Steve Earle – ‘John Henry Was a Steel Drivin’ Man’
Posted On July 9, 2020
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Ghosts of West Virginia centers on the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed 29 men in that state in 2010, making it one of the worst mining disasters in American history. When asked about what drove him to craft his deeply evocative new album, Steve Earle says, “I thought that, given the way things are now, it was maybe my responsibility to make a record that spoke to and for people who didn’t vote the way that I did.”
In 10 deftly drawn, roughly eloquent, powerfully conveyed sonic portraits, Earle and his longtime band The Dukes explore the historical role of coal in rural communities. More than merely a question of jobs and income, mining has provided a sense of unity and meaning, patriotic pride and purpose.
SPONSORED BY New West Records