Today we begin recording a new record with Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck at the helm. I'm very excited about this project, it's been about four years since Big Station and I feel strong, healthy and ready to pour all I have into this recording.

We have a great band , Kurt Bloch on guitar and John Moen on drums along with Scott, Pete and myself.

I look forward to sharing these songs with all of you. Working title for album is "Burn Something Beautiful" Stay tuned...

Question for AE experts:

I want to explore his catalogue. I started with Real Animal because I'm a huge Chuck Prophet fan and CP is prominent on it. I love the record! Is it representative of his catalogue? Thanks.

It's a good representation of what Escovedo's sound has evolved into... you're probably safe in just working your way backward through the discography, as Big Station and Street Songs Of Love should be right in your wheelhouse.

Re: Smiff's question:

His first three solo albums and the live album that followed are what I cut my teeth on, and I think they are by far his best work. "Classic" material... The usual 2gtrs, bass, and drums augmented with a full-time cello member and various violin guests, string quartets, and keyboard players. Loud electric rock and ruminative acoustic ballads, all filled with pathos from his heartfelt singing and songwriting about love and terrible loss.
Gravity (1993, reissued in 2002 with an excellent bonus disc of a McCabe's concert).
The first one, filled with songs about the death of his wife and recorded with a magical combination of players led by producer Stephen Bruton in Austin.
Thirteen Years (1993, also reissued with a bonus disc)
Like many second albums, the same crew comes up with more of the same stuff, just a little less powerful overall. Still wonderful, though.
With These Hands (1996, reissued 2003 with a bonus disc of 2 short concerts, one electric and one acoustic)
Escovedo and Bruton bring in some ringers to add new dimensions to his sound, including percussion contributions from most of his Escovedo relatives on the
Mexican-American heritage themed title track. Just as strong as Thirteen Years.
More Miles Than Money : Live 1994-96 (released 1998)
concert-recorded songs from a three year span with electric and acoustic presentations. My very first AE record, and a great introduction. Includes a fine
performance of a cover that for many years was a constant in his setlists: I Wanna Be Your Dog. Violin and cello battling 2 raging guitars as one piano note rings out
over and over and the bass feeds back and drummer Hector Muñoz summons his extra arms and legs from the ether to fill the world with drums...
From '98-2002 he put out 2 more studio albums and a limited edition live album on Blue Rose (Germany) before slowing down in the face of health problems.
He still released some CDs in the 2002-2005 period before returning to releasing regular studio albums in '06 with The Boxing Mirror. During the lull, the cello wandered out of his band, seriously weakening the majesty of his music in my ears...
I personally count him as another of the artists who was awesome in the 90s but won't go away now and stop taking my money.