The other day I was checking music lists for new music to listen to and on one of the list was Jubal Lee Young and his new album The Last Free Place in America. I remembered that I had downloaded his self titled 2007 release and enjoyed it. So I put the new album on the mp3 player and off I went. Well, I will have to go back and re-listen to the first album to really compare the two, but from what I remember, I like this one a whole lot better! This is a really good Americana album one of those albums that’s a mix of a little country, a little folk and a little rock but most of all just good music! Others thinks so too!
“It is extremely difficult to classify Jubal Lee Young’s music on his new album. There are some strong singer/songwriter-influences meeting rootsy country-rock with a little bit of blues and Irish folk. But, hey, you can call it what you want – It’s a bloody great album!”Steve Braun, Home Of Rock “
“Jubal Lee Young makes genuine top class Americana country-rock; melodic, story-telling and attention-seeking. It reminds me of a young Steve Earle and I’m convinced that this is just the beginning of a smashing career…..”- Magnus Sundell, Trots Allt
What I hadn’t remember until I read it on his webpage is that Jubal is the son of the only son of outlaw country-rock/Americana artist Steve Young (“Seven Bridges Road,” “Lonesome On’ry and Mean”) and Terrye Newkirk (“My Oklahoma”, “Come Home, Daddy”). Like many children with famous parents Jubal has struggled with his legacy and spent portions of his life drinking, drugging and rocking just a little too hard. But I think that he has made his own mark with this CD which is a great collection of songs sung with varying vocals.
I like all the tracks on the album because they all bring a little something different to the table, from the rollicking “Uh, Let’s Go” with some great harp and steel guitar to the quiet and heartfelt cover of Richard Dobson’s “Piece of Wood and Steel” and after the recent mining tragedy the lyrics of Desd Miners ring all to true:
I’m tired of reading about dead miners,
Who died to please the bottom liners,
They stand like stone with their blood and money
Just to buy them boys another day that’s sunny.
Here’s a comment from Jubal’s website about the title track:
Nowhere is Young’s soaring voice or sharp songwriting skills displayed in bolder relief than on the title track, which was inspired by a passage in the Woody Guthrie biography Ramblin’ Man. Late in his life, the disease-wracked and bottle-wrecked Guthrie had been institutionalized in a Brooklyn nuthouse, where at last he found relief from J. Edgar Hoover’s black-suited Red Scare inquisitors. “They decided he was probably harmless if he was in the nuthouse, so they kinda wrote him off,” says Young. “A couple of his Communist friends came by and were expressing concern for his well-being, and Woody said, ‘Y’all don’t worry about me. I’m okay. In here, I can stand up and say “I’m a Communist,” and they just look at me and say “Aw, he’s crazy.” This is the last free place in America.’ That whole book was a good read but that one story just jumped out at me – I thought ‘that’s a song.’
My favorite song is probably “I Refuse” which is just a neat little song about rebellion!
yeah the same old story,
Nashville said I don’t know we like you
but you’re fat
I said who needs you,
let’s get some pizza!
You gotta love it! Which sums up how I feel about this album!
Here’s two videos one “I Refuse” and then “Piece of Wood and Steel”.
