Search - Tom T Hall :: Places I've Done Time

In 1978 Tom T. Hall was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, but his greatest work was behind him. Despite some occasionally very good records--the sadly out-of-print Everything From Jesus to Jack Daniels and a 1982 collaboration with Earl Scruggs--Hall's storytelling over the last two decades has rarely shown the singular wit, intelligence, and depth of wisdom of his masterpieces. On this 1978 RCA recording, Hall's friendly vernacular delivery sounds right at home with the string-polished Nashville sound, even if the material is sub-par. Still, even a lesser effort from Hall has some exceptional songs: "The Three Sofa Story" is a touching and believable tale of sad memories; "I Couldn't Live In Southern California" is a lyrical gem; and "The Man Who Shot Himself" stands on a par with narratives such as "The Year Clayton Delaney Died." --Roy Francis Kasten