Music

Steve Young
Songlines Revisited, Volume One
Starry Pyramid Records

Normally, re-recording tracks from earlier albums is a sign of musical dementia or bad advice, but Steve Young spent three decades on the sidelines watching his music alternately ignored and exploited by labels which seemingly had interest in neither music nor artist.  The result is an extensive catalogue of albums and songs available only at the whim of legal trustees.  After numerous attempts to liberate master tapes from those trustees, Young chose the easy way out.  He recorded them himself.

Those who know nothing or little of Young might want to take the leap as well.  Ian Matthews' arrangement of “Seven Bridges Road” was huge for The Eagles and anyone who knows outlaw music remembers Waylon Jennings' version of Young's “Lonesome, Orn'ry & Mean”.  Gram Parsons, before and during the Burritos, haunted the same clubs and studios, and both shared the love of “twang”.

While Young's fans might at first bemoan his recording “Seven Bridges Road” or “Rock Salt & Nails” for the umpteenth time, a cursory listen will put their fears to rest.  Simple, bare-bones arrangements and squeaky clean production plus Young's soaring voice, still solid and unique after all these years, make them well worth hearing.  In total, the ten tracks originally done on “Rock Salt & Nails” (A&M, 1969) and “Seven Bridges Road” (Warner Brothers, 1972) make for a very pleasant visit with songs very hard to find on disc.

The name-dropping could be endless here, but Young has never been one to cotton to it.  He speaks through his music and his guitar.  On this CD, he speaks pure Steve Young.  Good enough.

The cd is available from Steve Young his own self at www.steveyoung.net, or from one of the best brick and mortar/web stores going, www.musicmillennium.com. 

 
Frank Gutch Jr.

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