Turntable Talk #45 -“That’s New”

This is the 45th Turntable Talk that I have been lucky enough to participate in. Thanks again to Dave from A Sound Day for offering up a new and interesting topic each month. I am happy to see new contributors and always look forward to reading everyone’s post.

Since this month kicked off a new year, Dave’s topic is “That’s New.” His instructions to us were to “dig back into your memories and recall one artist you heard that was unknown to you but made you instantly react with a ‘Wow! That’s good!’ . It might be someone you discovered as a kid, could be someone you just found out about this month, could be a first release or could be some old, established artist you didn’t know about… just something that was new and exciting to you.”

Ask any Texan who Lyle Lovett is and they’ll know all about him. However, for a 19 year old kid from Michigan, I didn’t know him from Adam. He began his career as a singer-songwriter and became very popular as an acoustic artist in Texas. After sitting in with a house band (David Sloan and the Rogues), he began to appreciate how songs could sound with more musicians playing.

Sloan liked what he heard and offered Lyle some time to record in his studio. He recorded almost 20 songs, some of which wound up on a demo tape that led to his first record deal. He released his first album (Lyle Lovett) in 1986 on MCA Records. He second (Pontiac) was released in 1987. It was his third album, however, which caught my ear.

Lyle is primarily associated with country music, but there is much more to him than that. His music will often incorporate R&B, Swing, Jazz, Gospel, Folk, and Blues music. His third album (Lyle Lovett and His Large Band) actually has a bit of a big band sound on some tracks. It is that sound that led me to buy the album.

It was 1989. I had been at the local record store looking through the albums. I recall their being a turntable (and later a CD player) near the cashier where they played new music. They’d put the album on a wooden podium under a “Now Playing” sign. They had just put on Lyle’s album and the opening track, “The Blues Walk” started. I immediately stopped and listened. It was a saxophone heavy groove that led into a swinging jazzy instrumental. It reminded me of music that might play as an announcer presented the main artist of the evening at a concert.

I found out later on that the song was actually a hit for trumpeter Clifford Brown and Max Roach. I love the sound of a group of saxophones playing in unison then breaking into harmony. I really loved this tune. But I thought, “Should I spend money on the album for just one song?” The next song started and I remembered that they were playing the whole thing.

The next song, if you want to call it that, features Lyle speaking ridiculous thoughts, much like “Deep Thoughts” from SNL. Each spoken part is followed by a bluesy/gospel chorus. It was bizarre and cool at the same time.

After hearing that, I didn’t know what to think. It was just so … out there. But immediately after that, “Cryin’ Shame” was the next cut and I was hooked. It was a swingy/bluesy/gospel cut that sealed the deal.

I grabbed a copy of the album and took it home. It would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance that year. I had to laugh at the review from the New Yorker:

“Lovett reveals his weird splendor in a schizophrenic jumble of smoky jazz and twangy country that revives whole swaths of neglected popular American music.”

That album was my introduction to Lyle Lovett. He was so cool he would be mentioned in Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “I Feel Lucky,” and would go on to act in some big movies, including Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He would pop up on TV as well in shows like Mad About You, Dharma and Greg, and recently on Blue Bloods.

Since 1989, I have grown to appreciate Lyle as an actor and musician. For me, his music kept me guessing. I wondered what was next and found myself surprised at what I heard. He has recorded a dozen albums and is out touring right now.

In 2006, Esquire magazine said of Lovett: “The secret of Lyle Lovett’s endurance comes down to the three C’s: class, charisma, and consistency… In the studio and on stage with his giant orchestra, he’s spent two decades gracefully matching genuine songcraft with A-list musicianship” I think that sums him up nicely.

I want to thank Dave for once again hosting this feature and inviting me to take part. I can’t wait to hear what we’ll be writing about next month.

Thanks for listening and thanks for reading.