As a general rule, debut albums generally contain some of the artist's best work- and Lyle Lovett's self-titled 1986 album is no exception. Here, Lovett's talent shines in a satisfying combination of country-themed Texas character sketches ("Cowboy Man", "Farther Down The Line", "This Old Porch"); some outstanding ballads ("If I Were the Man You Wanted", "The Waltzing Fool"), a jazz tune (An Acceptable Level of Ecstacy); and some subtly witty lyrics (God Will, Why I Don't Know). The only song that really feels out of place here is the electric-guitar themed "You Can't Resist It", which is not a bad song, really, it just doesn't flow with the album as much as the others do. Nevertheless, Lyle Lovett comes out with both six-guns shooting on this, his first album. He has a true ability for sweeping you away from where ever you may be and plopping you right smack onto an old, weathered porch in Texas, cold lemonade in hand, watching the dust blow across the plains. It's a welcome respite from the daily grind, and that's why this album, along with "Pontiac" and "Joshua Judges Ruth", is a must have for any Lyle Lovett fan.

If you're new to Lovett, listen to "God Will" on this, his first album, to get a sense of what a dry sense of humour really is. Lyle will do it for me every time.

Listen to every track on this album except for "You Can't Resist It", which you should listen to first on his new live release. Then, once you're a Lyle Lovett addict, come back, play his old version version for the first time, and laugh about how your new favorite artist has only one dated song in his whole, incredible repertoire.

'This Old Porch' alone is worth the price of the CD. I grew up 5 miles from that Brazos River (the bottom lands) he sings about, and this song captures the smell of enchiladas, cattle, and an old musty porch with cattle milling about. It's the real thing. Almost every song of the CD is a classic. A must-have for your collection if you are a fan.

What can you say about Lyle, either you love him or not. This is the best I think, more upbeat, would be more complete if they added "Thats right your not from Texas"....

I have only recently discovered Lyle Lovett, having ignored him for far too long, thinking I wouldn't like his country music. But I just saw him in person and was blown away by the beauty of his voice and the poignancy of his songs. More than a "country" singer, Lovett crosses a line that makes him far more versatile than that. The strong, strange features of his face stand in sharp contrast to his soft, lovely, sorrowful voice. This album, his debut, has several songs that touch me: "God Will" (funny, ironic, and sad at the same time), "Further Down the Line" (mournful song of a rodeo cowboy), " This Old Porch" (poignant), and the rousing "Cowboy Man." Every song tells an interesting story. Lovett's sweet sorrow reminds me of Hank Williams. He seems to have been hurt before and wants to express that. He does it well.