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Step Inside This House

 
Album Review: Step Inside This House

  • Artist: Lyle Lovett
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: September 22, 1998
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Step Inside This House, in a way, is a perfect follow-up to The Road to Ensenada, his straightest country album since his debut, taking Lyle Lovett back to the very beginning, as he covers his favorite songwriters. He consciously avoids such obvious influences as Randy Newman and Jesse Winchester, choosing to concentrate almost solely on Texan singer/songwriters, resulting in a minor revelation. Lovett's place in Texas' progressive country tradition has always been evident, and his good taste has never been in question, but this not only confirms his strength as a performer, but also illustrates the origins of his clear, wry narratives. He not only sheds light on songwriters known better for their reputation than their actual recordings (Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Walter Hyatt, Michael Martin Murphey, Robert Earl Keen), yet he carries a torch for obscure names like Eric Taylor, Vince Bell and Craig Calvert, David Rodriquez, and Steve Fromholz, who has no less than four songs on the album. For all the different writers, what's striking about Step Inside This House is how all the songs seem to spring from the same worldview. Few covers albums are as unified and Lovett's achievement is particularly noteworthy since none of the songs are standards. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Bears Steven Fromholz Lyle Lovett (3:04)
Lungs (Lyrics) Townes Van Zandt Lyle Lovett (2:18)
Step Inside This House (Step Inside My House) Guy Clark Lyle Lovett (5:29)
Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning Eric Taylor Lyle Lovett (4:23)
I've Had Enough Craig Calvert, Vince Bell Lyle Lovett (3:02)
Teach Me About Love Walter Hyatt, Ralph Stanley II Lyle Lovett (3:52)
Sleepwalking Willis Alan Ramsey Lyle Lovett (5:39)
Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy David Rodriguez Lyle Lovett (5:51)
More Pretty Girls Than One (Lyrics) Traditional, Arthur "Fiddlin'" Smith Lyle Lovett (2:56)
West Texas Highway Michael Martin Murphey, Boomer Castleman Lyle Lovett (3:32)
Rollin' By (Lyrics) Robert Earl Keen, Jr. Lyle Lovett (4:06)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Texas Trilogy: Daybreak (Lyrics) Steven Fromholz Lyle Lovett (3:17)
Texas Trilogy: Train Ride (Lyrics) Steven Fromholz Lyle Lovett (2:35)
Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance (Lyrics) Steven Fromholz Lyle Lovett (4:53)
Flyin' Shoes (Lyrics) Townes Van Zandt Lyle Lovett (4:38)
Babes in the Woods Walter Hyatt Lyle Lovett (3:04)
Highway Kind (Lyrics) Townes Van Zandt Lyle Lovett (3:27)
Lonely in Love Walter Hyatt Lyle Lovett (2:45)
If I Needed You (Lyrics) Townes Van Zandt Lyle Lovett (3:46)
I'll Come Knockin' Walter Hyatt Lyle Lovett (3:24)
Texas River Song (Lyrics) Traditional Lyle Lovett (4:09)

Credits

Sam Bush (Mandolin), Don Potter (Guitar (Acoustic)), Guy Clarke (Songwriter), Viktor Krauss (Bass), Jerry Douglas (Weissenborn), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle), Deschamps Hood (Vocals), Michael Wilson (Photography), James Gilmer (Production Assistant), David Ball (Vocal Harmony), Lyle Lovett (Guitar (Acoustic)), David Ball (Vocals), Leland Sklar (Bass), John Nelson (Assistant Engineer), Nathaniel Kunkel (Engineer), Vance Knowles (Production Assistant), Luis Conte (Percussion), Billy Williams (Producer), Russ Kunkel (Drums), Lyle Lovett (Producer), Kathi Whitley (Production Coordination), Doug Sax (Mastering), Robert Hadley (Mastering), Keith Tamashiro (Design), Dean Parks (Guitar (Electric)), Ron Lewter (Mastering), Alison Krauss (Vocal Harmony), Paul Franklin (Pedal Steel), Jonas Livingston (Art Direction), Deschamps Hood (Vocal Harmony), Matt Rollings (Piano), John Hagen (Cello), Lyle Lovett (Vocals), Tim Stedman (Design)
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Wikipedia: Step Inside This House
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Step Inside This House
Studio album by Lyle Lovett
Released September 22, 1998
Genre country, folk
Label MCA
Producer Lyle Lovett & Billy Williams
Professional reviews
Lyle Lovett chronology
The Road to Ensenada
(1992)
Step Inside This House
(1998)
Live in Texas
(1999)

Step Inside This House is an album of songs recorded by Lyle Lovett and released in 1998. In contrast with his earlier albums, populated mostly by songs penned by Lovett, House is a double-length album of cover songs written by fellow Texans.

In choosing songs to record, Lovett favored songwriters whose works influenced his own style instead of immensely popular artists whose name recognition might boost sales. The writers selected include Robert Earl Keen, Michael Martin Murphey, Willis Alan Ramsey, and Guy Clark. The second disc is largely dedicated to songs written by Townes Van Zandt and Walter Hyatt, with the final track being a traditional piece.

The title track was written by Guy Clark but does not appear on any of his albums. After learning the song from Clark, Lovett fell in love with it, and Clark gave him permission to include it on this album.

Contents

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "Bears" (Fromholz) – 3:04
  2. "Lungs" (Van Zandt) – 2:18
  3. "Step Inside This House (Step Inside My House)" (Clark) – 5:29
  4. "Memphis Midnight/Memphis Morning" (Taylor) – 4:23
  5. "I've Had Enough" (Bell, Calvert) – 3:02
  6. "Teach Me About Love" (Hyatt) – 3:52
  7. "Sleepwalking" (Ramsey) – 5:39
  8. "Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy" (Rodriguez) – 5:51
  9. "More Pretty Girls Than One" (traditional) – 2:56
  10. "West Texas Highway" (Castleman, Murphey) – 3:32
  11. "Rollin' By" (Keen) – 4:06

Disc two

  1. "Texas Trilogy: Daybreak" (Fromholz) – 3:17
  2. "Texas Trilogy: Train Ride" (Fromholz) – 2:35
  3. "Texas Trilogy: Bosque County Romance" (Fromholz) – 4:53
  4. "Flyin' Shoes" (Van Zandt) – 4:38
  5. "Babes in the Woods" (Hyatt) – 3:04
  6. "Highway Kind" (Van Zandt) – 3:27
  7. "Lonely in Love" (Hyatt) – 2:45
  8. "If I Needed You" (Van Zandt) – 3:46
  9. "I'll Come Knockin' " (Hyatt) – 3:24
  10. "Texas River Song" (traditional) – 4:09

Personnel

Production notes

  • Produced by Lyle Lovett and Billy Williams
  • Robert Hadley – mastering
  • Ron Lewter – mastering
  • Doug Sax – mastering
  • Nathaniel Kunkel – engineer
  • John Nelson – assistant engineer
  • James Gilmer – production assistant
  • Vance Knowles – production assistant
  • Kathi Whitley – production coordination
  • Jonas Livingston – art direction
  • Tim Stedman – design
  • Keith Tamashiro – design
  • Michael Wilson – photography

Chart positions

Year Chart Position
1998 Billboard Top Country albums 9
1998 Billboard The Billboard 200 55

References


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Step Inside This House" Read more