Shaver

Billie Joe Shaver was a country music outlaw when Steve Earle was in short pants. His songs have been covered by artists as diverse as the Allman Brothers, Robin and Linda Williams and Barrence Whitfield. Elvis Presley recorded no fewer than six Billie Joe Shaver songs. In 1993, Billie Joe teamed up with his son Eddy, a fierce guitar-slinger with superb taste and biting tone, to form the band Shaver. They’ve released six albums, ranging in style from acoustic gospel to electric country rock. This latest one is haunted by the ghost of Eddy, who died unexpectedly just before its release, and by that of his mother, who died shortly following the release of Shaver’s previous album in 1999. The shadow of tragedy lends an extra dimension to songs like "Love Is So Sweet" and "Star in My Heart," which Billie Joe wrote for Eddy when the latter was in drub rehab. This is a stunning record.