Lyle Lovett Albums (11)
'It's Not Big It's Large'
Release Date 8/28/2007
Tracks 12
Label Lost Highway
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's Not Big It's Large, the title of Lyle Lovett's eighth album of original material, harks back to the title of his third album, 1989's Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, the record that definitively signaled that Lovett was a true musical eccentric, as he strayed from the Texas country of his first two albums and wandering into loose-limbed jazz and swinging blues. In the 18 years separating His Large Band and 2007's It's Not Big, Lovett has pretty much stayed within that comfort zone, occasionally drifting a bit closer toward straight-ahead country (as on The Road to Ensenada or My Baby Don't Tolerate) or introspective territory (I Love Everybody, the covers collection Step Inside This House), but It's Not Big is the first time that he's truly emphasized both sides of personality equally since that 1989 record. Where that album had a clean division between the snazzy Large Band material and the country tunes -- a side was devoted to each -- this 2007 album mixes it up on a song-to-song basis, sometimes within the songs themselves, resulting an album that is more cohesive than Large Band, since it's performed with the easy confidence of a gifted singer/songwriter comfortable within his cult. That same mellow assurance also means that It's Not Big isn't quite as memorable as that 1989 near-masterpiece, lacking songs that pack as big a wallop as the sly big-band bluster of "Here I Am" or the ruefully sardonic "Nobody Knows Me." Here, subtly reigns, whether it's on quieter numbers like the sweetly melancholy "South Texas Girl" and "This Traveling Around" or the brighter "All Downhill" and gospel-fueled "Up in Indiana." Subtlety has always been a key part of Lovett's writing, but there are times on It's Not Big where the song is overwhelmed by the performance of the Large Band, who not only command this material, they give these songs performances larger than the tunes themselves. As flaws go, that's not a bad one to have, since it certainly makes for an enjoyable listen, yet it leaves the impression that It's Not Big It's Large is just a little bit too big for its likable but slight foundation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'My Baby Don't Tolerate'
Release Date 9/30/2003
Tracks 14
Label Lost Highway
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What The Critics Say
Lyle Lovett is many things, but prolific is not one of them. Yes, at the outset of his career, he released an album every year or two, but by the time he became a star in the early '90s, he slowed down quite a bit. Between 1992's Joshua Judges Ruth and 2003's My Baby Don't Tolerate, his first release on Lost Highway, he only released one album of new original material: The Road to Ensenada, in 1996, which followed 1994's I Love Everybody, a clearing-house of songs he wrote before his first album. So, My Baby Don't Tolerate is his first album of new songs in seven years, and two of its 14 songs -- "The Truck Song" and "San Antonio Girl" -- were previously released on 2001's Anthology, Vol. 1 (which is bound to frustrate fans that bought that uneven collection just for the new tunes), leaving this as a collection of 12 new songs. Given the long wait between albums and since the record is so firmly in the tradition of The Road to Ensenada that it could be branded a sequel, there may be an initial feeling of anticlimax, since there's not that many songs and they all feel familiar. Such is the complication of a long wait -- it invariably raises expectations -- but judged as a collection of songs against Lovett's other albums, My Baby Don't Tolerate holds its own very well. As mentioned above, it is very similar to The Road to Ensenada, sharing that album's clean, unadorned production, directness, and preponderance of straight-ahead country songs. And it's not just that the album is country; it's that many of his eccentricities are toned down, to the point that when Lovett ends the album with two gospel numbers, they sound like shtick. Even the handful of ballads are lighter, lacking the somber introspection of Joshua Judges Ruth or the subtleness of I Love Everybody. Everything here is out in the open, and it's the better for it; musically, it may offer no surprises, but its directness is appealing, particularly because Lovett simply sounds good singing country songs. And that's what My Baby Don't Tolerate offers -- Lovett singing good country songs and sounding good. It's not a complicated pleasure, but it doesn't need to be, and after a long dry spell, it sure is nice to have a new collection of songs from this reliable songwriter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Robert Altman's Dr. T & the Women continues the director's collaboration with Lyle Lovett; the film's soundtrack features 13 new instrumentals from Lovett & His Large Band, as well as the songs "She's Already Made Up Her Mind," "You Have Been So Good Up to Now," and a jazzy new version of "Ain't It Something." As always, Lovett's work is warm, literate, and engaging, making the score the perfect foil for Altman's tale of a Dallas-based gynecologist and the women in his personal and professional lives. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In a way, Lyle Lovett has operated on two different levels since the beginning of his career. For many listeners, including critics, he's an exceptionally talented songwriter, revealing himself as the equal to such inspirations as Randy Newman. However, unlike most singer/songwriters, he's an entertainer, putting on one hell of a show every time he takes the stage. And that may be why Live in Texas is such a good album: For the first time, Lovett the entertainer has been captured on record. Not that his previous albums have been dry, but it's a pleasure to hear Lovett play with an audience (they love it, laughing at the punch lines in "Here I Am" and listening dead quiet to "North Dakota") and his songs, delivering vibrant, loose-limbed performances that confirm what a rich catalog he has. Recorded in Austin and San Antonio just prior to the release of his 1998 covers album Step Inside This House, Live in Texas is nearly a greatest-hits collection, graced with a couple of idiosyncratic choices (including a showcase for vocalist Francine Reed, "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues") that are nice additions to a uniformly excellent set of songs. Since Lovett never breaks from his recorded arrangements, what brings Live in Texas to life is the spirit of the performances, which not only rival the original recordings, but at times are more energetic or humorous. That doesn't necessarily make it a better album than any of his studio efforts -- like most live albums, it plays better if you already know the material -- but it's undeniably hard to resist. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Step Inside This House, in a way, is a perfect follow-up to The Road to Ensenada, his straightest country album since his debut, taking Lyle Lovett back to the very beginning, as he covers his favorite songwriters. He consciously avoids such obvious influences as Randy Newman and Jesse Winchester, choosing to concentrate almost solely on Texan singer/songwriters, resulting in a minor revelation. Lovett's place in Texas' progressive country tradition has always been evident, and his good taste has never been in question, but this not only confirms his strength as a performer, but also illustrates the origins of his clear, wry narratives. He not only sheds light on songwriters known better for their reputation than their actual recordings (Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Walter Hyatt, Michael Martin Murphey, Robert Earl Keen), yet he carries a torch for obscure names like Eric Taylor, Vince Bell and Craig Calvert, David Rodriquez, and Steve Fromholz, who has no less than four songs on the album. For all the different writers, what's striking about Step Inside This House is how all the songs seem to spring from the same worldview. Few covers albums are as unified and Lovett's achievement is particularly noteworthy since none of the songs are standards. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Since Pontiac, Lyle Lovett has been experimenting with different sounds, whether it was the big band posturing of Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, the gospel overtones of Joshua Judges Ruth, or the '70s singer/songwriter flourishes of I Love Everybody. With The Road to Ensenada, he hunkers down and produces his most straightforward album since Pontiac. As it happens, it is also his best record since that breakthrough album. Lovett strips the sound of the album down to the bare country essentials, allowing it to drift into Western swing, country-rock, folk, and honky tonk when necessary. He also decides to balance his weightier material ("Private Conversation," "Who Loves You Better," "It Ought to Be Easier," "I Can't Love You Anymore," "Christmas Morning") with fun, lighthearted numbers like "Don't Touch My Hat," "Fiona," and "That's Right (You're Not From Texas)," which are funny without being silly. In fact, The Road to Ensenada is the lightest album Lyle Lovett has ever made -- the darkness that hung around the fringes of Pontiac, Joshua Judges Ruth, and I Love Everybody has drifted away, leaving his wry sense of humor and a newly found empathetic sentimentality. The combination of straightforward instrumentation and lean, catchy, and incisive songwriting results in one of the best albums of his career -- he's just as eclectic and off-handedly brilliant as he has always been, but on The Road to Ensenada he's more focused and less flashy about his own talent than he's ever been. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'I Love Everybody'
Release Date 9/26/1994
Tracks 18
Label MCA Nashville
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What The Critics Say
Lyle Lovett's 1992 album, Joshua Judges Ruth, was a highly ambitious project for the Texas-born singer/songwriter -- perhaps too ambitious, since despite the album's beautiful surfaces, the results simply weren't especially absorbing. Released in 1994, I Love Everybody seemed to find Lovett taking a step back -- it consists of 18 tunes Lovett had written prior to the recording of his first album -- but for the most part it succeeds where Joshua Judges Ruth disappoints, largely because the songs offer enough changeups to keep the listener engaged at all times. Also, for a set of tunes that were apparent leftovers, the writing on I Love Everybody is startlingly strong, from the saucy "Hello Grandma" and "Record Lady" to the stark and edgy storytelling of "I Think You Know What I Mean" and "The Fat Girl." The album also offers up plenty of Lovett's trademark dour humor and playfully sinister undertones; the title song was originally intended to be "Creeps Like Me," and it's hard to decide if one should laugh or frown in disgust while listening to it. And like Joshua Judges Ruth, I Love Everybody is dominated by clean, stripped-down arrangements and transparent production, but the players bring a lot more spirit and swing to these sessions (top honors go to bassist John Leftwich and drummer Russ Kunkel, a superb and soulful acoustic rhythm section), and the dynamics bring more drama to the performances rather than weighing them down. I Love Everybody is just eccentric enough to be best recommended to folks already familiar with Lovett's work, but anyone attuned to his sensibility will find plenty to enjoy here -- and a little to make you a shade uncomfortable. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Lyle Lovett and His Large Band wasn't a massive chart hit, it was successful enough to establish an audience for Lovett outside the boundaries of the country market, and 1992's Joshua Judges Ruth found Lovett seemingly free to follow his muse wherever it cared to go. Joshua Judges Ruth only bore the faintest glimmers of Lovett's country leanings (notable exception: "She's Leaving Me Because She Really Wants To"), and more surprisingly it suggested he was also moving away from the broad-shouldered jazz and blues accidents that dominated much of Pontiac and Large Band. Compared to his previous work, Joshua Judges Ruth sounds startlingly spare -- producer and engineer George Massenburg brings a clear and keenly detailed sound to these sessions that allows all the details of the low-key arrangements to be heard, and "She's Already Made Up Her Mind," "Baltimore," and "Family Reserve" seem to have been recorded with this in mind. The songs also reflect a shift toward more serious and introspective themes for Lovett; outside of the gospel-influenced "Church" and the easygoing "She Makes Me Feel Good," his trademark humor is conspicuous in its absence, and loss, loneliness, and heartbreak dominate the lyrics. While the craft of Joshua Judges Ruth ranks with the finest work of Lovett's career, its spare and sober surfaces aren't especially engaging, and it's the sort of album fans are more likely to admire than embrace with pleasure. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Lyle Lovett and His Large Band'
Release Date 1/1/1989
Tracks 12
Label Curb
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What The Critics Say
While from the outset Lyle Lovett sounded like a hard artist to pigeonhole, his sponsors at Curb Records and MCA Records seemed determined to sell him as a country artist, though the blues and retro-jazz leanings of Lovett's second album, Pontiac, suggested that strategy would only be practical for so long. With his third album, 1989's Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Lovett seemingly sidelined any career aspirations as a mainstream country act he or his handlers may have held. The album kicks off with a lively cover of Clifford Brown's "The Blues Walk," and the next five tunes all bear the smoky, late-night vibe of a low-key jazz joint, with top marks going to the hilariously off-kilter "Here I Am," the witty scenario of potential infidelity "What Do You Do/The Glory of Love," and the marvelously sly "Good Intentions." The second half of the album is steeped in twang, but it was hardly more comforting for country radio programmers; "I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You" is a "sweet on the outside and sick on the inside" tale of romantic obsession, "Nobody Knows Me" bears a punchline that makes "God Will" sound generous, and Lovett's straight-faced cover of "Stand By Your Man" stubbornly refuses to either announce itself as a joke or suggest another interpretation. Wherever you choose to file it, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band made it clear that Lovett was only getting better with each album; the songs are uniformly well-crafted, Lovett's vocals are full of subtle nuance, and his band is in brilliant form throughout (with special kudos to Lovett's frequent vocal foil, Francine Reed). If you're going to burn your bridges, you could hardly find a better way to do it than this. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Lyle Lovett's self-titled debut album made it clear he was one the most gifted and idiosyncratic talents to emerge in country music in the 1980s, his follow-up, 1987's Pontiac, took the strengths of his first disc and refined them, and the result was a set whose sound and feel more accurately reflected Lovett's musical personality. While much of Pontiac favors the country side of Lovett's musical personality, the bouncy swing of "Give Back My Heart" and the weepy stroll of "Walk Through the Bottomland" have a lighter touch that suits them noticeably better than the stiffer production and arrangements of the first album, while the breezy snap of "L.A. County" serves as a perfect contrast to the tune's violent dénouement. The second half of the album gives Lovett a chance to indulge his fondness for jazz and blues flavors on the cynical "She's No Lady," "M-O-N-E-Y," and "She's Hot to Go," and if Lovett would follow this path with great musical success on his next few albums, he was already traveling in the right direction and the songs and the arrangements are aces. And it's all but impossible to imagine anyone being given a big push by a major label in Nashville who could get away with the fanciful whimsy of "If I Had a Boat" and the stark and unsettling character sketch of "Pontiac" on the same album. If Lyle Lovett left any doubts at all about this man's gifts as a performer and songwriter, Pontiac proved that he had even more tricks up his sleeve than he'd let on first time out, and it's the first of several masterpieces in Lovett's career. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
