Diamonds & Dirt

For ten years, Rodney Crowell had written hits for other artists while watching his own career chug along fitfully. His breakthrough came at last with 1988’s Diamonds & Dirt, a nearly flawless collection of rootsy country-rock tunes. This album went on to yield five Number One singles, one of which (“After All This Time”) earned Crowell a Grammy. The real accomplishment, though, is that this veteran singer/songwriter finally connected with a mass audience by keeping his lyrics direct and grounding his music in taut rockabilly riffs and melancholy honky-tonk melodies. The results invoke the operatic yearning of Roy Orbison and the jaunty bounce of Buck Owens without imitating either. Picking favorites on an album this consistent isn’t easy. On the upbeat side, the wry “She’s Crazy For Leavin’” and the Beatles-esque “I Know You’re Married” offer high-spirited kicks. Tracks like “It’s Such A Small World” (a duet with then-wife Rosanne Cash) and “The Last Waltz” are sensitive yet sobered looks at love. “After All This Time” and “I Didn’t Know I Could Lose You” demonstrate Crowell’s masterful way with heartbreak balladry. Pure and simple, Diamonds & Dirt is a gem.