Long In the Tooth

Long In the Tooth

Billy Joe Shaver's finest songs prowl (Hard To Be an Outlaw) and punch (Music City USA) with welterweight fury. Evidence: The leg- endary outlaw's seamless Long in the Tooth. Shaver's first studio album in six years showcases a singular songwriter in absolutely peak form as he unearths his trademark truths around every corner. This is the best album I've ever done, he says.<br>Long in the Tooth charts his journey as an unrepentant outlaw. Accord- ingly, Shaver delivers the classic country fans expect but also brings all new sonic tricks this time around. Each song is different with differ- ent beats and different kinds of music, he says. Songwriting is gut wrenching, but if you dig down and write real honest you'll find some- thing real great. I believe everybody should write. It's the cheapest psychiatrist there is and, God knows, I still need one.