Description
Proof Through the Night is the sophomore full-length album by the American singer, songwriter, and producer T-Bone Burnett of The Alpha Band fame, released on Warner Bros. Records in August 1983. The album was produced by Jeff Eyrich. Renowned music critic Robert Christgau concluded a review of Proof Through the Night by writing – “I’m a sucker for a humble man with a proud guitar.”
Proof Through The Night was included among the Best Albums of 1983 by CCM Magazine, voted number three (tied with Bob Dylan’s Infidels) on a list featuring eleven albums released from the last quarter of 1982 through the last quarter of 1983. – Running in this issue, Smith-Newcomb’s review of ‘Proof’ says: “From his earliest efforts Burnett has brought together the insight of his Christian faith, interesting and compelling lyrics, and some of the finest American music – traditional and contemporary – around.”
Is this coy, lanky young man in the trench coat, white shirt buttoned up to the neck, straggily bangs hanging down to his less-than-innocent looking eyes “just an ordinary man”, as he suggests in «Shut It Tight»? T-Bone Burnett may be a lot of things, but he is hardly ordinary. ‘Proof Through the Night’ – the follow up to last year’s highly regarded EP ‘Trap Door‘ – is likewise no ordinary album.
Burnett showed up on the national music scene as part of Bob Dylan‘s 1975 Rolling Thunder Review, then went on with David Mansfield and Steven Soles to form the Alpha Band, which recorded three critically acclaimed albums.
In 1980 Takoma Records (since defunct) released Burnett’s ‘Truth Decay‘, now a collector’s album in Christian music circles. From his earliest effort Burnett has brought together the insights of his Christian faith, interesting and compelling lyrics, and some of the finest American music – traditional and contemporary – around.
‘Proof Through the Night’ contains a series of vignettes along the line of «A Ridiculous Man» and introspective pieces in the vein of «Poetry» from ‘Trap Door’. «The Murder Weapon», the likely pick for video production, suggests a similarity between the violence and hatred at the heart of the human condition and nuclear holocaust. Beyond the clear a priori connection, the image of a lurking evil capable of much destruction is appropriate in an individual and international sense.
«Fatally Beautiful», «After All These Years», and «Baby Fall Down» provide a triad, perhaps unintentionally, reflecting on women both famous and infamous. Burnett sees them as tragic figures. They are victims of their own beauty, yet they can act beguilingly treacherous. Burnett looks on with resolute sadness – part interest, desire, and compassion; part fear, repulsion, and distance. Maybe these songs say more about the way women are treated by men than it does about women themselves.
«The ’60s», a song about the ’80s, explores the disillusionment of ideals in the passage of time. Attitudes and expressions that once defined new insight and liberation now sound clichéd, oppressive, and regressive. It’s the story of hippies and “love children” who got jobs and families, but have continued using drugs and now subscribe to Playboy. It’s a brave new world, where they “keep all the bad, destroy all the good.”
«Stunned» and «Pressure», two of the LP’s hookiest rockers, express what Burnett must be feeling at his point in his career. The face of success is stunningly vulgar, yet his internal drive, the expectations of the church, and the music world push him on. He looks for some ultimate purpose in life and hopes that love is real.
«Hula Hoop» and «Hefner and Disney» are two novelty pieces that come closest to expressing Burnett’s quirky sense of humor. The former compares the search for fame and fortune with the creation of that fad toy; perhaps it’s fun going in circles, but it holds no ultimate meaning. The latter, a modern fairy tale, exposes two of the “dupes of the wicked king, who wanted to rob the children of their dreams.”
Musically, ‘Proof Through the Night’ is diverse, reflecting ‘Truth Decay’s broad orientation with ‘Trap Door’s ’80s sound. The songs center on gutsy acoustic and electric guitars, intricate rhythms, strong harmonies, and infectious hooks.
Burnett’s band includes drummer Jerry Marotta, bassist David Miner (compatriot since Rolling Thunder), David Mansfield on guitars and even mandolin and violin on the final tracks. Steven Soles, Ry Cooder, Richard Thompson, Mick Ronson, and Pete Townsend make guest appearance. Gratefully, their presence is down-played, adding depth to the tracks rather than detracting attention from the song themselves.
While many Christian musicians are content to assert over and over again “Jesus is the answer” – which, of course, is true – Burnett seems to be asking, “But what’s the question?”.
‘Proof’ is a rich, potent, and enjoyable journey, though it has sad and wary moments. But ordinary? Never. [Quincy Smith-Newcomb, CCM, January 1984]
Proof Through the Night, T-Bone Burnett’s first, and last, full-length release for Warner Bros., is an ambitious take on the state of the union and times, personified by various fallen characters. To some, his persistent morality may come across as being a bit cold or even self-righteous, but further investigation reveals an underlying empathy for the individuals, even if a cynicism for the times in which they live is expressed. And if Burnett may seem tough, don’t think he excludes himself from the same scrutiny. In cuts such as «Pressure» and the record’s best song, «Shut It Tight», he sees himself as “just an ordinary man,” struggling with the same sorts of questions, temptations, and contradictions as, for instance, those of the protagonist in the record’s centerpiece, «The Sixties». Musically, he serves his tales of “beautiful, wealthy, young divorcees,” fallen women, and victims of times where we “keep all the bad, destroy all the good” on a bed of vibrant, guitar-driven rock & roll and folk, even lacing spoken parables such as «Fatally Beautiful», «The Sixties», and «Hefner and Disney» with subtle hooks and enticing nuances and choruses. Like T-Bone Burnett’s other Warner Bros. release, Trap Door, Proof Through the Night is smart, tight, and insightful. Guests include Pete Townsend, Mick Ronson, Richard Thompson, the Williams Brothers, and Ry Cooder. [Brett Hartenbach, AMG]
Despite its being a critical favorite, all T Bone would say about this record is that he made it when he didn’t know how to make records. If that’s so, I hope he never learns, for this raw, loose, unvarnished, greatly varied album remains one of my favorites. The only re-release of this record was on a limited edition Rhino double CD set along with ‘Trap Door‘ and ‘Behind the Trap Door‘. A few songs from this record also made it onto the double CD set ‘20/20‘, but some, like «Hula Hoop» with changed lyrics.
Others have their own favorite records, like ‘Truth Decay‘ with its country rock vibe. I certainly have my favorites on other albums, like «Euromad» and «The Wild Truth», the latter inspired from a line in Chesterton’s book “Orthodoxy”. Not to mention from the Alpha Band albums, some of which, like «Born in Captivity» made it onto ’20/20′.
On hearing this record my first thought was “he’s doing what you can’t do, saying what you can’t say, singing what you can’t sing, and somehow taking some great musicians along for the ride.” In the words of the opening song on side two, (which would make a great single) I was stunned.
Side one opens with «The Murder Weapon»: “There is no escape except to go completely mad/ it doesn’t kill you instantly, it makes you wish it had…”, inspired from the same passage from the biblical book of James as David Edwards’ oft-covered song «The Tongue is a Fire», and driven musically by Mick Ronson. More James inspired songs appeared on the third Alpha Band album. Other great songs include «The Sixties» with Pete Townshend, and the closing number, «Shut it Tight» with Richard Thompson. [Gord Wilson, 2022]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/proof-through-the-night-remastered/1116299444)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “The Murder Weapon” – 4:29
A2. “Fatally Beautiful” – 4:21
A3. “After All These Years” – 3:11
A4. “Baby Fall Down” – 3:00
A5. “The Sixties” – 5:30
Side Two
B1. “Stunned” – 3:50
B2. “Pressure” – 3:30
B3. “Hula Hoop” – 3:13
B4. “When the Night Falls” – 3:54
B5. “Hefner and Disney” – 3:47
B6. “Shut it Tight” – 3:56
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Warner Bros. Records. Re-issued on CD by Rhino Handmade in March 2007, also including the Trap Door and Behind The Trap Door EPs. The double CD was issued in a numbered limited edition of 5,000. Also featuring a cover of the Luke the Drifter (a.k.a Hank Williams) song “Be Careful of Stones That You Throw,” recorded during an early session for the album.
“The Murder Weapon” (MUSIC VIDEO)
CREDITS. Produced by Jeff Eyrich.
Musicians: T Bone Burnett (vocals, guitar), David Mansfield (guitar), David Miner (bass), Jerry Marotta (drums), Ry Cooder (guitar, track B4), Stan Lynch (drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals), Mick Ronson (guitar), Richard Thompson (guitar), Pete Townshend (guitar), Masakuzu Yoshizawa (), The Williams Brothers (vocals).
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