''Train a Comin is the fifth studio album by

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

(his first in five years), released in 1995. In addition to Earle, it features

Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings. Biography Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interest ...

, Norman Blake, Roy Huskey, and

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...

. The album was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Background

''Train a Comin was the first album recorded after Earle overcame his addiction to drugs in the fall of 1994, after being convicted for possession. Earle's last studio album had been the 1990 album '' The Hard Way'', and he essentially stopped touring by 1992 as his addiction worsened. Most of the songs on the album are older material written when Earle was in his late teens and twenties, including "Hometown Blues," "

Sometimes She Forgets "Sometimes She Forgets" is a song written by Steve Earle, who recorded it on his 1995 ''Train a Comin album. The highest-charting version of the song was recorded by American country music artist Travis Tritt, and was released in August 1995 as ...

," "Mercenary Song," "Ben McCulloch," "Nothin' Without You," and "Tom Ames' Prayer."Liner notes, Steve Earle, Train a Comin' "Goodbye" was written while Earle was in court-ordered rehab in the fall of 1994. In concerts, Earle introduces the song as the first song he wrote clean, and as a "ninth step in the key of C," referring to the step in which an addict seeks to make amends. According to the liner notes of the album, "Angel is the Devil" was one of only four songs written during his hiatus, which he refers to as his "vacation in the ghetto," and the mandolin line of "Mystery Train part II" was written in the early 1990s with the lyrics finished the day it was recorded. The album also includes an instrumental by Norman Blake and three covers:

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

's "Tecumseh Valley", the Beatles' "

I'm Looking Through You "I'm Looking Through You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album ''Rubber Soul''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney wrote the song about English actress Jane Asher, his ...

" and

The Melodians The Melodians are a rocksteady band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica, in 1963, by Tony Brevett (born 1949, nephew of The Skatalites bassist, Lloyd Brevett), Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton.

' reggae standard "

Rivers of Babylon "Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19, and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. The Melodian ...

." Earle drew on established bluegrass and acoustic instrumentalists for the album, which was a departure from his earlier work with backing band the Dukes. He said to an interviewer at the time that he was seeking an older sound, and the album was recorded in just five days. "I was goin' for a sound where it sounded like old Opry stuff, where everybody stepped around the mike, which is real close to what we actually did. It ended up being even more of an organic record than I thought it was gonna be." Earle co-produced the album with his friend William Alsobrook. Tension arose when the album was resequenced by Winter Harvest/Warner Brothers before release. Subsequent pressings of the album used Earle's initial sequencing.

Reception

The album was well received by critics. The album was nominated for a 1996

in the "Best Contemporary Folk" category, losing out to

's ''

Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball. An e ...

'', which included a cover of Earle's "Goodbye" with him on guitar.

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...

named the album the number one country album of the year.

Album art

The cover artwork was created by Nashville artist Robin Gustlin (Rogers).Cover artwork commissioned by William Alsobrook.

Track listing

All songs written by Steve Earle unless otherwise noted. Listing reflects Earle's sequencing of the record. #"Mystery Train Part II" - 2:31 #"Hometown Blues" - 2:41 #"

" - 3:01 #"Mercenary Song" - 2:39 #"Goodbye" - 4:57 #"Tom Ames' Prayer" - 3:02 #"Nothin' Without You" - 3:02 #"Angel Is the Devil" - 2:12 #"

" - 2:28 (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...

) #"Northern Winds" - 1:40 ( Norman Blake) #"

Ben McCulloch Brigadier-General Benjamin McCulloch (November 11, 1811 – March 7, 1862) was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a major-general in the Texas militia and thereafter a major in the United States Army (United States Volunteers) ...

" - 4:10 #"

" - 3:03 (Brent Gayford Dowe, James Augustus McNaughton,

Frank Farian Frank Farian (born Franz Reuther; 18 July 1941) is a German record producer, musician, singer and songwriter, who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the Latin pop band No Mercy and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequently created v ...

, George Reyam) #"Tecumseh Valley" - 4:28 (

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

)

Personnel

*Steve Earle - guitar, high string guitar, 12 string guitar, harmonica, mandolin, vocals *

- mandolin, mandola, gut string guitars, vocals * Norman Blake - Hawaiian guitar, dobro, mandolin, fiddle, guitar *

Roy Huskey, Jr. Roy Milton Huskey (December 17, 1956 – September 6, 1997) was a prominent American upright bass player in country music from Nashville, Tennessee. Huskey performed alongside musicians such as Chet Atkins, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Vince G ...

- acoustic bass (and inspiration on "I'm Looking Through You") *

- vocals on "Nothin' Without You" and "The Rivers of Babylon"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Train A Comin' 1995 albums Steve Earle albums Warner Records albums