3 by Crowell

I've liked (and sometimes loved) Rodney Crowell's music since the '80s. Having just finished reading his uneven but heartfelt memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks, I've been listening to some of his more recent music online. It reminds me that there is a great difference between the songwriting of veterans who have been through a lot of living and that of the young (however gifted). Here are a few Crowell gems that tell some of the stories from his book, only in the form in which his writing really shines, the country song. All these songs reference stories in the book and ring with the same spirit.