On Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, this split is more pronounced than ever, but Lovett's musical vision has never been clearer. When he's country (as on the longing "Which Way Does That Old Pony Run" and the funny but heartbreaking confession "I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You"), he packs fiddles and steel guitars that will make you break down and cry. But when Lovett is exploring the possibilities of big-band music on "Here I Am" and delicate cocktail jazz on "I Know You Know," he exhibits an almost beat sensibility.

What makes Lovett intriguing is a grasp of emotional conflict that goes far beyond Nashville's standard fare. Called the Sam Kinison of the cowboy set, he hits the mark with "What Do You Do/The Glory of Love," a picture of marital ennui that moves easily from living room to barroom to Motel 6. But there's more to Large Band Lovett. He invests himself in the songs as he mourns a love grown cold in "If You Were to Wake Up," ruminates over matters of the heart in "Nobody Knows Me" and even explains how a young romantic turns callous in "Once Is Enough."

Refusing to acknowledge boundaries, Lyle Lovett transcends them by following his heart. If that means a pleading cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" or the syncopated philosophical riffing of "Good Intentions," so be it. Lovett infuses those songs with pure honesty and potent emotions, making music that is startling indeed.

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HOLLY GLEASON

(Posted: Feb 9, 1989)