joe clone: Thanks for the assist with the bluey thing. Yeah, it's on my top 100 things I'd like to learn to do before I go off to that big juke joint in the sky...

Yeah, Ive been a Steve Earle fan for a long, long time. Thru his druggy years and thru his recovery. He has, more than anyone I know other than perhaps Springsteen, placed himself in others shoes and wrote from their perspective. Being a songwriter myself, I appreciate just how many layers of one's own agendas and biases must be shed to get to that level of consientousness from which to write.

In "Old 29" he wrote of being a running back on a west Texas football team. Now for those folks who haven't seen Steve, he ain't no running back nor could he have ever been one. Two plays and call for body bag. Then in "Devil's Right Hand" and one other song he is a killer. Then a pot grower who learned a "thing from Charlie, don't ya know". Yeah, this ain't nothin' new to Steve...

Remember when he broke into the country music scene? Yeah, it was Steve and I think Dwight Yokum as the up and comers. Difference was that Steve had something to say and Nashville don't like folks that have something to say unless it's waving the flag, mom and apple pie...

Yaeh, go Steve Earle. Do it your way and then when ya grow old you won't have all those demons keepin' ya company...

Bobert