Only half-retarded? When did you make this miraculous recovery?
Seriously, I get what you say about "Copperhead Road": I was the same when I listened to it and I mentioned it in the review, which was one of the first in my journal, about two years ago now. It's like it's two albums: side one is heavy, pumping, get-the-****-out-of-my-way rebel country rock, while side two is, well, just a total wimpout.
If you want to hear Earle at his best (if you're still interested) try these: The Hard Way, I feel alright, Transcendental blues and El corazon. And if you want to read more about him I did a full feature on him back in 2011: I know you're a lazy bastard so here's the link to save you from searching...
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1081451