Steve Young Stars In The Southern Sky Omnivore Recordings OVCV-554 3-CD set with 40-page booklet Produced by Stephen Powers and Ted Olson
A review by Andrew Smith
Steve Young (1942 – 2016), a pioneer of “Southern Music”—which encompasses country rock, Americana and the “Outlaw” movement—is best known for his songs Lonesome, On’ry and Mean (recorded by Waylon Jennings), Montgomery in the Rain (recorded by Hank Williams Jr), and Seven Bridges Road (recorded by The Eagles, Joan Baez, and Dolly Parton, among others).
His influential songwriting was praised by Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, and Lucinda Williams. Jennings claimed he was “the second-greatest country music singer behind George Jones.” And Lucinda Williams contended, “Steve is in a league with Dylan and Hank Williams, and he sings like an angel.”
But his talent didn’t necessarily translate to chart success, and he never rose beyond a devoted cult following. This was likely caused by a conscious decision to pursue a “pure quest for spiritual and social truth” at the expense of fame and stardom. Young ostensibly told a record company executive, “I know I’ve killed many brain cells over the years, but I’m still not dumb enough to be a country music star.”
This 3-CD set goes a long way to highlighting his remarkable talents. There’s a welcome reissue of his outstanding 1975 album Honky Tonk Man, produced by Stephen Powers for his Mountain Railroad Records, with admirable “full country” backing, and two CDs of previously unissued live performances which are eclectic in the main and range from “unplugged” presentations of Rock Salt and Nails, through country music standards (The Year that Clayton Delaney Died, My Sweet Love Ain’t Around), to rockabilly (That’s Alright Mama), and all points in between, demonstrating Young’s powerful, heartfelt singing and impressive guitar playing.
The set is enhanced by a detailed 40-page booklet by Dr Ted Olson (East Tennessee State University’s Professor of Appalachian Studies). Olson wrote that Young recorded several groundbreaking albums from 1968 to 1978, but afterwards “walked away, never to return to the mainstream.” Because Olson was acquainted with Young for many years, his recollections are replete with interesting insights and information unavailable elsewhere. He has even reproduced Young’s comments about various songs, enriching the listening experience.
Having very little of Young’s music, I found the set interesting, informative, and entertaining, and I certainly didn’t regret forking out $AUD60 from Amazon (Australia). (The vinyl album of Honky Tonk Man, produced by Olson and Stephen Powers in 2004, at last count, was selling for $AUD55 on Amazon Australia, so this 47-track set, with its generous playing time, is excellent value.)
Steve Young fans will, of course, need this set as some 34 tracks are here for the first time, and the CD of Honky Tonk Man has a bonus track not on the original release; and for those who haven’t heard much of Steve Young previously, this set is highly recommended.
