T-BONE BURNETT : BEHIND THE TRAP DOOR

 

  1. Strange Combination
  2. Amnesia And Jealousy (Oh! Lana)
  3. Having A Wonderful Time, Wish You Were Her
  4. The Law Of Average
  5. My Life And The Women Who Lived It (No. 1)
  6. Welcome Home, Mr. Lewis

Label : Demon Records

Release Date : 1984

Length : 24:09

Review (Wikipedia) : Behind the Trap Door features collaborations with Bono, Bob Neuwirth, and Richard Thompson. In the liner notes, Burnett states: "I was just starting to come out of a dark personal time, and was working these things out of my system. My original title was Beneath The Trap Door. That's how it felt." Although the EP is out of print, all the songs were reissued on CD by Rhino Handmade on March 27, 2007. The double CD also includes the Trap Door EP and Proof Through the Night. The double CD was issued in a numbered limited edition of 5,000. A cover of the Hank Williams (as Luke the Drifter) song "Be Careful of Stones That You Throw," recorded during an early session for the album, is also included on the CD. Music critic Brett Hartenbach of Allmusic wrote "Fans of T Bone Burnett's work will find pleasures throughout Behind the Trap Door, although it's by no means an essential piece of his catalog."

Review (AllMusic) : Behind the Trap Door, T-Bone Burnett's fourth recording (his second EP) following the breakup of the Alpha Band, is a varied collection of material that includes collaborations with Bono, Bob Neuwirth, and Richard Thompson. The record, with its stripped-down and decidedly uncommercial sound, along with the inclusion of a soundtrack instrumental and a cut recorded prior to 1980's Truth Decay sessions, has the feel of a career filler for Burnett (he was between major labels). This by no means suggests that Behind the Trap Door is without its charms. The opener, "Strange Combination," is pure Burnett, with its impressionistic spoken lyric over a chunky acoustic guitar and clanging percussion. "Amnesia and Jealousy (Oh! Lana)" and "The Law of Average" are infectious acoustic pop, while the winsome instrumental "Welcome Home, Mr. Lewis," written with Thompson, closes the record nicely. Fans of T-Bone Burnett's work will find pleasures throughout Behind the Trap Door, although it's by no means an essential piece of his catalog.