Tramp On Your Street

FLYING IN the face of much of the perceived Nashville wisdom in which the narrow dictates of marketing and radio rule, Shaver are an anomaly.

Firstly, the grizzled lived-in face of Billy Joe Shaver grins at you from the cover, hatless and seemingly well past his sell by date; altogether very much at odds with Music City's prevalent young guns image. Behind him is the other main component of Shaver, his son Eddy. In photographs they kind of look like Guy Clark and Steve Earle and on record they offer a perfect combination of hard edge and experience. These guys rock. Again, against the odds, here's a real band, not a session player line-up, and boy do they cook - Keith Christopher on bass, Danny Thorpe on rhythm, Greg Morrow on drums with the ubiquitous Al Kooper on keyboards.

The playing covers everything from reflective ballads to hard rockin' country work-outs, and all the songs were written by Billy Joe who is a noted songwriter and recording artist in his own right. Waylon Jennings cut a whole album of his songs called Honky Tonk Heroes in 1973 and around that time Billy Joe released his own debut album, produced by Kris Kristofferson. He also wrote 'I'm Just A Chunk Of Coal' which was a chart topper for John Anderson. That song also gets a work-out here.

The album opens with 'Heart Of Texas', a song that affirms his state of mind and intent. He's also joined by his old friend Waylon Jennings on this and the next cut 'Oklahoma Wind' - two outlaws who are spiritual inlaws. Another gripping remake is that of 'Georgia On A Fast Train', one of his earlier classics where he is joined on vocals by ex-Kentucky Headhunters, the Brothers Phelps, and which features a blistering solo by Eddy. By complete contrast the gospelly and acoustic 'Live Forever' is a powerful, optimistic ballad. By the time you reach 'If I Gave My Soul' you're completely solo. This is a driven song, pumping and powerful, a song of love lost and redemption. "If I give my soul to Jesus will she take me back again".

The title track, meanwhile, is the story of a young man's trek to see Hank Williams sing - an autobiographical episode from the life of Billy Joe and clearly a cornerstone experience in terms of his musical career. Set during WW2, 'K.A.N.D., Coriscana Texas' is either a real or simulated broadcast from the station of that name. It slips into 'Good Ol' U.S.A.' which is a self-explanatory work-out, fast and furious, while 'When The Fallen Angels Fly' is, by contrast, manifestly the product of painful and poignant experience.

That sense of life, love and longing is what makes this album the prime example of all that contemporary country music should be, a perfect blend of past and present. Add in sympathetic and understated production from R. S. Field, some of the best ensemble playing you're going to hear in a long time and top it all off with the twin peaks of father Billy Joe and son Eddy's excellent guitar playing and you've got an essential paradise.

Unfortunately, Shaver is currently only available on import, copies are available at the Sound Cellar, Nassau Street, Dublin.

• Stephen Rapid