European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I i by Juhn is Hauss associated press Steve Earle weaves Back and Forth Between Rock a no. Roll and country the soul of his voice in one world and the Wail of his guitars in another. J Earle broke through with the album guitar town in 1986 after one false Start and a decade of paying his dues in Nashville. They called his Brand of hard bitten country Rock Quot Power twang Quot and compared his stories of losers and lovers in the Small town South to Bruce Springsteen a Jersey ballads and John Mellencamp a Midwest. It ainu to your typical country a character in a country song gets drunk on a bad Day. Earle s anti heroes split for Mexico pull a Holdup or like the title character in Billy Austin get executed. That s been done before but Johnny Cash did t Back his stories up with double Lead Rock riffs and a big drum sound to go with heavy doses of mandolin and pedal steel. Earle used the Irish band the pogues on his last album. In the hard Way his fourth up and latest with Mca he did one song with the Christ missionary Baptist Church choir of Memphis Tenn. Earle who Uvea outside Nashville and has another Home in los Angeles will Tell you he a earned the right to be different. A childhood in Rural Texas on the Road As a musician by age 16, married at 19 and in Nashville by 20, digging swimming pools and looking for a break. It almost happened the next year a Deal for Elvis to record one of his songs. The King did no to show up. But Earle was Selling a few songs and eight years later in 1983, he signed a singles that came out of it and an album they made Wasny to distributed but three years later he signed a seven album Deal with Mca. He a since had some top it country Success and the title song off his last record Copperhead Road was a Rock crossover. In a recent new York promotional Stop for the new record Earle conceded the experimentation with a Rock sound May disappoint some country fans. He said what matters is the spirit of the music Quot there Are some purer forms of country music maybe by definition through the use of electric guitars and certain electric guitar sounds and drum sounds Quot he said. Quot but this is the 1990s and nothing stays that pure. And when you attempt to keep anything that pure that a tantamount to inbreeding. It tends to weaken the Strain not strengthen it Quot the Central character in Many of Earle s songs is the stereotypical working class Southern Man known in those parts As a  that a who stalking when Earle sings from Good old boy on his first album Quot i got a Job but it ainu to nearly enough a $20,000 pickup truck. Belongs to me and the Bank and a funny Talkin Man from  earless own views Are a bit More Complex. He a against imports and gun control but he a also against the death penalty and loudly supports causes at variance with his country fans. Quot a lot of people decided that i was a hyper redneck from hearing songs like Good old boy. But Bubba is a composite of a lot of people that i grew up with and i done to have anything in common with him. And i think some of my fans were probably shocked at How left Wing my politics Are Quot he said. Earle 35, grew up in a Small town North Steve Earle blends 1 Rock riffs with a country twang. Of Houston not far from the state prison at Huntsville. After he left Home his Mother used to Call him on nights when a execution was scheduled because she could t sleep. Quot you became very aware when you lived in that part of the world that kids were going out there and sitting on the tailgates of their trucks waiting to hear the announcement. There a this whole circus atmosphere around  in the song Billy Austin the title character contemplates his death sentence for killing a Gas station attendant Quot As the final hour drags by i Ain t about to Tell you that i done to deserve to die. But there a 27 men Here mostly Black Brown and poor most of Mem Are guilty who Are you to say for sure Quot Earle Hopes h i s Roc k a s Fyle arrangements will make his message songs palatable to younger fans. Many of their elders particularly at a major country shrine such As the grand Ole opry in Nashville Aren t ready no matter How the guitars sound. Earle would Iove to play there but they be never let him. Quot its an older audience at the opry Quot he said. 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