Great news for all country fans: Rodney Crowell, best known for his work with Emmylou Harris, has at the age of 50 finally made the great album he's always promised. His difficult Texas childhood is the starting point for most of these powerful compositions, which deal in such gloomy subjects as infidelity, crime and Aids. The vigorous guitar arrangements keep things from getting too morbid, and the album as a whole is an absorbing listen. It also includes a guest appearance from Crowell's former father-in-law Johnny Cash, which is recommendation enough for some of us.
