Billy Joe Shaver
Freedom’s Child (Compadre)Freedom’s Child is Billy Joe Shaver’s first true solo album since he joined forces with his son, guitarist Eddy, and formed their band Shaver in 1987. It finds him reunited with R.S. Field, who produced what’s arguably Shaver’s best album, 1993’s Tramp On Your Street. With Eddy gone, some of the electric edges have been shorn off the songs, but the result is still a magnificent blend of Billy Joe’s latest stories and melodies skillfully performed with a rough-hewn charm. Tunes like the heart-wrenching “Hold on to Yours (And I’ll Hold on to Mine),” the sweetly autobiographical “Day by Day,” and the sharp Johnny Cash tribute “That’s Why the Man in Black Sings the Blues” are among Shaver’s best, proving he still possesses a master’s songwriting touch. Billy Joe might have been through some rough times lately, having lost his mother, wife, and son between 1999 and 2001, yet musically Shaver hasn’t only survived, he’s as strong as ever. There’s a hidden track called “Necessary Evil” that’s worth sticking around for. It’s just Eddy Shaver singing along to his electric guitar on a deeply haunting, fitting tribute to one whose light was extinguished too soon.
This article appears in November 29 • 2002.