Published on May 8, 2001
It breaks my heart any time that a young, talented musician dies
while they’re in their prime, no matter what the cause of their
death might have been. Often, that pain I feel is multiplied
because the world hasn’t awakened to recognize their talents while
they were alive, and only through their deaths will their gifts be
recognized and posthumously honored.
At the outset of the 20th Century, guitarist Eddy Shaver died at
the age of 38. With his father, legendary country music artist
Billy Joe Shaver, the two had recently recorded some of the best
roots music I have ever had the pleasure of hearing, on the albums
Victory and
Electric Shaver.
The group Shaver’s latest release,
The Earth Rolls On, serves as a final tribute to the talents
of Eddy Shaver, but more importantly, it showcases the absolute
artistry father and son had, and why Billy Joe Shaver has
rightfully become a master of this genre.
Take the opening track, “Love Is So Sweet,” for instance.
Probably not something you’d expect from a country music legend,
this two-minute blast of adrenaline is as rock-oriented as anything
you’d expect to hear on the radio today. Billy Joe Shaver’s
weather-worn vocals only add to the power and mystique of the
track, and it sets the pace for what turns out to be arguably
Shaver’s best album yet.
Whether it’s the acceptance of all life has to throw at you
(“The Earth Rolls On”) a loving tribute to one who was lost before
we were ready to say goodbye (“Star In My Heart”), the recognition
of the power of family ties despite the hardships that come with
that kind of relationship (“Blood Is Thicker Than Water” –
featuring a powerful lead vocal from Eddy Shaver) or a pimp-slap
against an area which has done you wrong (“Leavin’ Amarillo”),
The Earth Rolls On is a disc that welcomes the listener with
open arms and guides them through a roller coaster of emotions.
But don’t take this album as a farewell to Eddy Shaver, who
appears throughout most of the disc on lead guitar. Instead, many
of the album’s heart-wrenching songs were Billy Joe Shaver’s
goodbye to his late wife. Sadly, Eddy Shaver’s death only hammers
these messages home.
And if you’re impressed with the kind of singer and songwriter
that Billy Joe Shaver is, you’ll be in tears recognizing the talent
that was lost with Eddy Shaver’s death. Listen to the electrifying
solos on “Evergreen Fields” and the drawn-out guitar licks which
close “The Earth Rolls On,” and wonder aloud why this young man
didn’t become an absolute superstar in any genre. Listen to his
vocals on “Blood Is Thicker Than Water,” and realize you’re
listening to a carbon copy of his father, albeit without the years
of experience and hard living giving them an edge. Then, cry that
we lost him too soon.
The Earth Rolls On would have been an album that would have
earned my highest praise even if Eddy Shaver had lived to tour
behind it. As it was, it was magnificent. And tragically, Eddy
Shaver’s death only makes the album that much more powerful. If you
have never discovered the music of Shaver, or you want to add to
your collection of Billy Joe Shaver’s recorded work,
The Earth Rolls On is a must-own – and is easily the best
disc I’ve listened to all year.