Every Saturday I use the Discogs Randomizer Gizmo to pick a record from my collection and write about it here.
You know, I don’t often like to agree with critics, but 36 years ago, the critics got it right about this one. Before I dive into whatever those folks had to say, I want to note that in this house we Stan the Earle family, whether it be Steve or Justin Townes.
That kind of devotion doesn’t come without caveats though. Steve Earle is famous for his love of Townes Van Zandt, and he is also famous for this quote RE Townes:
“Townes Van Zandt’s the best songwriter in the world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”1
Yes, Townes is a very very good songwriter, no he is not better than Bob. No one is better than Bob.
Steve Earle learned much of his own impressive songwriting process by emulating, and even seeking out, Townes. Much like Bob traveled to New York City to meet his idol and inspiration, Woody Guthrie. Both artists take up a significant amount of space on my shelf.2
Copperhead Road is Earle’s third studio album and his first foray into a more country-rock sound—I would even argue that it was more than likely one of the early blueprints for the No Depression era Alt-Country bands.
My copy is an OG pressing with a hype sticker still on the jacket and it probably once belonged to a radio station due to the “For Promotion Only” stamp on the back. I believe I found it digging in a used record store and was astounded at the excellent condition it was in.
We’ve all seen the meme, a busted-up Dodge Caravan burning rubber out of a parking lot leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake, with the text “When ‘Copperhead Road’ comes on while you’re pulling out of the Dollar General parking lot.” And that isn’t even the best meme that song spawned, I found this one in my internet travels:
No one, I mean no one, plays the mandolin harder than Earle does on this track. Is it bluegrass? Is it country? Is it rockabilly? Is it…metal…? Turns out it’s all four and now it’s gonna be stuck in your head all day.
Don’t like Ronald Reagan? the next track is for you.3 “Snake Oil” is a fun critique of Reagan and his performative take on the presidency.4 It also has some fun banter at the beginning and the end of the song about it being a “first taker.”
“The Devil’s Right Hand” is another quasi-political song and was covered individually by Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and also the Highwaymen, which featured them both. I am a huge fan of all versions, but Earle’s OG version is still the best.
Rounding out a fantastic first side is “Johnny Come Lately” which has Earle backed by The Pogues in a rollicking jam about an American soldier serving in WWII. It also has a hint of the political—a verse about the stark difference between the return of soldiers from WWII versus the ones that returned home from Vietnam. Earle was and is vehemently anti-war, and that theme is peppered throughout all of his albums.
Back in 1988, I was brought into this world about 4 months before this album was released. I gotta say the critics were thrilled with my arrival, 2/3 of them thought it was great. The lone dissenter being my older sister who now had competition. The critics were pretty divided on Copperhead Road. Most of them lauded the first side of the album as a revolutionary take on country, country rock, etc. However. most of them thought the second side was kinda milquetoast. I have to say, I agree with them in some aspects.
Two of the songs were co-written, "Waiting on You" and "Once You Love." These two are not as good as the tracks found on the first side of the album. “You Belong to Me” is probably the only song I like on the second side, it is standard 80s balladry. Finally, for some reason there is a Christmas song on here, "Nothing but a Child," a duet sang with Maria McKee.
Do yourself a favor and queue up “Copperhead Road,” crank your volume, roll down your car windows, and peel out of the nearest Dollar General—it’s therapeutic.
Of course, Townes had an excellent response: “I’ve met Bob Dylan’s bodyguards, and if Steve Earle thinks he can stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table, he’s sadly mistaken.”
Missing a few Earle LPs, but I have every studio release by Bob Dylan and then some.
Or probably anyone else who lived through the 80s.
“A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions tell me that's true, but the facts and evidence tell me it is not.”