Satan Is Real
Encyclopedia
Satan Is Real is a gospel
album by American
country music
duo The Louvin Brothers, released in 1959.
set up recording sessions in August 1958 to record enough tracks for two albums. The first was to become Country Love Ballads
, the second the gospel music for Satan is Real. Over 20 songs were recorded in a seven day span.
"The Christian Life" was covered by The Byrds
on their 1968 country-rock album Sweetheart of the Rodeo
.
"The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" was covered by Johnny Cash
with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
as his back up band on his 1998 album Unchained.
"Satan's Jewel Crown" was covered by Emmylou Harris
on her 1975 album Elite Hotel
.
The opening bars of the album's title track "Satan is Real" can be heard at the beginning of Hank Williams III
's "Medley: Straight to Hell / Satan is Real", on his Straight to Hell album of 2006. It is also excerpted in Will Ferrell
's 2009 one-man Broadway
show You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush
.
as several hidden tires soaked in kerosene burn behind them as fire and brimstone. While some reviewers count this as being one of the "greatest iconic album covers of all time," the cover can also be found today on several Web sites celebrating unusual or bizarre (or outright bad) album covers. The cover has also become an Internet meme
on a number of Web sites such as Fark.com
, where it has been posted in discussion threads as an example of religious views of the era.
Don Yates of No Depression called the album a "bold statement of its title signified the uncompromising nature of the Louvins’ beliefs. Whereas much country gospel of the ’50s was filled with feel-good platitudes that reflected the general optimism of the time, the Louvins’ gospel songs mirrored their own fire-and-brimstone Christianity... the album is an essential document of a side of the Louvins’ music that was at least as important to them as their more famous secular recordings."
Critic Scott Walden compared the Louvins bluegrass music to the Velvet Underground; "Their comprehension of the tortured throes of a drunkard's Satan-infested soul are no less profound than Lou Reed's own understanding of a heroin junkie wrestling with a world devoid of meaning beyond the piercing tip of the needle... The depth is there in Satan is Real. This album transcends the immediate kitsch appeal of its cover. There is a reason why songs from this album have been performed by the more commonly accepted genius of artists such as Gram Parsons
, Johnny Cash
, and Emmylou Harris
."
Production notes:
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
album by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
duo The Louvin Brothers, released in 1959.
History
Producer Ken NelsonKen Nelson (United States record producer)
Kenneth F. Nelson was a American record producer and A & R man for Capitol Records.-Early life:Born in Caledonia, Minnesota, at the age of 14, Nelson made his radio single debut as a singer in 1925...
set up recording sessions in August 1958 to record enough tracks for two albums. The first was to become Country Love Ballads
Country Love Ballads
Country Love Ballads is an album by American country music duo The Louvin Brothers, released in 1958.Producer Ken Nelson set up recording sessions in August 1958 to record enough tracks for two albums. The first was to become Country Love Ballads, the second the gospel music for Satan Is Real...
, the second the gospel music for Satan is Real. Over 20 songs were recorded in a seven day span.
"The Christian Life" was covered by The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
on their 1968 country-rock album Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the sixth album by American rock band The Byrds and was released on August 30, 1968 on Columbia Records...
.
"The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" was covered by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
as his back up band on his 1998 album Unchained.
"Satan's Jewel Crown" was covered by Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
on her 1975 album Elite Hotel
Elite Hotel
Elite Hotel was Emmylou Harris's second album to be released in 1975, following the widely acclaimed success of Pieces of the Sky, and surpassed it on the Billboard Music Charts, becoming her first #1 country album...
.
The opening bars of the album's title track "Satan is Real" can be heard at the beginning of Hank Williams III
Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...
's "Medley: Straight to Hell / Satan is Real", on his Straight to Hell album of 2006. It is also excerpted in Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
's 2009 one-man Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush
You're Welcome America
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush is a comedic Broadway play starring Will Ferrell as George W. Bush. It was broadcast live on the HBO cable channel, as well as in Canada, on March 14, 2009, at 9:00PM EST. Ferrell, who has famously depicted Bush on Saturday Night Live, also...
.
Cover
Designed by Ira Louvin, the cover features the brothers standing in a rock quarry in front of a 12 feet (3.7 m) plywood rendition of the DevilDevil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
as several hidden tires soaked in kerosene burn behind them as fire and brimstone. While some reviewers count this as being one of the "greatest iconic album covers of all time," the cover can also be found today on several Web sites celebrating unusual or bizarre (or outright bad) album covers. The cover has also become an Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
on a number of Web sites such as Fark.com
Fark.com
Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. As of June 2009, the site boasts approximately four million unique visitors per month, which puts it among the top 100 English language websites...
, where it has been posted in discussion threads as an example of religious views of the era.
Reception
While all the reviewers commented on the distinctive album cover, they also highly praised the song writing and performances. Mark Deming stated in his Allmusic review "You don't need to share the Louvin Brothers' spiritual beliefs to be moved by the grace, beauty and lack of pretension of this music; Satan Is Real is music crafted by true believers sharing their faith, and its power goes beyond Christian doctrine into something at once deeply personal and truly universal, and the result is the Louvin Brothers' masterpiece."Don Yates of No Depression called the album a "bold statement of its title signified the uncompromising nature of the Louvins’ beliefs. Whereas much country gospel of the ’50s was filled with feel-good platitudes that reflected the general optimism of the time, the Louvins’ gospel songs mirrored their own fire-and-brimstone Christianity... the album is an essential document of a side of the Louvins’ music that was at least as important to them as their more famous secular recordings."
Critic Scott Walden compared the Louvins bluegrass music to the Velvet Underground; "Their comprehension of the tortured throes of a drunkard's Satan-infested soul are no less profound than Lou Reed's own understanding of a heroin junkie wrestling with a world devoid of meaning beyond the piercing tip of the needle... The depth is there in Satan is Real. This album transcends the immediate kitsch appeal of its cover. There is a reason why songs from this album have been performed by the more commonly accepted genius of artists such as Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, and Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
."
Reissues
- In 1992, all of the tracks from Satan Is Real were included in the Close HarmonyClose Harmony (Louvin Brothers album)Close Harmony is a box set of The Louvin Brothers recordings. It is an eight-CD box set and was released in 1992.-History:Close Harmony contains 219 songs from the duo's years with Capitol, Decca, MGM, and Apollo, presented in chronological order along with session notes.The recordings include such...
8-CD box set issued by Bear Family RecordsBear Family RecordsBear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
. - Satan is Real was reissued on CD by Capitol in 1996.
- In 2007, Satan Is Real was reissued by Raven records along with Tragic Songs of LifeTragic Songs of Life (The Louvin Brothers album)Tragic Songs of Life is an album by American country music duo The Louvin Brothers, released in 1956. "Knoxville Girl" was released as a single three years later and reached number 19 on the Billboard Country Singles chart.-History:...
. Four bonus tracks were included. - In 2011, a remastered CD reissue included an interview of Charlie Louvin, and a second disc of Louvin Brothers songs picked by songwriters such as Beck, Kris Kristofferson and Dolly Parton.
Track listing
- "Satan Is Real" (Charlie LouvinCharlie LouvinCharles Elzer Loudermilk , known professionally as Charlie Louvin, was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known as one of the Louvin Brothers, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955.-Biography:Born in Henagar, Alabama, Louvin was one of 7 children...
, Ira LouvinIra LouvinIra Lonnie Loudermilk , known professionally as Ira Louvin, was an American country music singer, mandolinist and songwriter. He was a cousin of songwriter John D. Loudermilk.-Biography:...
) – 3:00 - "There's a Higher Power" (Louvin, Louvin) – 2:21
- "The Christian Life" (Louvin, Louvin) – 2:16
- "The River of Jordan" (Hazel Houser) – 2:17
- "The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" (Maybelle CarterMaybelle Carter"Mother" Maybelle Carter was an American country musician. She is best known as a member of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930s and also as a member of Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters.-Biography:...
, Anita CarterAnita CarterIna Anita Carter , the youngest daughter of Ezra and Mother Maybelle Carter, was a versatile American singer who experimented with several different types of music and played stand-up bass with her sisters Helen Carter and June Carter Cash as The Carter Sisters...
, Helen CarterHelen CarterHelen Myrl Carter was an American country music singer. The eldest daughter of Maybelle Carter, she performed with her mother and her younger sisters, June Carter and Anita Carter, as a member of Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, a pioneering all female country/folk music group...
, June Carter CashJune Carter CashValerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
) – 2:51 - "Are You Afraid to Die" (Louvin, Louvin, Eddie Hill) – 2:33
- "He Can Be Found" (Ella Barrett, Faye Cunningham) – 2:14
- "Dying from Home, And Lost" (Traditional) – 2:46
- "The Drunkard's Doom" (Louvin, Louvin) – 3:14
- "Satan's Jeweled Crown" (Edgar Eden) – 2:56
- "The Angels Rejoiced Last Night" (Louvin, Louvin) – 2:18
- "I'm Ready to Go Home" (Houser) – 3:08
Personnel
- Charlie LouvinCharlie LouvinCharles Elzer Loudermilk , known professionally as Charlie Louvin, was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known as one of the Louvin Brothers, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955.-Biography:Born in Henagar, Alabama, Louvin was one of 7 children...
– vocals, guitar - Ira LouvinIra LouvinIra Lonnie Loudermilk , known professionally as Ira Louvin, was an American country music singer, mandolinist and songwriter. He was a cousin of songwriter John D. Loudermilk.-Biography:...
– vocals, mandolin - George McCormick – guitar, vocals
- Jimmy Capps – guitar
- Paul Yandell – guitar
- Ray Edenton – guitar
- Marvin Huges – piano, organ
- Lightning Chance – bass
- Buddy HarmanBuddy HarmanBuddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...
– drums
Production notes:
- Ken NelsonKen Nelson (United States record producer)Kenneth F. Nelson was a American record producer and A & R man for Capitol Records.-Early life:Born in Caledonia, Minnesota, at the age of 14, Nelson made his radio single debut as a singer in 1925...
– producer - John Johnson – reissue producer
- Joe Allison – liner notes
- Charles K. Wolfe – reissue liner notes
External links
- Rabin, Nathan. The Louvin Brothers’ tragic songs of Satan’s realness Retrieved January 23, 2010.