One of our favorite singer-songwriters shares what he’s been doing and listening to lately.
Texas-born Rodney Crowell has been reconnecting with more meditative pursuits lately during lockdown. Of course he’s been making and listening to music — and he’s been getting his hands in the dirt at his home about an hour south of Music City.
We asked the Americana legend — who, by the way, received the Poet's Award from the Academy of Country Music for his achievements in songwriting in 2019 — for his music recommendations.
“Here’s what I’ve been listening to while gardening and on my daily walk during the last two months of sheltering at home,” Crowell says.
- Bob Dylan: “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes”
- Ry Cooder: Paradise and Lunch
- Elton John: Tumbleweed Connection
- Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker, Thanks for the Dance, and Old Ideas
- Jimmy Reed: Jimmy Reed — Greatest Hits
- Kendrick Lamar: Damn, To Pimp a Butterfly
- The Rolling Stones Greatest Hits
- Paul Simon: Over the Bridge of Time: A Paul Simon Retrospective (1964-2011)
- Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters
- Steely Dan: Steely Dan — Greatest Hits
- Lera Lynn’s as-yet-unreleased new album
- Brennan Leigh’s as-yet-unreleased album
- Aretha Franklin: “Baby I Love You,” “Chain of Fools,” “Respect”
- Carly Simon: “You’re So Vain”
- Charlie Puth: Voicenotes
- “Clair de Lune” (Claude Debussy) by Kerrilyn Renshaw and also Larry Adler’s version
- The Band: The Band and Music From Big Pink
- ZZ Top’s Greatest Hits
- Hank Williams
- Chuck Berry’s The Great Twenty-Eight
- Booker T. and the MG’s: Universal Language
- Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica
- Carole King: Tapestry
- Shelby Lynne: “Call Me Up”
- Tom Rush: “No Regrets”
- Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
- The Beatles
- Aerosmith and Run DNC: “Walk This Way”
- Tom Waits’ entire catalogue
- Lightnin’ Hopkins compilation
- Lake Street Dive
- Jesse Winchester compilation
- Bruno Mars
- The Pretenders
- The Coasters: Rhino Hi-Five
- Count Basie's Count Basie: Ken Burns JAZZ Collection
Catch Rodney Crowell with Mary Gauthier August 9 at 2 p.m. Central on Sundays With Mary for a live stream benefitting the Music Health Alliance.
Check out his memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks, and his music on Amazon.
Photography: Image courtesy Austin Lord