Saturday, July 28, 2007

Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello & Mos Def


My son got to pick the movie we watched last night, and for some reason (the undeniable lure of Will Ferrell for a 10 year old?) he went with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Now for those of you that haven't seen it (and I'll assume it's most of you except for my youngest brother Kevin), it's as bad as you probably think it is. Will Ferrell does his usual schtick, just not nearly as entertaining as say, Elf. Sacha Baron Cohen is dreadful as the gay, French NASCAR driver (it's about as funny as it sounds).

BUT... early in the film Steve Earle's "Hard Core Troubadour" pops up out of nowhere, only to be followed later in the movie by "I Feel Alright" and the bittersweet "Valentine's Day". Then Lucinda sweetly tackles on over-the-credits "Gentle on My Mind".

Elvis Costello and Mos Def? They appear, without reason or explanation, lunching at the Cohen character's palatial estate. Weird.

Skip the movie... buy the soundtrack. Or better yet, head to the nearest independent cd store and get yourself a copy of Steve Earle's I Feel Alright that contains not only the three Earle songs from the movie but also a magnificent duet with Lucinda Williams "You're Still Standin' There".

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