The Road To Ensenada - Lovett, Lyle (Cassette 1996)

Lyle Lovett's folks live just down the road from here, so it's natural that I hear about him from time to time. I've seen him and heard him in various venues, the most recent being a replay of an appearance on Austin City Limits along with Willie Nelson. Just a few weeks ago he appeared on the Tonight Show. Make no mistake about this - Lyle is not your typical country music boy. Some people think it's a mistake to categorize him in that genre at all. His crossover into jazz and folk, and his renditions of a few traditional favorites blur the boundaries of his music. But The Road to Ensenada,..

This album marks when I came to Lovett as a true fan. I had checked out "...and his Large Band" from the library, and bought "I love Everybody" on sale, and thought I knew what I was dealing with. But The Road to Ensenada is one of those albums that the industry calls a crossover phenomenon but the listener perceives as a watershed event. It's when an artist moves from the righteous struggle to the sudden opportunity, from wondering why a record deal doesn't bring happiness to knowing that the music is his or her chance to make a mark on the popular world. Some musicians squander this chance,.

Lyle Lovett is probably most famous for briefly being married to superstar actress Julia Roberts. And that's a shame, because Lyle is a great singer/songwriter who deserves more recognition for his musical accomplishments. He puts those to good use on this album, written not long after his breakup with Julia. I interpret this album to be about that breakup. It starts out with Lyle putting on a brave face, pretending that it didn't affect him. "You can have my girl, but don't touch my hat," he says, indicating that his identity as a Texan songwriter is more important than any relationship. But.

He's done it again. That's Right You're Not From Texas will make a country music fan out of just about anybody. Don't Touch My Hat is not far behind. Come On Baby is quite a story, and it's great in concert. Long Tall Texan with Randy Newman is a perfect remake of the old song. One Eyed Fiona paints quite a picture....you'd better not cross her, or try to boss her...you better duck mister, here come a cup and a saucer... This is a beautiful album, masterfully done once again. But this should not surprise anyone. There is a bonus "secret" song at the end that is one of my favorites on the...