Eternal and Lowdown

Amazon.com
Ray Wylie Hubbard escaped the demons that devoured his contemporary Townes Van Zandt, but their shadows still flicker through his songs. Eternal and Lowdown is the fifth studio disc in Hubbard's decade-long comeback; stocked with deeply personal story songs, the preceding four albums were sometimes revelatory but often more than a little, well, heavy. Eternal and Lowdown confronts similar weighty subjects--religion, redemption, philosophy, and fulfillment, to name a few--but with a lighter touch and even a few laugh lines. This is blues music, full of black dogs, devils, gamblers, and catfish bones, but it's the celebratory kind of blues sung by a rambler that's returned, a seeker who has found. The producer and guitarist Gurf Morlix is practically an equal partner throughout, his stinging electric lead lines spiking Hubbard's squalling slide runs and giving the songwriter's visions their wings. --Anders Smith-Lindall

Tracks:

Three Days Straight
The Sleep of the Just
Mississippi Flush
Sugar Cane
Night Time
Black Dog
Joyride
Weevils
Don't Bother Asking Me
Didn't Have A Prayer
After All These Years

Amazon.com

Ray Wylie Hubbard escaped the demons that devoured his contemporary Townes Van Zandt, but their shadows still flicker through his songs. Eternal and Lowdown is the fifth studio disc in Hubbard's decade-long comeback; stocked with deeply personal story songs, the preceding four albums were sometimes revelatory but often more than a little, well, heavy. Eternal and Lowdown confronts similar weighty subjects--religion, redemption, philosophy, and fulfillment, to name a few--but with a lighter touch and even a few laugh lines. This is blues music, full of black dogs, devils, gamblers, and catfish bones, but it's the celebratory kind of blues sung by a rambler that's returned, a seeker who has found. The producer and guitarist Gurf Morlix is practically an equal partner throughout, his stinging electric lead lines spiking Hubbard's squalling slide runs and giving the songwriter's visions their wings. --Anders Smith-Lindall

Customer Reviews:

go see this artist live!.......2006-01-21

I enjoyed "Growl" much more than I did this one, but this is a good CD as well.
Ray Wylie Hubbard is so much better in person than he is on Cd. So if he comes to your town, make sure you go to see him live. You won't be sorry!

Great album by a great songwriter.......2003-07-25

First I have to say that I really like this album. It would probably get a 5 star review from me, but I saw Ray wylie live before I heard any of his albums. No matter how good this album is, it doesn't live up to his live show.

I think that music should be measured on how it makes you feel and the guitar solo on "didn't have a prayer" is worth 4 stars of this review on it's own merits. If you get his albums from the Ray Wylie Hubbard websight, Ray Wylie will personally sign the covers for you. This is a great album by a great songwriter.

lacks something..........2003-02-19

Of Ray Wylie Hubbards several cds I like this one the least. Don't get me wrong, the execution is clean and precise but it feels like the edge is gone. Too much redemption and recovery.Gone is the "outlaw" feel very evident on DANGEROUS SPIRITS (my favorite).
The cd is split on continuity also.The first half has a blues rock emphasis...then it becomes a lesson on "how I overcame my troubles and redefined my life" (yawn). Stick with DANGEROUS SPIRITS or CRIMSON KINGS.

Mississippi Flush.......2001-09-07

I can't add much to Jeff Edwards's terrific review already posted here. But I will encourage readers to pick up this CD at their earliest convenience. The lyrics are thought-provoking, the melodies compelling, and the production expertly accomplished to enhance the mood of the songs. The best news is that although you're apt to enjoy this CD the first time you play it, you'll also be rewarded in surprising ways with each successive listen. It has tremendous staying power. There's a fine line between good and evil, and Hubbard's not afraid to confront that throughout this wonderfully satisfying work.

HUBBARD GETS THE BLUES.......2001-08-07

"Eternal and Lowdown" is another fine cd by the country outlaw legend. This one is much more bluesy than any of his other albums. Especially on songs like "SLEEP OF THE JUST", SUGARCANE", and "WEEVILS" which offers up Hubbard's best guitar work on here with some delicious slide playing. "NIGHTTIME" is a slow burner that sounds like it came straight from the Louisiana bayou. It would fit right in on a Tony Joe White album. "DIDN'T HAVE A PRAYER" is a tune he had previously done on his masterpiece album "Loco Gringo's Lament". On this reworking he does it more Memphis R&B style with Ian Mclagan on hammond B3 organ. It's a great song no matter how it's done, and I really like this version of it. The one cover song on here is "BLACK DOG". This one is more traditional country than any song on here, and it's really a catchy tune. It's a country blues song that I first heard on an old Koerner, Ray, and Glover blues album. If you've never heard of these guys, I highly recommend given em a listen. They were three very entertaining white boys from the early 60's who could really play the blues. It's obvious on some of these songs that Hubbard has gone to school on these guys on here, and the results on this album are great!

Music Album:

Music Album