Web Letters: Steve Earle's Labor of Love

In regard to Charles Pierce's fine article on Steve Earle's latest record, I applaud you, Mr. Pierce, for your care to the subject of one of the finest songwriters in the past twenty years, Mr. Steve Earle paying homage to his mentor (and the best songwriter, ever) Mr. Townes Van Zandt.

In regard to the elitist claptrap from the keyboard of Mr. Robert Austin, you should do yourself a favor and look into the music of either Townes Van Zandt or Steve Earle, or at least give their lyrics a glance. It is your style of elitism that keeps the art world small, and "real art" seemingly inaccessible to the common man. The music of Townes Van Zandt is real art... not some drunk, hillbilly crying-in-his-beer type of "doggerel." You are entitled to your opinion, small-minded as it may be, but Townes Van Zandt is the greatest songwriter who ever lived, and opinions to the contrary don't matter... heh, heh... but anyway, Townes's lyrics, in my humble opinion, can be taken as incredible literature onto themselves. I am a songwriter, as well, but also a fan of a great many "literary" writers, as you'd probably be wont to make that distinction, and Townes' lyrics stack up next to the works of Dylan Thomas and Robert Frost.

There is nothing "uniform" about the music of Townes Van Zandt or Steve Earle. Both men have created startlingly original, touching bodies of work that was contrary to what was popular at the time, and both have created music that will stand the test of time, which is part of what folk/country/roots/Americana-type music is all about, at its core--keeping stories and history alive through art. Art is not beholden to foppish wine-sipping cheese-nibblers, and some of the most real, soulful works of art in the fields of music, literature and visual art could've been just as well created by someone wearing overalls and drinking Coke (or Kentucky Deluxe whiskey) out of a Riedel glass.

chris edwards

Nacogdoches, TX

This article lauds nasal twang doggerel to such an exaggerated degree that you would think the music being reviewed here had been created by J.S. Bach. Democracy, to the extent it is practiced in America, is pretty good for our material existence, but it is death to art. Forget it, music as art is finished. Tocqueville was right about America: what is best for the common man is not necessarily best for his culture. Our society compels all of us to be the same, and uniformity is more easily reached by descending to the lowest possible level. So, upload this stuff to your IPod, drink Coke from your Riedel wine glass, and just say, "It's all good!"

Robert Austin

Seminole, FL

This is the best piece I've seen on Earle and the new CD. Thanks for recognizing the genius that was Townes Van Zandt and for realizing the effort and love Earle put into the tribute.

Terry Mathews

Winnsboro, TX

Fine article. Steve is a national treasure!

Trudy Ring

Burbank, CA