Jim Lauderdale's Planet of Love is one of the most auspicious debuts a singer/songwriter could release. While Lauderdale had been on the scene for quite a while hanging on the West Coast — where his actual first album was recorded by Columbia and never released — he spent most of his time (and still does) writing songs for other acts. Planet of Love is one of the first records of the new country. It has modern adult contemporary sensibilities built into its production by the once and future husbands of Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, and John Leventhal, solid country singing from Lauderdale — who was raised in North Carolina — and country songs that are so mercurial they seem to defy the genre. In many ways, Planet of Love is the '90s version (post-cocaine) of outlaw country. It may not fit any one place stylistically, but Crowell and Leventhal had long been pushing at country radio's boundaries, and Planet of Love is truly the first Americana and adult alternative record to land. Reprise had no idea how to market it, and though it sold acceptably and was reviewed very favorably, it was a blip on the screen. That doesn't mean it's not a classic. Lauderdale's songwriting, especially when paired with Leventhal, is flawless: there's enough rock, enough country, enough striking pop hooks, and killer bridges to make any music fan swoon. (It also doesn't hurt that Lauderdale is an amazing vocalist who has sung with the cream of country's crop.) The hard rural edge in Lauderdale's voice is inescapable, but it was in Elvis' too. The ten songs here are interchangeable in terms of excellence but the slick, rockabilly-tinged "Heaven's Flame," and "Maybe" with its Traveling Wilburys' shuffle, are mind blowers to open a record with. Likewise, the honky tonkin' "I Wasn't Fooling Around" has all the marks of being inspired by Faron Young, though it's thoroughly postmodern; but in Lauderdale's voice it could be sung by either George Jones or Bono! The track "Bless Her Heart" proves that he can sing a ballad as well. This is heartbreaking without sentimentality. The emotion in it is one of honesty, confessional shame and spine-breaking regret. (The chorus of backing vocalists that includes Shawn Colvin is also noteworthy.) Emmylou Harris made her first, though certainly not last appearance on a Lauderdale record doing a stunning (what else?) harmony vocal on "The King Of Broken Hearts," echoing both Merle Haggard and Gram Parsons. The last two cuts are the bluesy rocker "What You Don't Know" with a Howlin' Wolf moan at the end of each line in the refrain, and the Everly Brothers-inspired "My Last Request," with a chilling harmony vocal by Crowell. If any record from the 1990s deserves to be reissued, it's this one. It's a masterpiece top to bottom and broke open the floodgates for the Americana format in that decade, while kicking off an eclectic but consistently interesting recording career.

JIM LAUDERDALE
PLANET OF LOVE
(Reprise 26556)
1992
Produced by Rodney Crowell & John Leventhal

John Leventhal - guitar/bass/mandolin/keaboards
Rodney Crowell - ac.guitar
Al Perkins - steel
Tony Garnier, Bob Glaub - bass
Larrie Londin, Dennis McDermott - drums
Glen D. Hardin, Larry Knechtel - piano
Steve Gaboury - organ
Larry Rock Campbell - fiddle
Roger Squitero - conga
Vocals:
Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Milt Grayson, Emmylou Harris,
Catherine Russell, Frank Simms, Jeff Scott Young

1.
HEAVEN'S FLAME
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '89 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

Even when I saw it coming from a million miles away
No one started running don't don't don't get caught in heaven's flame
There's a fire that burns within her how can heaven be her name
Turns the saint to sinner don't don't don't get caught in Hheaven's flame
Heaven's flame heaven's flame
[ guitar ]
Flaming red lips of fire eyes that burn right through
With just a kiss I might expire there's nothing I can do

Well in all of God's creation you will never see the same
This won't be my salvation don't don't don't get caught in heaven's flame
Heaven's flame heaven's flame
Heaven's flame heaven's flame
**********
2.
MAYBE
(Rodney Crowell - Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '90 Coolwell Music, ASCAP / Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

I know how the story ends where everything works out
I got the feeling once again that I can't shake your doubt
Instead of hiding from romance you're gonna have to take a chance

Baby don't say maybe
There'll be no coming back tomorrow baby

I got used to knowing this was more than I deserved
After all this time I find you may have lost your nerve
The voice inside so far away I wanna hide but I hear it say

Baby don't say maybe...

Didn't have to tell me I just know
A bird in hand must fly away so let me go
[ steel - guitar ]
I started late but I'm learning fast
You're the reason this my dream might last

Baby don't say maybe
Don't say no baby just say so my baby
I so certain but your still saying maybe
Yes or no baby just say so not maybe maybe
**********
3.
WAKE UP SCREAMING
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '89 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

Used to sleep through the night peacefully
Not a care in the world got to me
But now I lay me down to sleep I'm afraid of what I might see
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by

Used to feel like a man in control unaware of the storm in my soul
The sight of you took away my breath looked so good scared me half to death
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by

Now is this dream I'm in a room all dressed up just like a groom
Watching shadows dancing on the ledge
When suddenly you then appear you whisper in my ear
And I jump right over the edge

Just a dream that I seem to recall won't you tell me which doctor to call
Tell him please I don't feel too well every night I'm hearing wedding bells
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by
[ guitar ]
I lay there in an ice cold sweat sheets are torn and soaking wet
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by
I wake up screaming when your dream goes by

I'm gonna try and stay up all night long honey just for you
Just for you don't you ever leave me alone
**********
4.
I WASN'T FOOLING AROUND
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '88 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

I wasn't fooling around everything's true that I said
So take me seriously darling please just take me
I wasn't fooling around

Laugh if you want to but I wasn't joking about this love that's real
Is it surprising I'm romanticising about the way I feel

I wasn't playing a game I'm not a kid anymore
I'm not the clown that's just here to amuse you
I wasn't fooling around
[ fiddle - steel ]
Laugh if you want to...

I wasn't fooling around it wasn't like that at all
So take me seriously darling please just take me
I wasn't fooling around I wasn't fooling around
**********
5.
BLESS HER HEART
(Jim Lauderdale)
« © '88 Mighty Nice Music, BMI »

Bless her heart why did she choose me her mind was made to win
Bless her heart she thought she knew me but now she's wrong again

She loved me so much I needed her so bad
When I wasn't looking she gave me all she had
She tells the truth whether she knows it or not

Bless her heart for all the trouble she got in over her head
Bless her heart could have been happy but she chose me instead

She loved me so much...

Bless her heart (bless her heart) bless her (bless her heart)
[ guitar ]
She loved me so much...
Bless her heart (bless her heart) bless her (bless her heart)
Oh bless her heart (bless her heart) bless her (bless her heart)
**********
6.
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '89 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

Where the sidewalk ends and the road begins
We said goodbye on a cold dark night
I'm not afraid to go you bet I'm not
Where the sidewalk ends you left a lot

Some people leave and never come back
Some stay in touch some lose track
Your mind kept saying come on let's go
You started learning what you don't need to know

Where the sidewalk ends and the road begins
I wait for you in the cold dark night
You might come back you had to go
Where the sidewalk ends I'll never know

Run from the future hide from the past
I guess I'll stay here as long as I can last
Whistle's still blowing but the train is gone
Ain't no wheels gonna take me from my home

Where the sidewalk ends and the road begins
We said goodbye on a cold dark night
I'm not afraid to go you bet I'm not
Where the sidewalk ends you left a lot
[ guitar ]
I'm not afraid to go you bet I'm not
Where the sidewalk ends you left a lot

Where the sidewalk ends and the road begins...
Where the sidewalk ends you left a lot
Where the sidewalk ends you left a lot
**********
7.
PLANET OF LOVE
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '89 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

I've found a new planet that only I can see
Just came back to get you let's leave this misery
Nothing can reach us so far from harm's way
Only sunshine and rainbows every day

We've got to get back there hurry up and get your things
The countdown has started go ahead try on these wings
Don't need no spaceship for what I'm thinking of
Didn't I tell you that I'd take you to the planet of love
[ guitar ]
I got tired of losing but now I'm in control
So help me start packing we don't have far to go

I've found a new planet don't revolve around the sun
We'll make a new start there the journey's just begun
Won't get into trouble in our new world so far above
Didn't I tell you that I'd take you to the planet of love
Didn't I tell you that I'd take you to the planet of love
**********
8.
KING OF BROKEN HEARTS
(Jim Lauderdale)
« © '87 Mighty Nice Music, BMI »

The king of broken hearts doesn't ask much from his friends
And he has quite a few of them
They know he'll understand that's just the way it goes

The king of broken hearts doesn't know he's a king
He's trying to forget other things
Like some old chilly scenes he's walking through alone

He talks to angels and the stars start to spin
He thinks of troubles that he's gotten in
He recalls how his heart got broken and how it's still that way

The king of broken hearts is so sad and wise
He can smile while he's crying inside
We know he'll be brave tonight cause he's the king of broken hearts
[ steel ]
He talks to angels and the stars start to spin...

The king of broken hearts thinks that he's an old fool
He's a little bit like me and you
So what's a king like that supposed to do with all that blue time
We know he'll be brave tonight cause he's the king of broken hearts
He's the king of broken hearts
**********
9.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '89 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

Those are the things that nobody tells you those are the things that nobody knows
There is a key but you'll never find it pp to the house where nobody goes

Standing in line down at the station hundreds of men without a home
There are some things that nobody tells you deep in their hearts where nobody goes

Ooh ooh what you don't know
Ooh aoh you'd be surprised by what you don't know

Deep in the night a thousand questions you gotta see right through the dark
You got to hear and not even listen nobody tells you who you are

Ooh ooh what you don't know...

It scares a man when he discovers half of the truth is a part of a lie
A woman knows knows what she loves but those are the things that nobody tries

Ooh ooh what you don't know...
Ooh ooh what you don't know...
**********
10.
MY LAST REQUEST
(Jim Lauderdale - John Leventhal)
« © '90 Mighty Nice Music, BMI / Lev A Tunes, ASCAP »

My last request is playing now
It sounded best when you were around
But now it's so different it just makes me feel blue
My last request will remind me of you

I lose myself in sweet mem'ries of us
But I'll find my way again I know that I must
I give my heart you're not impressed
Now you don't hear this my last request
[ guitar ]
We danced along and you wanted to hear
That this would never end I felt your happy tear

There's no way out I must accept
But play this one slow pick up what's left
When our love was dying and I tried my best
You would not listen to my last request
Now I still hear my last request
**********