J.T. (album)

Last updated
J.T.
J.T. cover (Justin Townes Earle R.I.P.).jpg
Studio album by
Steve Earle & The Dukes
ReleasedJanuary 4, 2021 (2021-01-04)
Recorded2020
Studio Electric Lady Studios (New York City, New York)
Length34:32
Label New West
Producer Steve Earle
Steve Earle & The Dukes chronology
Ghosts of West Virginia
(2020)		J.T.
(2021)		 Jerry Jeff
(2022)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.9/10 [1]
Metacritic 82/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Clash Music 9/10 [5]
Exclaim! 9/10 [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [9]
Spectrum Culture77% [10]
Uncut 8/10 [11]
Under the Radar 7/10 [12]

J.T. is a studio album by American rock band Steve Earle & The Dukes. The album is a tribute to Earle's oldest son, Justin Townes Earle, who died of an accidental drug overdose on August 20, 2020. It was released by New West Records on January 4, 2021, on what would have been Justin's 39th birthday. [13] Recording sessions took place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with Ray Kennedy as audio engineer. Production was handled by Steve Earle himself. [14] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82 based on eleven reviews. [2]

Contents

The album's genesis

Justin Townes Earle released eight albums and an EP over a span of 13 years. [13] Like his father, he struggled with addiction, beginning with heroin use before turning 13. [15] [16] While problems with substance abuse strained their relationship, the father and son appeared to have reconciled more recently, and they spoke on the phone the night Justin died in his Nashville apartment. [17] [18] The cause of death was ruled an accidental overdose of cocaine and the opium derivative fentanyl. [19] [20]

Shortly after Justin's death, Steve Earle began working on an album in his memory. With the help of his 33-year-old son Ian, Earle selected 10 songs from six of Justin's albums. [19] He then booked a week at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios in New York City, where he recorded 2020's Ghosts of West Virginia . [13] [21] [22]

Regarding his motivation for recording J.T., Earle wrote in the liner notes, "For better or worse, right or wrong, I loved Justin Townes Earle more than anything else on this earth. That being said, I made this record, like every other record I’ve ever made...for me. It was the only way I knew to say goodbye." [23]

The songs

All of the songs on J.T., except one, were either written or co-written by Justin Townes Earle. Together, they provide an overview of the songwriter's career, featuring both fan favorites and deep cuts. [21] [24]

The opening track, "I Don't Care", is a rocking bluegrass tune that appeared on Justin's EP Yuma in 2007. [21] Four of the songs are taken from his first album, 2008's The Good Life : "Ain't Glad I'm Leaving", "Far Away in Another Town", "Turn Out My Lights", and "Lone Pine Hill". [18] Interspersed between these songs are selections from five subsequent albums: "They Killed John Henry", Midnight at the Movies , 2009; "Harlem River Blues", the title track of his second album, 2010; "Maria", Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now , 2012; "Champagne Corolla", Kids in the Street , 2017; and "The Saint of Lost Causes", the title track of his final release, 2019. [25]

"Last Words," the closing track, is the album's only original. [26] Composed by Steve Earle in the weeks following Justin's death, it recounts the last conversation between the two, in the phone call the night he died. [27] The song also reflects on their rocky relationship during times spent together and apart. [28] It closes with their final words to each other: "I love you" and "I love you, too".

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Don't Care" Justin Townes Earle 1:54
2."Ain't Glad I'm Leaving"Justin Townes Earle2:52
3."Maria"Justin Townes Earle2:46
4."Far Away in Another Town"
  • Justin Townes Earle
  • Scotty Melton
3:06
5."They Killed John Henry"Justin Townes Earle2:34
6."Turn Out My Lights"
  • Justin Townes Earle
  • Scotty Melton
2:35
7."Lone Pine Hill"Justin Townes Earle2:43
8."Champagne Corolla"Justin Townes Earle3:35
9."The Saint of Lost Causes"Justin Townes Earle5:01
10."Harlem River Blues"Justin Townes Earle3:10
11."Last Words" Steve Earle 4:21
Total length:34:32

Personnel

Steve Earle & The Dukes

Source: [13]

Additional personnel

Source: [14]

Charts

Chart performance for J.T.
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [29] 49
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [30] 39
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [31] 157
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [32] 43
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [33] 48
Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] 7
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [35] 37
UK Country Albums (OCC) [36] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Earle</span> American musician

Stephen Fain Earle is an American country, rock and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982.

<i>Copperhead Road</i> 1988 studio album by Steve Earle

Copperhead Road is the third studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1988. The album is often referred to as Earle's first "rock record"; Earle himself calls it the world's first blend of heavy metal and bluegrass, and the January 26, 1989 review of the album by Rolling Stone suggested that the style be called "power twang".

<i>Guitar Town</i> 1986 studio album by Steve Earle

Guitar Town is the debut studio album from American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released on March 5, 1986. It topped the Billboard country album charts, and the title song reached #7 on the country singles charts. Earle was also nominated for two 1987 Grammy Awards, Best Male Country Vocalist and Best Country Song, for the title track.

<i>All the Roadrunning</i> 2006 studio album by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris

All the Roadrunning is a collaboration between British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler and American singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, released on 24 April 2006 by Mercury Records and Universal Music internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album received favorable reviews, and reached the number one position on album charts in Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland. The album peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom, and number 17 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. The title track, which actually was released the year before as a new track on the compilation album Private Investigations, was released as a single and reached number 8 in the UK.

<i>Exit 0</i> 1987 studio album by Steve Earle & The Dukes

Exit 0 is the second studio album from American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released in 1987. Earle was nominated for two 1988 Grammy Awards for songs on the album, Best Male Country Vocalist for "Exit 0" and Best Country Song for "Nowhere Road".

<i>The Hard Way</i> (Steve Earle album) 1990 studio album by Steve Earle

The Hard Way is the fourth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1990. Earle is backed by the Dukes. The album is dedicated to Emilio Lorenzo Ensenat (1930–90).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Earle discography</span>

American musician Steve Earle has released twenty-one studio albums, including collaborations with the Del McCoury Band and Shawn Colvin. Earle's work reflects a wide range of styles, including country, bluegrass, roots rock, and folk. He or his labels have also released six live albums and eight compilation albums.

<i>Day After Tomorrow</i> (Joan Baez album) 2008 studio album by Joan Baez

Day After Tomorrow the twenty-fifth studio album by the American singer and musician Joan Baez, released in 2008. It was her first studio album in 5 years. The album features songs written by such composers as Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, Patty Griffin, Thea Gilmore and Steve Earle. Earle also produced the album. It was recorded in Nashville between December 2007 and March 2008. The album had the dedication "to my Mom in her 96th year".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Townes Earle</span> American musician (1982–2020)

Justin Townes Earle was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP Yuma (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009 and for Song of the Year in 2011 for "Harlem River Blues". His father is alternative country artist Steve Earle.

<i>Townes</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Steve Earle

Townes is the 13th studio album by American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released in 2009. It is an album on which he pays tribute to his friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt by covering his songs. According to a New West Records press release, "The songs selected for Townes were the ones that meant the most to Earle and the ones he personally connected to. Some of the selections chosen were songs that Earle has played his entire career and others he had to learn specifically for recording.

<i>The Lumineers</i> (album) 2012 studio album by the Lumineers

The Lumineers is the debut studio album by American folk rock band the Lumineers. The album was released in the United States on April 3, 2012, and contains the singles "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love" and "Submarines". The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Old Sock</i> 2013 studio album by Eric Clapton

Old Sock is the nineteenth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. It includes the two new compositions "Gotta Get Over" and "Every Little Thing", as well as covers. Several notable musicians were involved in the album, including Steve Winwood, JJ Cale and Paul McCartney.

<i>The Low Highway</i> 2013 studio album by Steve Earle

The Low Highway is the 15th studio album by singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released in 2013. The album features two songs co-written by Earle and Lucia Micarelli: "Love's Gonna Blow My Way", "After Mardi Gras". Two songs from the album, "After Mardi Gras" and "That All You Got?", are featured in the HBO TV Series Treme.

<i>Heart Break</i> (Lady Antebellum album) 2017 studio album by Lady Antebellum

Heart Break is the seventh studio album by American country pop trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on June 9, 2017, through Capitol Records Nashville. The album serves as the "spiritual follow-up" to 2010's Need You Now and is their first release since 2014's 747, with its three-year gap being the longest between two albums by the group to date.

<i>California Son</i> 2019 studio album by Morrissey

California Son is the twelfth solo studio album by English singer Morrissey. Released on 24 May 2019 on the singer's label étienne and licensed on BMG, the album is a collection of cover versions. The single "Wedding Bell Blues", initially written and sung by Laura Nyro in 1966, featured Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day on backing vocals.

<i>Confessions of a Dangerous Mind</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Logic

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is the fifth studio album by American rapper Logic. The album was announced on March 19, 2019, with a video for the album's title track. It was released on May 10, 2019, by Def Jam Recordings and Visionary Music Group. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was Logic's second release in less than two months, following Supermarket in March, which served as a soundtrack for the novel of the same name.

<i>What You See Is What You Get</i> (Luke Combs album) 2019 studio album by Luke Combs

What You See Is What You Get is the second studio album by American country music artist Luke Combs. It was released on November 8, 2019 through River House Artists and Columbia Nashville. It includes all five songs previously featured on the 2019 EP The Prequel, including the singles "Beer Never Broke My Heart" and "Even Though I'm Leaving" in addition to the track "1, 2 Many", the single "Does to Me", and later the promotional single "Six Feet Apart". Combs toured North America throughout the remainder of 2019 and was to headline the C2C: Country to Country festival in Europe in 2020 in promotion of the album, however the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven singles from the album, "Beer Never Broke My Heart", "Even Though I'm Leaving", "Does to Me", "Lovin' on You", "Better Together", "Forever After All" and "Cold as You", reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

<i>Ghosts of West Virginia</i> 2020 studio album by Steve Earle

Ghosts of West Virginia is the twentieth studio album by American country musician Steve Earle, credited to Steve Earle and the Dukes. It was released on May 22, 2020, under New West Records. Most of the songs were written for the off-Broadway play Coal Country about the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in 2010. Earle collaborated on the play written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, drawing on interviews with survivors and families of the miners.

<i>Fighting Demons</i> 2021 studio album by Juice Wrld

Fighting Demons is the fourth studio album by American rapper and singer Juice Wrld. It was posthumously released by Grade A Productions and Interscope Records on December 10, 2021. The album features guest appearances from Justin Bieber, Polo G, Trippie Redd, and Suga of BTS. It serves as a tie-in for an HBO-produced documentary titled Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss, released on December 16, 2021.

<i>Jerry Jeff</i> 2022 studio album by Steve Earle & the Dukes

Jerry Jeff is a studio album by American rock band Steve Earle & The Dukes. It was released on May 27, 2022, via New West Records. Recording sessions took place at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Steve Earle himself. The album covers ten songs written by American country and folk singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, who died from throat cancer on October 23, 2020, at a hospital in Austin, Texas at the age of 78, paying tribute to the late musician.

References

  1. ↑ "J.T. by Steve Earle & The Dukes reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for J.T. - Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (January 4, 2021). "Steve Earle Offers a Lingering Lament for a Sadly Departed Son". American Songwriter . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ Thomson, Liz (January 8, 2021). "Album: Steve Earle & The Dukes - JT". The Arts Desk . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Will (January 4, 2021). "Steve Earle & The Dukes - J.T." Clash . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ Mullin, Larry (January 4, 2021). "Steve Earle and the Dukes' 'J.T.' Is a Fitting Send-Off to Justin Townes Earle". Exclaim! . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ Simmons, Sylvie (2021). Mojo - March 2021. Mojo. p. 84.
  8. ↑ Spencer, Neil (December 26, 2020). "Steve Earle and the Dukes: JT review – a father's fond farewell". The Observer . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (January 27, 2021). "Steve Earle: J.T." Pitchfork . Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  10. ↑ Cober-Lake, Justin (January 15, 2021). "Steve Earle & the Dukes: J.T." Spectrum Culture. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  11. ↑ Staunton, Terry (2021). Uncut - February 2021. UNCUT. p. 27.
  12. ↑ Moody, Mark (January 20, 2021). "J.T." Under the Radar . Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Sisario, Ben (December 29, 2020), "The Album Steve Earle Never Wanted to Make: A Tribute to His Son", The New York Times , retrieved March 28, 2021
  14. 1 2 "J.T. Album Credits". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  15. ↑ Freeman, Jon (August 25, 2020), "Police: Justin Townes Earle Died From 'Probable Drug Overdose'", Rolling Stone , retrieved April 2, 2021
  16. ↑ Hudak, Joseph (August 23, 2020), "Justin Townes Earle, Americana Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 38", Rolling Stone , retrieved March 28, 2021
  17. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (January 2021), "Steve Earle Offers a Lingering Lament for a Sadly Departed Son", American Songwriter , retrieved March 28, 2021{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  18. 1 2 Newcomb, Brian Q. (January 27, 2021). "Steve Earle & The Dukes: J.T." firenote.com. The Fire Note. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  19. 1 2 Danton, Eric R. (January 4, 2021), "Steve Earle & The Dukes Mourn Justin Townes Earle on J.T.", Paste , retrieved March 28, 2021
  20. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (December 1, 2020), "Justin Townes Earle Death Ruled an Accidental Drug Overdose", Rolling Stone , retrieved March 28, 2021
  21. 1 2 3 Hackett, Vernell (January 13, 2021), "Steve Earle Releases Powerful Album, 'JT', in Tribute to Late Son", Sounds Like Nashville, retrieved April 3, 2021
  22. ↑ Cober-Lake, Justin (January 14, 2021). "Steve Earle & the Dukes: J.T." spectrumculture.com. Spectrum Culture. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  23. ↑ DeVille, Chris (January 4, 2021). "Stream Steve Earle's Album of Songs by His Late Son Justin Townes Earle". stereogum.com. Stereogum . Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  24. ↑ Mullin, Larry (January 4, 2021), "Steve Earle and the Dukes' 'J.T.' Is a Fitting Send-Off to Justin Townes Earle", exclaim.ca, Exclaim! , retrieved April 5, 2021
  25. ↑ Mullin, Larry (January 4, 2021), "Steve Earle and the Dukes' 'J.T.' Is a Fitting Send-Off to Justin Townes Earle", Exclaim! , retrieved April 5, 2021
  26. ↑ Freeman, Jon (January 8, 2021), "Steve Earle Covers Son Justin Townes Earle's 'Harlem River Blues' on 'Kimmel'", Rolling Stone , retrieved March 28, 2021
  27. ↑ Armstrong, Chuck (January 4, 2021), "Steve Earle Lifts Up His Son's Legacy on 'J.T.'", No Depression , retrieved March 28, 2021
  28. ↑ Bryson, Ben (January 21, 2021). "Album Review: Steve Earle and The Dukes – J.T." mxdwn.com. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T.". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.