Rehab Albums

The Wall Street Journal reports how a number of musicians in recovery are finding new success with "rehab albums," some of which feature songs about hitting bottom and personal redemption.

Even in film, last year's movie Crazy Heart was about a boozing country singer, Jeff Bridges' Oscar turn as Bad Blake, whose song writing and life turned around after getting in a 12-step program.

Excerpts from wsj.com:

"Heading into the Grammy Awards Feb. 13, one-time bad boy of rap Eminem has 10 nominations and the top-selling album of 2010, with 3.4 million copies sold. Now 38 years old, Eminem describes his tailspin with lyrics that sound like quotes from group therapy, turning his infamous verbal machine gun on himself: "I'm wallowin,' self-loathin' and hollow. Bottoms up on the pill bottle. Maybe I'll hit my bottom tomorrow," he raps. It may be the biggest album ever to deal explicitly with getting sober.

"The record, called "Recovery," is the latest in a time-honored musical category: the rehab album. Just as drugs and alcohol have fueled much of popular music, so, more quietly, has getting straight. Many artists have flourished, commercially and artistically, after they got clean. Critics who dismissed Eminem's previous album, the aptly titled "Relapse," include the rapper himself, who pronounced it "ehhh" on "Recovery." Eminem declined to comment."

Not mentioned in the article is Alejandro Escovedo's recovery from alcoholism, drugs and Hep C which were followed by the albums Real Animal and Street Songs of Love.  Years before that there were Escovedo's songs like "Put You Down."

You know I just can't put you down
I rub my wounds with alcohol
You know I just can't put you down
I just can't put you down
There ain't a pill that'll cure that pain
But I just can't put you down
Some people say
That money can buy anything
All the drugs to cure the pain
Money can buy anything
Then some people want
All the sin and pleasure in this world
They don't care about the price
They pay for all the sin and pleasure in this world
But I've gotta say
You know I just can't put you down
I don't care how far I fall
You know I just can't put you down
And I don't care if they call back at all
I just can't put you down
All the women can forget my name
You know I just can't put you down
You know I just can't put you down
You know I just can't put you down
You know I just can't put you down