It's Not Big It's Large

this is what i feel about this one, a little bit of indecision. The 3 stars rating is maybe too low, but closer to the truth than the 4 stars rating. I have to say mr. Lovett told us a little lie this time, as you can hear the large band isn't so large, except for the first two tracks, so if you remember the large band album in 1989 or "live in texas" there isn't much of it in here. Anyway, you can find the usual warm, confidential, really great use of voice by Lyle and the usual wonderful team of musicians, nothing to say! About the songs: there is a little lie here too. Two of them are repeated twice, in obvious different form, and a couple seem to come from the same idea, so the track list may seem shorter than written on the cd. But i must say the are enough great songs to justify your time and money, with a special mention to "south texas girl" with Guy Clark, "ain't no more cane" and "the alley song" though, like Van Morrison, Lyle tends to rewrite always the same song, but i love both of them! So, this one is not the cd you can't do without, but especially if you don't know Lyle Lovett you can start here then go back to "the road to ensenada", "joshua judges ruth", "and his large band", "pontiac" and the live album. So if you can't have it don't lose your sleep, but if you buy it enjoy it my friend!

Great sound! Lyle's music is so appealing to those of us who like great craftsmanship with a slightly twisted edge.

Looks like those of us who bought this instead of the cheaper "special edition" took it in the shorts. Not that there are any songs on that that aren't here, there aren't. But there is an extra disc featuring some alternate takes.
Anyway, I have been a Lyle Lovett fan seemingly forever and enjoy most of what he does. But I enjoy his work with an earlier incarnation of his "large band" most of all and am disappointed to discover that there is very little of that style here. Oh, It's Not Big It's Large is very good but it mostly features down-tempo songs and a lot of introspection.
My favorites are the jazzy Tickle Toe, the forceful medley I Will Rise Up/Ain't No More Cane, the rollicking All Down Hill, and the jumping Up In Indiana. The rest are mostly acoustic and they are just fine, but not when you are expecting the second coming of the Lovett's "large band" era.
Despite the bait-and-switch, which is my reason for tagging this with just three stars, most Lyle Lovett fans are going to like this anyway. If you do decide to buy It's Not Big It's Large, my advice is to go for the currently cheaper special edition. Had I bought mine on amazon, I would have been aware of its existence and bought that edition myself instead of this one. At least this "chump's edition" comes with a handsome booklet containing pictures, lyrics, and the usual information.

I think it's the tough juxtaposition of the playful jazz of Lester Young's "Tickle Toe" with the forceful spiritual of "I Will Rise Up" that opens up IT'S NOT BIG IT'S LARGE that threw me off when I started to listen to this one. I couldn't get the feel of it right away, the songs challenge the listener emotionally and even the light hearted songs like "All Downhill" carry a touch of foreboding. There's an elemental feel to this; songs like "Don't Cry a Tear" and "South Texas Girl" are emotionally moving and powerful pieces that will stay with you for quite awhile. There are a few songs that didn't work for me like the repetitive, "This Traveling Around," or the ridiculous "Make It Happy" which might have worked at three minutes, but wears out its welcome at 4:38.
I also didn't need two versions of "Up In Indiana" a slight song that doesn't need further inspection as an acoustic number, especially when placed against the power of "Ain't No Cane" which should have closed the CD. But the overall effect is one that will hold up every time you play it.

Lyle does another great job with his Large Band, catchy lyrics, great production, nice swing sound. Different than most other country stuff, but much like some of his last releases. Worth owning