Rodney Crowell Sex & Gasoline CD

Singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell has been the poster boy for "progressive country" since the '70s, but sometime around the early 2000s he shifted gears, leaving overt country trappings behind and crafting poetic Americana tunes where precision-tooled, sometimes political lyrics are the focus. SEX AND GASOLINE finds Crowell continuing down that path, delivering one rich, resonant lyrical insight after another in a low-key vocal style that puts the emphasis squarely on the song rather than the singer. From the bluesy, Dylanesque "Who Do You Trust" to the sociopolitical commentary of "The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design," SEX AND GASOLINE, produced by ubiquitous post-modern rootsmeister Joe Henry, finds Crowell a long way from country, but still close to the heart of his songwriting muse.

Personnel: Rodney Crowell (vocals, acoustic guitar); Greg Leisz (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, mandolin); Doyle Brahall III (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Patrick Warren (piano, pump organ, chamberlin); David Piltch (upright bass, electric bass); Jay Bellerose (drum, percussion); Sister Jean McClain, Niki Haris (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Ryan Freeland.

Rolling Stone (p.94) - "[P]roducer Joe Henry extracts most of the 'country' from these songs, revealing Crowell to be simply a master songwriter, no matter what the genre."
Dirty Linen (pp.84-85) - "With his crystalline tenor vocals set to country-meets-folk arrangements, Crowell balances politically tinged lyricism....with songs that reflect on women..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Joe Henry's production is spot on, giving Crowell's vocals ample breathing room while acknowledging his excellent support team."
Paste (magazine) (p.61) - "Producer Joe Henry succeeds in putting a Lanois-lite polish on everything, adding a subtle but not overbearing gravitas to the songs that allows Cowell's humor to slide through without clashing."