Lyle Lovett’s 1994 album I Love Everybody has come up on the blog a few times before, and I always say the same thing.
To wit, this collection of odds and ends written before Lovett landed his first album deal was a let-down following the genius run of Pontiac, …and His Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth, but as let-downs go it contains its fair share of memorable songs.
Today’s track isn’t one of those.
Here’s one of those fun cases where the birthday of a loved one falls on a Random Weekend.
It gives me a chance to play my favorite musical game, wherein I say “whatever song plays next will sum up the rest of your life” or “whatever song plays next describes our marriage” and so on.
So, whatever song plays next is dedicated to my lovely daughter Fiona, who turns 10 today.
This track, from Lyle Lovett’s 1994 album I Love Everybody, runs two minutes and 20 seconds. It probably took Lovett about 30 seconds more than to write it.
I Love Everybody is half a great album and half a forgettable one. It is made up of songs written before the release of Lovett’s first album, so you’d expect it not to contain his best work, yet it does feature quite a few gems.
I Love Everybody was the first Lyle Lovett album that felt like a bit of a let-down. I think that’s because, following the tightly focused and emotional Large Band and Joshua Judges Ruth, this album felt a little too sloppy and a little too much like a lark.
Made up of 18 songs written in the early 80s before he landed his first record deal, I Love Everybody largely abandons the jazz and gospel influences of those previous albums in favor of a simple country style. And at the time of its release, I saw that as a negative.
Meet Me In Montauk 