Rock Salt And Nails (studio album) by Steve Young

From Mercury 10/19/2017 20:04

This is a great album. I am having a hard time finding ways of expressing that sentiment. As I get to the top crust of this weeks long project, I am getting to what are for me the best of the best, and every album I love. So, bear with me.

Steve Young and this album in particular were closely associated with gene Clark and Gram Parsons back in '69. On the front cover of the original release of this album there was a sticker apparently which louly proclaimed "Featuring Gram Parsons and Gene Clark". That was a big deal amongst country rock fans back in the day. And the record label played it up. Is the presence of those 2 icons felt strongly here? Not really. The sound of this album is in the same vein as their works of the day, but there is a whole different, and uniquely Stev Young sound here.

I mentioned earlier in my review of John Stewart's Califonia Bloodlines that this and it were perhaps the 2 best "Americana" albums of the year. That I have heard anyway. What i mean by that is this album doesn't stick to country, although that is its main stylistic feature. There is an earthy, nuanced, natural mix on this album of Country, some rock, Blues, folk, and even soul (as evidenced by the simple, and very affective cover of Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" that kicks this gem off).

Young had a special voice. Its not showy usually, its pretty plain on first hearing it, but every word drips with emotion and humanity. He just took whatever words he was sminging and really made them his own and makes you, the listener, feel them. When he gets dramatic and really shouts, its amazing. Reminds me of Chris Stapleton in that regard. But I think Steve's vocals are less of a put on and are more natural even than Stapleton's (not a diss there, I love me some Stapleton vox).

As for the music, god damn. Its, again, never over the top, but its always just right. The guitars are recorded so warmly, the drums never intrude they just keep the beat and the tempo, the bass is the same way. But the fact that the bedrock sonic landscape is so underplayed and relaxed and "right", makes the little absolutely stunning details soar. Case in point, the weeping and mesmerizing strings on the album highlight "Seven Bridges Road" just ascend the whole song to incredible levels. Other examples are the awesome backing soul vocals that scream on "Love In My Time", and the pedal steel work on the straight forward country gems here like "Gonna Find Me The Bluebirds", the reverb drenched sorrow of the keyboards (or whatever that gorgeous sound is) on "Kenny's Song", and all the dramatic sweeps of Young's vocals throughout the album, all these things pop off the record due to the fact that the rudimentary aspects of a good americana album are executed so brilliantly.

And I will say, while I said earlier the highlight was "Seven Bridges Road", I think I am wrong there. Its number 2 to the utterly unique track "Coyotte". Anybody who loves Tommy Johnson's ghostly vocals will find something blissful in the vocals on "Coyotte". The track is a strange, minimalistic, mystical plea to a Coyotte, a question to the wind, an elemnetal series of questions directed at God and Mankind and the creatures which Human being have encroached upon. It sounds like a primitive man around a campfire overcome by the enormity of the world around him. Also the song starts with a cool coyotte cry. And the song....gosh, I just loves it muchly.

Other stand outs are the title track, the rare upbeat moment of "I'm A One Woman Man" and "Holler In The Swamp".

Okay, I've hyped this album up enough. Listen to it.

Rating: 9.5/10