After learning that Sheryl Crow sang back-up on Michael Jackson's "Bad" tour, joined a choir of singers for a Nancy Wilson record, performed a duet with Kenny Loggins on his "Leap of Faith" album, you might come to her debut with a certain set of expectations. And those expectations might have been met if her label had released the ultra-slick debut album she originally recorded with producer Hugh Pagdham. (To give you an idea of that record's slickness and ill-fit to Sheryl's personality, songs from it were later recorded by Celine Dion, Tina Turner, and Wynonna Judd.) But Sheryl scrapped the pop sheen and instead opted for this rough-around-the-edges, downhome collection of country-tinged rock, and we're all the luckier for it.

"Leaving Las Vegas" and "All I Wanna Do" are songs so strong and catchy that they will no doubt live a long and healthy life on various FM stations everywhere; "Strong Enough" is a gorgeously simple ballad that brings to mind early Stevie Nicks, "Can't Cry Anymore" is Southern rock on a par with the Eagles, and "Solidify" rocks with a dark funkiness that must be heard to be believed.

Elsewhere it's her sheer lack of inhibition that's impressive: music lore has it that Michael Jackson's manager, Frank Dileo, came on to Sheryl pretty hard during the tour...and thus "What I Can Do for You" is born, a song sung from the standpoint of a sexual harrasser ("there's no one else on God's green earth can do/what I can do for you"). Then on "The Na-Na Song" she flat out calls him on it, name-dropping him then singing, "maybe if I let him, I'd-a had a hit song." Clearly, any woman who can scrap a completed album and call her sexual harrasser by name is a force to be reckoned with, and the writing and musical chops on this record confirm that fact.

Tuesday Night Music Club is a solid debut effort by Sheryl Crow. Ms. Crow's greatest asset is her strong and expressive voice. She uses it to effectively convey the emotions from her songs. Her songwriting is solid, but sometimes she goes a bit over the top in trying to be deep or relevant. The album opens up with a bluesy "Run Baby Run" and then moves into the best song on the album "Leaving Las Vegas". The song has a chunky beat and the first person lyrics give the song a real personal sense. "Strong Enough" is another great song with Ms. Crow laying down a challenge to a man. "Can't Cry Anymore" has a good riff and "The Na-Na Song" is done in a Dylanesque style. "All I Wanna Do" was the song that made her a star. It has an instantly recognizable guitar riff and a day in the life lyrics that you can't get out of your head. The song went on to win the 1994 Grammy for Record of the Year and established the former Michael Jackson backup singer as a force on the music scene.

This really should have been a "band" album. The majority of the songs are written with heavy weight songwriters (David Baerwald from David & David, the late Kevin Gilbert and producer Bill Bottrell). Sheryl does a credible job and the material is quite good.

She hit her stride (and her second album was truly her solo debut)with The Globe Sessions. Not a bad first effort, but a little wanting in some areas.

Sheryl Crow's "Tuesday Night Music Club", is a unique mix of southwestern guitar sounds combining with rugged yet poppy melodies, creating an exquistite album! This is really one of her best. It's fresh, new, and unprecedented. It lacks all the phoney angst and forced lyricism that many of her contmeporaries have fallen victim to. Crow delivers power filled and soulful vocals which hit the heart of the American sound. The songs are good, relatable, and most of all - real. They are classics in their own right. Catchy little "All I Wanna Do", back up to ballads such as "We Do What we Can" a jazz meets folk playground. The pure musicianship of this album is apparent in every note; it seeps with heart and soul. If you want to experience the roots of the whole Lilith Fair revolution (before it became trendy), get "Tuesday Night Music Club".

A great debut for Sheryl Crow. This album exceeds her next two efforts (although they contain fine music in their own right). The difference is probably the presence of excellent collaborators such as Kevin Gilbert and David Baerwald. One can hear their aural "fingerprints" all over this record, and the songs are better for it. I would like to have heard more Sheryl Crow collaborations with Kevin Gilbert; he was the real deal.