As good as this album is, it was rendered somewhat obsolete in 1995 when the "Live '88" was given a commercial release.

"Live '88" was the tape Shawn sold at her live shows before she landed a recording contract with Sony. In 1995 it was finally given a CD release on the Plump label.

Eight, of the ten songs on "Steady On" are also on "Live '88" and in each case, the version there is even better than the ones here. Accompanying herself on little more than her guitar the songs are presented in a more intimate manner. Shawn is in fine voice, and there is little of the studio production clutter that sometimes gets in the way on "Steady On."

The one exception to the above rule, is "Another Long One" which does benefit from the percussion production given it here.

So go ahead and get this fine CD, but be sure to also pick up "Live '88." Not only will you get to hear these great songs in an even better setting, you'll get to hear Shawn's breathtaking cover of Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song."

Colvin's lyrics are haunting, touching and visceral - obviously someone who has sounded the depths of the abyss and come through the other side. Reminds me of Etta James' "One Day, One Step" or "A Lover is Forever" - not that the voices are anything alike, just the raw anger and courage and resolve to keep fighting. Of all of my favorite CDs, this is the one that means the most. This is the CD to accompany you when you're getting over losing someone, when your own demons haunt you ("Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche") when you feel so alienated and alone ("Stranded") or when you feel like giving up. In those moments, listen to this album and let her lyrics express exactly what you feel. It's a strange kind of catharsis. Hopefully, you will really appreciate the poetry of a phenomenal lyricist. With lyrics like, "I will raise up my voice into the void, you have left me nowhere to go" or "I was feeling imploded, a wooden smile a wooden heart. Then things exploded like a rocket in the dark" or expressing the period after your love is gone as "the nuclear winter of another love affair". The album has an Austin / Nashville feel, Jon Leventhal did an excellent job - rich, deep and vivid. I cannot imagine that anyone with any real depth of character would not completely identify with this album - it is an anthem. I hope you enjoy it, too.

OK, that's a bit of an exageration, but I love it! This CD is a gem. It's the one that I come back to over and over. And then I listen to it over and over. Not a bad one in the batch. Every time I hear the lines like to The Story I'm amazed. I don't know why, but this verse just amazes me:

Well our father married our mother too young
And he took on a world like a fortunate son
But in the cellar downstairs waiting for the bomb scare
He would hide from us under the kitchen
Where she simmered so soft with her weapons of tin
And like so many suppers she just gave us to him
And he never did guess in her cast iron dress
She was burning beyond recognition

PERFECTION! The title song is strong and determined. The lines: Cause he seemed like a miracle, I ate it up like cereal, but it was something like shrapnel" rank up there with the absolute best descriptions of relationships gone wrong. Shotgun is a marvel of emotional expression. Something To Believe In is tender and touching but not in the least saccharine sweet. Shawn Colvin's delivery is always 100% on the money. The production is great. The instrumentation never outweighs the songs.

On this album Shawn Colvin shows that she is not just another girl with a guitar but an incredible talent. There isn't a bad number on this CD. Highly recommended!

Shawn Colvin has to be one of the best singer/songwriters working right now, but her first album is still her best, in my opinion. I've played this CD so much that it's almost become like a soundtrack to my life. The songs are filled with affirming insights into life experience. While I can't say I love every track ("Another Long One" is probably my least favorite), the overwhelming majority of songs that have resonance and beauty is amazing. Look for "Cry Like an Angel," "Something to Believe in," and especially "Ricochet in Time." This CD only gets better the more you listen!

Althgh I have nearly all of Shawn Colvin's albums & have seen her live twice, this album remains her best work to date. I am a great fan of her sound, music, lyrics - but somehow this album is most identifiable from the first cord. Ms. Colvin is a remarkable artist, poet. There are few artists like her and/or could be compared to her : Jann Arden comes to mind @ the moment. If anyone is curious about Shawn Colvin's music - I HIGHLY recommend this album to be where you shld begin your collection.