Wherever your allegiances lie between country or rock in the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and beyond, chances are you’ve heard a Rodney Crowell song. He’s been covered by everyone from Emmylou Harris and Bob Seger to Tim McGraw and the Grateful Dead. Throughout his career, he’s achieved the rare feat of successfully acquiring both mainstream acceptance and critical acclaim without sacrificing genuine outlaw cred. His lyrics have the power to bite, provoke, charm, and seduce, all while exhibiting a timeless quality that knows few peers.
To celebrate his 75th trip around the sun, below is a mixtape I originally put together for his 74th, but updated and expanded to a total of 25 of his classics—old and new (the newest, “Sometime Thang” is from a forthcoming album due later this month)—from most every signpost in his long, unique career.
Happy birthday to a Texas, and an American, original.
His memoir CHINABERRY SIDEWALKS is a great book. Give it a look.
Love Rodney. My intro to him was via Steve Earle, who has his own song, Telephone Road. I’m such a nerd I felt cool when I did a project called Telephone Road for the Houston Housing Authority years back. Didn’t know Seagar and the Dead covered RC - gotta spend a more time with your awesome playlist, but sounds great on my walk with Lt. Bandido (that’s my dog). Several hours of driving today should give me exploration time. Thanks Michael!