The Criminal Under My Own Hat - T Bone Burnett (1992)

Vacation time: I’m on a family road trip, so I’m leveraging my large backlog of un-Substacked blog posts. This one was originally posted Jun 16, 2025. It’s been edited for clarity, spelling, and whether I still feel that way. Go to the original to find lots more music posts and better linking between them.

You have almost certainly heard something that T Bone Burnett has written, played on, or produced. He is a massive figure in the world of Americana and roots music, as well as having a long list of accomplishments as a pop and rock producer, movie soundtrack curator, and solo artist.

Here we have one of his best solo outings. Featured are a wide cast of session guys, bluegrass players, and rock n rollers of multiple generations. The only time that Edgar Meyer played on a record with both Marc Ribot and the guy who played bass on the Doors’ LA Woman? If there’s another record in this category, I’m willing to bet it’s a T Bone record.

Tracks I Liked

Tear This Building Down - adaptation of a african american spiritual also adapted by the Dead. See here for some AI research I commissioned.

It’s Not Too Late - my favorite Burnett song

Criminals - perfectly creepy guitar pop

Every Little Thing - a lament for a destructive relationship