Take "Palestine, Texas": a driving song with chanted, almost rapped lyrics over one of Burnett's most vicious guitar grooves. The first two verses are all but impenetrable, conjuring characters who share the Rat Pack's Christian names only to immediately discard them amidst oblique references to terrorism, Vietnam, and the Ku Klux Klan, then topping it off with a chorus which amounts to a vitriolic repetition of the title. But on the bridge, he drops the bomb in a big way: "Presidents come and Presidents go / They rise like smoke, they fall like snow / Do you believe the things you say / Your lofty thoughts are filled with hay." Suddenly the lyrics cut with the same visceral impact as the music; Burnett's usually cryptic pronouncements change course and rocket straight for the Oval Office. Almost before we get the chance to process this sleight of hand, however, the mask comes up again: "This version of the world will not be here long," he announces. "It is already gone, it is already gone." The prophet persona is back, but juxtaposed with the direct political condemnations of the preceding verse, the meaning of these words couldn't be clearer. If this is the true face of T Bone Burnett, then his is the crimson-eyed visage of a vengeful god.
Except I don't think The True False Identity represents the "real" T Bone Burnett at all; that much can be gleaned from just a glance at the title. What it does represent, to me, is just another manifestation of who Burnett has always been: not a prophet, a charlatan, or an angry deity, but a storyteller. Sometimes — as in opening track "Zombieland," a the scathing critique of a complacent society — his stories are direct and immediate, with concrete positions and subjects. Sometimes — as in the surreal, vividly painted murder ballad "There Would Be Hell to Pay" — they are vague, image-oriented, profound in almost inexplicable ways. And then there are stories like "Hefner and Disney" on Twenty Twenty, which go beyond mystery and leap straight into bafflement. In a way, though, they're all equally worthwhile — the only difference is a simple matter of whether the songs are in the first person, the second or the third.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
Very well-written. Usually when I disagree on a point or two, I tune out, but this kept my interest.
True False is so good that I wonder if I should skip The Essential and just get his other albums instead, so I don't miss anything.
"Best-ofs are for housewives and little girls"
- Bruce McCullough
2 - Joan Hunt
Perfectly done, Zach. Bravo!
3 - Andrew
The song "Palestine Texas" should not have a comma.
4 - Zach
Thanks for the compliments (and corrections - I can't make the change here but I did it on my own site). Another reason why critics don't seem to pay much attention to T Bone Burnett, which I neglected to mention in the review, is that he's an absolute bitch to write about. So I'm glad you guys think I did okay.
And yeah, El Bicho, I thought pretty much the same thing; there aren't even that many T Bone records out there, and the overall quality seems so high, so I'll probably be picking up the individual albums myself.
5 - Robin Riebe
Twenty-twenty has me outraged. Being a big T bone fan, when I heard it was coming out I got very excited. Mainly because I was looking forward to hearing many of the songs from Truth Decay (my favorite T Bone album) on CD for the first time. Then when I saw the song list I was stunned. So many throw aways (Disney and Hefner to mention one) instead of Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk. T Bone, I love ya, but ya let me down.
PS - Review, and thanks.
6 - El Bicho
Correction:
"greatest hits albums are for housewives and little girls"
- Bruce McCullough