Steve Earle

Steve Earle (Roxy; 350 capacity; $ 18.50) Presented by Goldenvoice. Reviewed April 1, 1996. The evidence is overwhelming: Steve Earle's lyrical paintings from his strong new E-Squared/Warners disc "I Feel Alright" prove he deserves recognition more for his songwriting than the drug troubles that landed him in jail and rehab during the late '80s and early '90s. Earle's return with a full band Monday was such a strong showing that come year's end, this might well be considered one of the best concerts of 1996.

Band: Earle, David Steele, Mark Stuart, Kelly Looney, Kurt Custer.

Earle neatly divided his two-hour set into cohesive thirds, focusing each segment on a particular mood: buoyant country-rockers, a solo turn full of introspection, and an all-out barn-burner of a closer.

The segs gave the show a fuguelike structure in creating a singular vision -- in this case direct messages unencumbered by repentance -- rarely heard from artists with a substantial catalog and a new disc to peddle. This mixture is potent.

Earle's first 11 songs -- performed with haughty reserve by his quartet the Dukes -- mixed the new ("Feel Alright,""Hard-core Troubadour"), the old ("My Old Friend the Blues,""Exit 0") and the Rolling Stones ("Take It or Leave It") in a basic midtempo that recalled the "mature" work of Bruce Springsteen, John Prine and John Mellencamp. His articulation, however, puts this in another camp, particularly the helplessness expressed in his new single, "More Than I Can Do."

The five-song solo set shot Earle straight into darkness -- real landscapes dotted with an emotional aura of remorse and sadness highlighted by "Ellis Unit One," his tale of the prison guard from the "Dead Man Walking" soundtrack.

With dignity in his delivery that avoided proselytizing, Earle chronicled his troubles with the law, drugs and romance in three songs from his new disc: "South Nashville Blues, "CCKMP" (cocaine cannot kill my pain) and "Valentine's Day."

The final band set, considerably looser than the first, slid into the comfort of a rocking chair. The Texas shuffle "Poor Boy," the rocker "Devil's Right Hand ," and his two biggest hits, "Guitar Town" and "Copperhead Row," allowed guitarist David Steele (who looks all of 17) to stretch and air out the music with aplomb. Traditional closer, the Stones' "Dead Flowers," ended the affair on a galvanizing sing-along.

Though his appearance has changed -- he's still letting his straight black hair flop over his sunglasses, but he's gained considerable weight -- Earle's sense of timing on the guitar and expert pacing of the show is still intact.

It's quite a different scenario from other recovering heroin addicts who have made heralded returns -- most notably Eric Clapton, who had George Terry handle many of his leads in the early '70s, and David Crosby, who generally stuck to harmonies upon his return to CSN.

A decade ago, Earle started a country music revolution with "Guitar Town" that has been embraced by the likes of the Kentucky Headhunters, Mavericks and other genre-blenders; finally we're getting the nextchapter.

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