalent of Fahrenheit 9/11--and it expounds the same fierce opposition to the US' current political situation as Moore's work. Using songs written as a narrative of a soldier in Iraq ("Home To Houston"), and the climatic, two-part title track may seem like a cloying way to put his anti-war message across, but the clincher is that the songs are made catchy enough to hold attention and subtly insinuate their message. The musical style is that of Earle's usual, catchy country with the instantly recognisable rasping drawl, and the presence of Emmylou Harris on the sublime, driving "Comin' Around" is welcome relief. However, the angry undercurrent that informs this album is ever present, which makes this album heavy listening. But for such a concept, Earle makes it surprisingly accessible, and in doing so produces a brave and enjoyable work. --Thom Allott

About the Artist
Singer and songwriter, Steve Earle was born in Virginia, raised in Texas, and resides in Nashville. His 2002 critically acclaimed album Jerusalem, garnered him his 8th Grammy nomination. 2001 marked the release of Doghouse Roses, his first collection of short stories. In the fall of 2002 the Broadaxe Theatre (the not-for-profit theatre company he co-founded in Nashville), debuted his first play entitled Karla, about Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War. Earle recently appeared in the award-winning Off-Broadway play, The Exonerated.

Customer Reviews

Good mix of music and politics
Steve Earle manages to mix politics with good music on this album. A couple of the tracks are a bit heavy going for me i.e The Warrior and Gringo's Tale but there is plenty else to enjoy. Rich Man's war is a beautifully written song with a strong poignant lyric. I liked the depiction of the naivete of the suicide bomber driven to his destination by a 'fat man in a new Mercedes' and I was glad it wasn't politically one-sided. Home to Houston is a good rockabilly tune about being in Iraq. The Revolution Starts Now is an upbeat song about how the 'revolution' of thinking for yourself starts in your street and in your town. I initially thought the swearing in FtheFCC was juvenile but think this presents the feelings and frustrations of a young man and as a 'character' - this is how he would vent his thoughts.
I was more indifferent about the other songs. Earle has achieved something difficult - a 'political' album with good tunes and non-hysterical sentiments. I have played this a lot.

Very mixed, if not disappointing
As expected from everything I'd read (probably too much), the political lyrics of the album are well put and it's great to hear such direct comment being made. What I hadn't heard, of course, was the music. It's at that level that I feel the album is very mixed, if not disappointing. For such a great writer of melodies, this is far from his best album. The raw, grungy arrangements of the rockier songs are great, but too many of the melodies seem rehashed. The tune of Rich Man's War is very like I Don't Want to Lose You Yet from Transcendental Blues, F the CC is a heavier rerun of the Dire Straits style What's a Single Man to Do from Jerusalem, while The Seeker sounds like one of his older songs although I can't quite place it, and has a strong Springsteen feel to it (though nothing wrong with that). I found the melody of The Gringo's Tale flat and too repetitive (I'm sure I'll skip it in future plays) and why the gushy string backing, while as much as I wanted to like Condi, Condi it simply doesn't work musically. Maybe ironically for such a strong political album, I found the two love songs the best. I think the song with Emmylou Harris is great, as was the case on Jerusalem, and I Thought You Should Know has great biting love lyrics and a beautiful, aching melody. Still, if I was a DJ I would be playing the title track loud and often. I also think Warrior works well, perhaps surprisingly. The backing to the talk-over poetry is heavy, raw and just right.

Is it OK to like this?
I have to confess that the more I listen to The Revolution Starts Here, the more I like it. The tunes are catchy, so if this is a seditious way of infusing political consciousness into the listener then it is certainly working in my case. Steve Earle is "born again hard" when it comes to politics left of centre and given his extensive life experiences on the dark side he may just be in a better position to offer an opinion than the rest of us. The liner notes warn us that Earle and his band saw this release as time dependent given the election year and there is an urgent zeal to some of the tracks - a raggedness which is in my opinion the best way to listen to Earle and his band.

Mind you, it is not all the auditory equivalent of Fahrenheit 9/11 - there is still time for some laid back ballands, including an especially fine duet with Emmylou Harris on 'Comin around' and the excellent "I thought you should know", which ranks up there as one of Earle's best songs. Utlimately, this release is aimed at capitalising on Earle's existing controversial and outspoken views at a crossroads in current US politics; new listeners may want to start further back in Earle's excellent catalogue of releases but for existing devotees the evolution starts here.