by Daniel V. Garcia
Daily Lobo
At art galleries, it isn't uncommon to hear couples hinge the purchase of a painting on whether it will match the drapes in their summer home.
These discussions highlight the subtle distinction between art and decoration. It is just as applicable to music. Songwriter and recording artist Rodney Crowell has strong feelings about this issue.
"People are living lives, and music is sometimes just background for the life they're living," he said. "People don't consider the subtleties of what it takes to use your skills to turn inspiration into something to show for it. I just say, you really can't tell the difference between art and fame."
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Crowell began playing music on a professional level in the '70s.
"I actually started out pretty good," he said. "My first record was pretty good. It was true to what I'm doing now in a way. My heart was in the right place."
Since then he has written many songs that have been covered by other acts, like the Grateful Dead and Emmylou Harris.
"At one count there was over 400 of them," he said.
The sheer number of covers of his songs is a testament to his skill as a songwriter. However, being recognized for one's songs is not the same as being recognized for oneself.
"I went for commerciality for a while, and I succeeded," he said. "You get in this business and you start dealing with record companies, and the record companies are in the business of selling product and making money, and it's just really hard to keep your heart and your head all in the right line."
In spite of this tangent, Crowell has managed to focus.
"My biggest-selling record was 15 years ago. It certainly wasn't my best record by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "I wasn't doing the work of an artist that I wanted to be doing. It took me a while to get back to where I am now."
His efforts to create better work are especially evident on his latest album, The Outsider. Like the battered guitar case pictured on the back cover, his music bears the nicks and scratches of a long journey, but has been resilient enough to convey stories that have been learned along the way. And what stories they are. Each line of The Outsider is a complete thought unto itself, having been arduously chiseled.
"I work really hard at this stuff. I work at it constantly," he said.
Crowell provided some tips to aspiring artists.
"Eschew formulas. A formula is the case of death to any creativity," he said. "To thine own heart be true, you know? Find your way, and be true to yourself. At the end of the day, that may be the only reward you get."
