Twenty Twenty - The Essential T Bone Burnett
Nobody writes better about surface and depth, illusion and essence, through parable and paradox, than T Bone Burnett. Though he's had more influence as a producer and catalyst (from his days with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review to his visionary masterminding of theO Brother, Where Art Thou?soundtrack), this two-disc, 40-song retrospective dating back to 1977 celebrates his accomplishment as a unique recording artist. Burnett's range extends from the purest of plain-spoken country songs ("No Love at All," "River of Love," "The Bird That I Held in My Hand," "I'm Coming Home") to spoken-word enigmas such as "House of Mirrors" and "Hefner and Disney" (with the two switching identities as soulmates in Never Wonder Land) that challenge the listener to resolve the complexities.  Among the other standouts are the surging rock of "I Wish You Could Have Seen Her Dance" and "Boomerang," the roadhouse rockabilly of  "Driving Wheel," the teaming with Elvis Costello (as the Coward Brothers) on "The People's Limousine," and the deadpan reading of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Rather than following a chronological or musical progression, the anthology dares fans to connect the dots and risk stylistic whiplash in the process. With the simultaneous release ofThe True False Identity, Burnett's first album of new material since 1992, listeners can discover where he's been as well as where he's going.--Don McLeese