Album Review – Luke Bell’s “The King Is Back”

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photo: Laura E. Partain

Classic Country (#510.1) on the Country DDS.

Legends never die, and good music never goes out of style. Luke Bell knew this instinctively, drawing inspiration directly from the old greats, and mining the past to compose his songs, and the sounds that enveloped them. Making music that sounds like it was from decades before is not always just an exercise in nostalgia or retro hipsterism. It’s an indemnity against the fickleness of current trends. Blue jeans will never go out of style. Neither will the classic country songs of Luke Bell.

Luke Bell is no longer with us, passing away tragically in August of 2022, cutting his opportunity to contribute to the great country music songbook tragically short. But his output wasn’t just relegated to the one self-titled album he released in 2016, which heretofore was the only title you could access through his name on streaming services.

Luke Bell released an album in 2014 called Don’t Mind If I Do that included some of the songs on the self-titled release, but not all. He also participated in numerous full-band studio sessions while still in his prime that got shelved when he started to spiral downward, beset by mental health issues. Come to find out, Luke Bell actually had enough studio recordings to compose a 28-song posthumous release, taking its title from the punchy, foot-stomping cocksure single that’s quintessential Luke Bell called “The King Is Back.”

First and foremost, you can’t think of The King Is Back as your average archival dump of odds and sods left on the cutting house floor after an artist passes, with few if any selections fit for prime time. That assessment is patently false here. With the way Luke Bell recorded live, worked with only the best studio musicians, and was a surprisingly prolific writer, he left a rather incredible treasure trove of music behind that was meant to be released in album form, but never was.

The King Is Back is all quality studio-grade songs. When you saw this thing was stretched to 28 tracks, you just assumed we’d be getting some iPhone scratch track material, or snippets of “song ideas.” The only beef you can bring against this album is why they didn’t split into two or three releases since most all these songs and recordings feel like A-list material, and deserve individual attention. But since Luke is no longer with us, can’t support the music on tour or participate in interviews, perhaps one big release was the most prudent.


Luke Bell wrote every single songs on this album himself. There were no cover songs included on The King Is Back to fill the track list out. Aside from one solitary acoustic song (“On Our Own”), this album is fully formed studio recordings, including some that immediately go into the Luke Bell “Best Of Playlist” like the rousing and twangy “Blue Freightliner,” the essential “The King Is Back,” and the hilarious and entertaining “Orangutang.”

What the album affords the listener is the ability to really understand who Luke Bell the entertainer was. His sound was super classic country, but with strong influences from early rock, inferred in part through his friendship with The Deslondes. Luke Bell loved to present a cocky and confident persona, and play the role of a ladies man. But in many respects, this was the shield he used to hide insecurities, and the emerging personal struggles he was going through.

Though this really goes for all album releases that include physical product, The King Is Back is especially worthy of securing a vinyl copy of since it comes with extended liners notes written by Luke’s mom Carol about Luke’s life and death, some really fun pictures including from Lucks’ boyhood, a portrait by performer Jack Browning, photos by Laura E. Partain and Mike Vanata of Western AF, and important track info. As Carol Bell explains, it’s Luke’s death where he finally found the recognition his music deserved in life.

“Someone had sent me a link to an article about Luke’s death in Saving Country Music, and the news was everywhere,” Luke’s mom Carol says in the liner notes about how Luke’s story went viral upon his death. “I had messages from people I’d never met. I still find the impact Luke had on his music community surprising … Luke, however, always intended to have an impact, and he might have felt like this was a moment he’d worked hard for and earned.”

The King Is Back is not just a dump of posthumous tracks. It’s a complete work of the Luke Bell legacy that feels vital to the country music catalog, completing the picture of Luke Bell the artist, and hopefully, bolstering his legacy that has already outlived him, not dissimilar to other contributors such as Blaze Foley whose lives and careers were also cut short, but live on today as vital as any.

8.2/10

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Purchase The King Is Back from the Luke Bell estate

All proceeds from the album release will support The Luke Bell Memorial Affordable Counseling Program.


Song Information / Comments


All songs written by Luke Bell
Tracks 1-20 produced by Andrija Tokic
Tracks 21-25 produced by Justin Francis
Tracks 26-28 produced by Stephen Daly
Stephen Daly – Guitar on most tracks
Carter Brallier – Bass on all tracks except 1-7 (Dave Spicher)
Ryan Elwell – Drums on most tracks except 1-7 (Jimmy Lester)

1. Rattlesnake Man

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

Luke Bell was the consummate ladies man, and many of his songs embrace this, with all the innuendo that often comes with. The exaggerated echo and saloon piano really put you in a far back time with this track.



2. Don’t Mind If I Do

The title track of the previously-released album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

The reserved delivery of Luke Bell’s vocals, and the slightly imperfect, but endearing yodel featured in this song is the reason it crowned Luke Bell’s 2014 Bandcamp release that was the first introduction to Luke Bell’s magic for many.

3. Long Gone Love

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

A great example of the early rock and roll/Johnny Cash/Sun Records influence that permeates Luke Bell’s music. It also featured Luke Bell’s harmonica playing that was one of the more unheralded features of his music, and appears often on The King Is Back.

4. Cold Stew

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

A Luke Bell character study either into himself or some bar creature he ran into along the way, set to a shuffle that is ideal for wood floor dancing.

5. Daydream Blues

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

6. I’m Not

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

7. Black Crowes

Previously appeared on the 2014 album Don’t Mind If I Do, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville in November of 2013.

Luke’s mom Carol cites this song as one “that suggest(s) that perhaps he’d experienced confusion and loss of connection with himself, and perhaps he’d already suffered episodes of psychosis and/or periods of dissociation.”



8. On Our Own

Originally recorded during the sessions for the 2016 self-titled release at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and December 2014.

This is the only acoustic song on the album that doesn’t feature a backing band, and this feels like an intentional call on Luke Bell’s part. He is accompanied by Casey Driscoll on fiddle who participated in both the Luke Bell sessions, as well as the follow up sessions at the Bomb Shelter.

9. All I’ve Got

Originally recorded during the sessions for the 2016 self-titled release at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and December 2014.

10. Dark House of Fools

Originally recorded during the sessions for the 2016 self-titled release at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and December 2014.

This is an excellently-written song by Luke that is worth slowing down to appreciate the wordplay and poetry of. For those familiar with the works of James Hand, you feel his influence in this song about trying to find solace in a bar and coming up empty.


11. Ready For Love

Originally recorded during the sessions for the 2016 self-titled release at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and December 2014.

12. Horse Flies

Originally recorded during the sessions for the 2016 self-titled release at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and December 2014.

13. Guitar Man

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

14. Hand To Hold

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

15. Blue Freightliner

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015. According to mom Carol, Luke likely wrote this song while living in New Orleans.

This feels like an essential Luke Bell track that really brings out the best in his vocal character and textures. The tension-building bridge chased by the steel guitar solo is masterful composition and production.


16. Hard Time

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

17. Rounder

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

18. Stag

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

19. Roofer’s Blues

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

While living in New Orleans, Luke Bell spent many days working as a roofter, which is likely the inspiration for this song. It comes with that “lived it” feel with the references to the roofing trade, and living in New Orleans and Austin.

20. River

Originally recorded for Luke Bell’s unfinished follow-up album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, October and November 2015.

This is a unique song from Luke Bell in how he sings in hushed, almost whispered tones, while the music is less country, and more swamp pop, or Muscle Shoals with vintage R&B vibes. It’s an interesting change of pace and shows of Luke’s sonic range.

21. Bottom of the Sea

Recorded during the “Tin Dog Sessions” at Ronnie’s Place Studio, Nashville, August 3rd, 2014.

22. The King Is Back

Recorded at Ronnie’s Place Studio, Nashville, February 8th, 2015.

Luke’s mom Carol says it best. “A lot of Luke’s songs feature brave, cocksure characters who are hiding some kind of pain, and I think Luke was writing about himself, even though the songs weren’t always autobiographical.”


23. Irrigator’s Blues

Recorded during the “Tin Dog Sessions” at Ronnie’s Place Studio, Nashville, August 3rd, 2014.

24. Orangutang

Recorded during the “Tin Dog Sessions” at Ronnie’s Place Studio, Nashville, August 3rd, 2014.

Consider this Luke Bell’s stab at doing a Roger Miller song, and pulling it off surprisingly well. Getting the phrasing to line up and singing this song without breaking out into a belly laugh had to be no easy feat, even if Luke made it feel natural and easy.

Carol Bell says this song, “might be about a Wyoming kid who wound up in Nashville, feeling like an ape who just escaped the zoo. The willingness to be silly and ridiculous, for the sake of fun — that’s very much like Luke, too.”


25. Waste of Time

Recorded during the “Tin Dog Sessions” at Ronnie’s Place Studio, Nashville, August 3rd, 2014.

26. Seven and Steady

Recorded at a private residence in Donelson, Tennessee, August 2016.

This song is a great example of the individuality Luke Bell would bring to each one of his songs. There’s great steel guitar on this track, and the hoof clacks make it distinctively Luke.

27. The Party Song

Recorded at a private residence in Donelson, Tennessee, August 2016.

28. Tiger’s Mouth

Recorded at a private residence in Donelson, Tennessee, August 2016.

You can definitely hear the Western, Marty Robbins influence in this song, but the deft writing is not to be overlooked. The guitar playing of Stephen Daly is on point. The King Is Back saves one of its best for last.

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