Guitar Town

If the first 10 seconds are any indication of what this is (overproduced cornball country music) I am in for a very long 40 minutes. He's already said "Hey Pretty Baby" as I typed that last sentence. This is only the third album to make me regret my personal rule that I listen to EVERY song*. Hillbilly Highway? Seriously. Do you want more tassels on your sleeves you line dance cliche knobend? There are a couple of more tolerable songs towards the end - a ballad about his kid and an old style rock and roller - but this is relative to the otherwise dreadful stuff either side of it. Avoid * Only broken once, for post 2000 U2. That was for my own mental health.

If all country was like this, you could count me as a country fan.

Good ol country rock shit. My type of vibe on a nice spring day with the wind in your hair. Prob good for a road trip or riding ur motorcycle to clear your head

If you played this album for me and told me it was a parody of country music, I probably would believe you. Its so cornball its like its making fun of itself. The only redemption is that Steve sounds a little bit like Springsteen, but its not enough to get the album to 2 stars. 1/5

I was hoping for some Copperhead Road. But still enjoyed this immensely. Amazingly consistent all the way through, probably close to as good as it gets for newer country music (and this is from the '80's). Added bonus: the songs Spotify played after the album ended were mainly gems, including some Steve Earle (and yes, the first song played was Copperhead Road, so it was almost like it was on the album). Double Bonus: great live cover of Springsteen's "State Trooper". Went on a Steve Earle deep dive after this. Enjoy!

well, it certainly doesn't sound like anything i remember from 1985. i really like how out-of-time it is, in fact.

Top-notch country rock, at turns tender and loud. Always sincere, with the icons of the genre at the fore.

Love Steve, sad about JT still

Well after these 3 amazing records in a row I’m totally expecting Kid Rock next.

better than I thought, never heard of him before - he is country, but not pop nor is it willie nelson - I was pleasantly surprised

Maybe not more than the sum of its cliches, but Earle rides the peak of the Springsteenism wave with such warmth and range that the sum is pretty decent on its own.

Unfairly categorized as country, but this is straight Americana - equal parts folk, country, and rock & roll. One of the best albums of its kind, and Steve is one of the great songwriters of the American experience. Amazing songs. Great record.

Right on the cusp of alt-folk and alt-country. Love it.

Distinctive af

I like country music but modern country just isn't my thing. This was basic, bland. boring and there's nothing here I'd want to hear again.

Off the bat, sounds like Springsteen. Meh...

A great countryrock album. I had not listened to it for quite a couple of years. It is still perfect in every sense.

Just a great album. Great vocals, lyrics and who doesn't love pedal steel guitar

This is good songwriting, and not pandering BS. Music and hooks are catchy. Lyrics are hard hitting, but still are down to earth and relatable. Highlight tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6

A god damn classic. "I got a 2-pack habit and a motel tan" is one of the greatest lines in a song.

LOVE Steve Earle

Liked this! Pretty calming and nice. Solid 4

No. 242/1001 Guitar Town 3/5 Goodbye's All We've Got Left 4/5 Hillbilly Highway 3/5 Good Ol' Boy 3/5 My Old Friend the Blues 3/5 Someday 3/5 Think It Over 3/5 Fearless Heart 4/5 Little Rock N' Roller 3/5 Down The Road 4/5 State Trooper 3/5 Average: 3,27 Not a ground-breaking record. I'm just a sucker for guitar music and this is done pretty well here.

Cheesy country rock. Really Really not my thing. However he hates Trump and has been married 7 times. Not sure that is important but have a ***

It’s corny, but not entirely charmless. A little hard to rate - it’s not something I’ll listen to again, but relative to other country albums, it’s fine. Solidly middle of the road.

Liked this more than I thought I would.

My cousin is a huge Steve Earle fan, but he never really clicked for me - until now. Technically, this is folk-rock, but these are perfectly formed popsongs, the sort of heartbroken ballads that Taylor Swift would launch into the stratosphere 40 years later.

Most excellent. Hadn't heard all of this before.

I met Steve Earle once. There was a guitarist that everyone in the music business knew named Danny Gatton. He made solo music, but also was very well known as a session guitarist on everybody's albums. A virtuosic and beloved guitar player. And then he suddenly died young in 1994 leaving young kids behind. So Steve Earle showed up to create a benefit concert to help pay for his kids' college. And I, a young twenty something with my brother got to wrangle cable for the film crew that made a documentary about it a few feet away from the performances of numerous musicians. It was the first time I had heard of Steve Earle, and it's still my understanding of him. The guy who shows up. A living treasure. This album is no different. We need him now more than ever.

I picked up a used copy of this album on vinyl several years ago, sort of on a whim. I was aware of Steve Earle, mostly because I had seen his son Justin Townes Earle in concert a few years before and liked his music. At the time I held an uninformed opinion that the son’s music was vastly superior to the father’s, and I liked Justin’s singer-songwriter vibe more that I liked country music. What I discovered in Guitar Town was a flavor of country music that I hadn’t quite known yet, and I found it delicious. I love this album. It’s great for many reasons, not the least of which is it’s filled with incredibly well written songs. These aren’t songs about drinkin’ beers on the tailgate of a truck, or putting your boot in someone’s ass. These songs contain stories about many aspects of the human experience, and there’s nothing recycled or phony about it. Even a song with the title “Good Ol Boy (Gettin’ Tough)” is void of cliche, and cliche is the single biggest issue with most modern country music. The music itself is an interesting take on country. The lead guitar on the title track is infectious: it’s simple but doesn’t sound very country to me. Much of it sounds like what would later become “alt-country” from artists like Uncle Tupelo and Sturgill Simpson. One of the album’s best songs is My Old Friend The Blues, which wouldn’t sound country at all without Steve’s mild twang. The biggest takeaway from revisiting this album this time was the song Little Rock ‘n Roller. It hit me that this song is about his son, which had not occurred to me before. Justin passed away since the last time I’d listened to Guitar Town, and this song nearly brought me to tears. What a sweet gift to his son this song was. Justin didn’t have very nice things to say about Steve at the concert that I saw him, and I really hope they made peace before Justin died.

Brilliant. The Bob Dylan of country.

Love it

What a delightfully twangy and old-fashioned sound, while still being perfectly crisply and sharply recorded. I hear shades of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, Chet Atkins, and 80's/90's country artists like Randy Travis, Vince Gill, and Alan Jackson. Production quality is excellent, musicianship is top notch (that pedal steel guitar is wonderful!) and overall just a great album. Five stars.

Actually really nice. Would definitely listen again.

Hell to the yes. Earle is a cornerstone.

I know every song on this album. Except for Mountain with the McCoury Brothers, this is my favorite.

Short, sweet, and to the point with a nice punch. Encompasses everything I enjoy about alt country, the Heartbreakers, and Springsteen.

Guitar Town is one of those songs that is played at every wedding reception ever! What a fantastic tune! Steve Earle is a country rock artist from the 80's. He really gained traction with Guitar Town, then really took off with Copperhead Road. Steve is a staple of the genre, and I am happy to see him represented on this list! Favourite songs: Guitar Town, Someday, Hillbilly Highway, Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough), Think It Over, Fearless Heart, Down the Road Least favourite songs: My Old Friend the Blues 5/5

Didn't know this album or any of the tracks. Pleasant surprise. Great songs.

Outstanding & one of his best.

Lyrics: Steve Earle's lyrical prowess shines through in "Guitar Town." The album's storytelling is a testament to his ability to capture the essence of American life, particularly that of the working class. The lyrics are vivid and evocative, painting pictures of small-town struggles, dreams, and the pursuit of a better life. Earle's narratives are often deeply personal, reflecting his own experiences and observations. His songwriting is rich in detail, offering listeners a glimpse into the lives of the characters he creates. The album's title track, "Guitar Town," encapsulates Earle's skill in crafting narrative-driven songs. It tells the story of a musician navigating the challenges of the music industry and the pursuit of fame. The lyrics convey a sense of restlessness and a desire to break free from the constraints of a mundane existence. Music: Musically, "Guitar Town" is a dynamic fusion of country, rock, and folk influences. Earle's sound is rooted in traditional country music, but he injects it with a rock 'n' roll energy that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. The album features twangy guitar riffs, catchy melodies, and Earle's distinctive vocals, which carry a raw, authentic quality. Tracks like "Goodbye's All We've Got Left" and "Hillbilly Highway" showcase Earle's ability to craft memorable hooks and deliver them with a genuine, unpolished charm. The instrumentation is tight, featuring a mix of acoustic and electric elements that complement Earle's storytelling. Production: Produced by Emory Gordy Jr., "Guitar Town" benefits from a production style that strikes a balance between polished studio work and the earthiness that characterizes Earle's music. The album has a timeless quality, avoiding excessive production flourishes that could have dated it. The clarity of the recordings allows Earle's lyrics to take center stage while maintaining the energy of a live performance. The decision to keep the production relatively straightforward enhances the album's authenticity, aligning with Earle's commitment to storytelling and substance over style. The arrangements serve the songs well, letting the narrative and emotional resonance shine through. Themes: The overarching theme of "Guitar Town" revolves around the pursuit of dreams and the challenges faced by those striving for a better life. Earle's lyrics often explore the tension between the desire for success and the harsh realities of life. Songs like "My Old Friend the Blues" and "Someday" delve into the complexities of relationships and the emotional toll of a transient

Yet another prolific songwriter for this week's listening. Have we had a better full week of albums so far? I'm having trouble keeping up this week because i just wanna keep re-listening! Anyways... This is one of the great Texas Country Albums, which automatically makes it top tier among country albums, because as we all know, Texas Country > nashville/pop country. There really isn't a bad song on this record. It bristles with small-town angst and i love it for it. makes me wanna out the petal down and point it west, with nothing but the wind in my hair and dozens of great hooks to guide my way, so to speak.

1986 was a key year for country. This is one of the key albums. Finally a must listen album. Earles brand of country was harsh, brutal, gentle, raucous and fun.

Galet tunn linje han vandrar men gör det ju strålande.

A perfect blend of songwriting and delivery that brings straight ahead country with a nice blend of 80’s heartland rock.

Steve Earle is terrific - respects the heritage but pushes country into new territory; no facile, cookie cutter country tracks here. And, in any case, Earle is just a fine singer-songwriter.

top

Excepcional! A beautiful and unique album!

Goldschool country. One of the best country albums ive heard

This is such a good album every song is rife with hooks and melodies and singable lyrics. Stories that are relateable with interesting, colourful characters. Themes are familiar; loneliness, boredom, hope, the myth of the American dream. The songs are delivered with simplicity and a rock and roll toughness that shows us what's to come. One of my favorite country albums and deserving of a 5 star rating.

This is a stunning debut album.

As primeiras músicas do disco todas são boas de ouvir. Goog Ol' Boy é muito boa! My Old Friend também.

Good ole boy country I can properly get behind. Sincerely written, masterfully played, limited references to his beer cans and maximum references to his highway chewing 8 cylinder and gheetar.

nice

Maybe it's because I hadn't had a country album after 70 albums on this site. Maybe it's because it's barely half an hour of music and I could start a new album. Maybe it's because it's genuinely good. Maybe - definitely - it's all three. Added.

Love it. I'm not a huge C&W fan but great songwriting is great songwriting.

Guitar town Hillbilly highway Good old friend the blues

I’ve always liked Steve Earle, although haven’t listened to a lot of his music. Time to remedy that a bit… I’ve always been a big fan of truckin’ songs. “Guitar Town” is a really fine specimen of this genre. Steel belts, truck stops, boots and motels? All to a rockin’ country arrangement? Count me in! We’re off to a great start. Clearly Steve Earle knows his hay around a good hook. “Goodbye’s All We Got Left” is such a great sounding song it makes me wish he was breaking up with me. Spoiler alert: at this point I hit add to add this album to my library. It’ll take a real surprising disaster to derail this. “Hillbilly Highway” is a simple but very compelling seemingly autobiographical song about a musician and the choices we make in life. just a straightforward great song. “Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough)” has lyrics as compelling today as in 1986. We are seeing what 35 years of where exacerbating inequality in the land of plenty gets us. Maybe this song should have been a little angrier and more demanding back then... Loved “My Old Friend The Blues.” This song would have come in handy over the last few years. I’m sure it will again soon. “Someday” is another great song about not getting by in America. Again, a perfect sentiment in 1986 that sadly makes me wonder if we will ever progress… “Think It Over” is a sweet little breakup song that you can dance to. “Fearless Heart” is a really sweet love song with very clever lyrics and a great arrangement. Couldn’t ask for more… “Little Rock ‘n’ Roller” is a touching song. Full of those hopes and promises that likely will never quite come true. Sort of a country “Cats in the Cradle”. I’m fine with a little too much sap these days. “Down The Road” is that classic ‘keep on keeping on’ advice to those who can’t find love. A classic ending to a classic country album. What a great debut album! Definitely see why it’s on this list. Listened to it 3 times already and expect it to be in heavy rotation for a while.

perfect "Americana"

This album presaged the coming explosion of alt country and roots rock. Guitar Town is an excellent listen. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-guitar-town-by-steve?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Wonderful artist and album

Loved it. No real A+ songs (which is why it’s a 4 and not a 5) but fun and pop/rock/country feel. Reminded me a little of Tom Petty.

Phenomenal album. Steve Earle is seriously underrated. Glad to see him on here.

Little Rock n roller takes on a whole new meaning after the passing of his son.

While I think I prefer his later work, this album is really good. It slips though the folds of country music and stands apart as something unique

I always say that I'm just not a country fan. Then this generator generates "county" music that I like. I liked this, I liked the singer-songwriter stuff. It did get a little twangy, at times, but I just liked it. I would probably classify this more as Americana a-la Tom Petty than I would full on country. Or maybe I like country more than I thought I did.

A buddy of mine has often called me a "god-damned proper American." I think that means I'm built to like this record, and I do. It doesn't quite do enough for 5 stars but I'll happily go 4. Also he hates Trump which is cool.

Hyyy -haaa cowboy 🤠🤠🤠

I don’t think I’d heard of Steve Earle until I started reading Dorian Lynskey’s 33 Revolutions Per Minute. However, I’ve line danced to “Copperhead Road” countless times in my life, but I just never knew who sang it, or if I did, it never stuck in my memory. Regardless, based on what I know about Steve Earle, I’ve been looking forward to listening to this album, so I hope it lives up to my expectations for it. While this wasn’t a five-star album for me, I still thought it was really good. I’m not terribly familiar with a lot of country music from before 1990, but I’ve enjoyed the few country albums that I’ve listened to that came out before the nineties. This album had a really great ‘honky-tonk’ sound, combined with a few elements of eighties pop music. The guitar playing was great, and I enjoyed Steve Earle’s singing, and I really loved the songs that featured organ playing. I really love when country music uses an organ, so “Guitar Town” and “Goodbye’s All We’ve Got Left” were a couple of my favorite songs on the album. However, the pedal steel guitar on “Fearless Heart” was my favorite part of this album musically. The songwriting on this album was pretty good too, but some of the love songs were a bit drab and unoriginal in my opinion. One of the things that excited me the most about this album was knowing Steve Earle’s political positions, but I was a little bummed that there were only two songs that featured any social commentary. They were good songs, but I would have loved more of them. Maybe I just wanted a conduit for my distaste for Donald Trump and the GOP now that the 2024 election is only a few weeks away. I digress. I really enjoyed the overall sound of this album, and it definitely has a mood that feels pretty distinct to the eighties that I’m struggling to put into words. I guess it feels like it was driven by songwriting and not by some producer trying to sell records, and I think that’s something that’s definitely missing from post 9/11 country music. While I wasn’t blown away by Guitar Town, I still thought it was really good, and I’d be inclined to listen to this album again some day, especially on a road trip.

Nice country album. Highway songs, my kind of music. Love it!

Not the best singer/songwriter of all time - but it’s not a mistake to put his name in the conversation of the top 20. Very solid piece of work

Americana jams.

I expected this to be a redneck delight but was pleasantly surprised. Steve Earle is a fantastic songwriter and genuinely multi-faceted.

Fn country album

Really good, this is the kind of country music I like.

Nice country album

didn’t listen yet but will do

Today is yet another album that I’d never come across before. I wasn’t expecting to like this since Apple Music describes it as country. However, this ended being a jaunty little half hour of fun. It doesn’t go too far into the Wild West, but is still definitely sitting in the country music genre. Perhaps I enjoyed this more than expected because the guitar playing is generally interesting throughout. Either way, I’m happy I came across this. It’s a bit of a gem.

Don't know much about country, but it was really good.

Great revitalization of country music. Still sounds incredible and really fun to listen.

As a general rule, I don't like country music. There are some off-shoots to the genre I don't mind, country-rock, country-folk and alt-country. I first heard about Steve Earle when Guitar Town was first released after reading an article, maybe in Rolling Stone, about the new wave of alternative country artists, Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett and Earle. I bought Guitar Town and I immediately enjoyed it. It was more of a quasi- country, alt-rock sound that wasn't too cheesy or too C & W, but what would be best described now as Americana. It was edgier than regular country that was listenable even to a rocker's ears. Earle has gone on to a varied and interesting career with many fine albums, but it all comes down to good solid songwriting and a great live performer. His first album is an essential debut.

Nice

You can thank Steve Earl, Johnny Cash and the like for propping up my Country stats when it comes to rating records from the 1001 list.

The riff in Guitar Town sounds like it clearly inspired the riff in Chattahooche. That was great. Solid country.

One of my favs. I love Steve's style, sound and mostly his lyrics. He tells the best stories. I put him in the same camp as some of my favorite song writers: John Prine, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Steve Earle feels like a character actor. He's never the main star, but whenever he's on screen, I'm gonna watch it. He's basically Steve Buscemi for country music. I think this album marks a moment in country music, where it "outlaw" country was becoming "alt-country," and exiting the mainstream. The figures of outlaw that we love, continued covering and promoting Steve's music but he never really took off into the mainstream. He just kind of always did his own thing, which is something I love and respect out him as an artist. Even this record, its undeniably a country album. He has blues, roots, folk and even bluegrass. But he also just throws in these weird synths throughout (which arguably are the worst part of the record), but I love that he just wanted to make his own music and celebrate music that inspired him. Which is what this album represents to me. Just good old fashioned songwriting. While this isn't my favorite Steve album, I do think its a building block or elemental album that ultimately pushed the genre forward. And not only for alt-country artists but for the indie folk artists that I spent a lot of time with in the 2000s. Its all connected.

Sehr schönes Album. Überaus gelungene Countrymusik. Der Titeltrack ist fantastisch und geht nicht mehr aus dem Ohr.

Awesome! Reminds me of Bonnie Raitt!

Enjoyed it, especially considering I’m not much of a country fan. Rounding up because of how much Steve Earle supported Bubbles on his sobriety journey.

I've always liked this album, but it sounds a little more corny than I remembered. Still good, though.

Was meaning to listen to Earle’s discography! Good stuff! 3.5

Quite good 80s country rock actually 👍

Confession: I haven’t really listened to Steve Earl. Boy, have I been missing out. This is exactly my kind of country music. No gimmicks, just straight up. His vocals on this album remind me of Ryan Adams, who I suspect listened to some Steve in his youth. The only song on the album that shows its age a bit is the ballad, Little Rock ‘n Roller- due to the dumb synth tones. Other than that, this album totally holds up and I’ll definitely listen again. 4.2.

Twangy guitar tone says it's country, but there's a lot of pop/rock sensibility here. Solid songs, good energy, sort of neo-outlaw attitude. The kind of authentic country that country lovers love. 4.4

Nice and soothing. Good for the soul.

A solid album, the last two cuts not living up to the promise of the previous eight. But fair enough! I will be coming back to this one.

After hearing GUITAR TOWN it isn’t much of a stretch for me to hear a through-line of Country Rock from Hank Williams through Steve Earle straight on through Garth Brooks. One of the more enjoyable Country albums I've heard in the past 4 decades.

Steve Earle pulls off a real magic trick on his debut: make old country sound new by sounding like old country. Doesn’t hurt that he’s an incredibly talented songwriter—something he would put on display in the coming decades, as he became an elder statesman of Alt-outlaw-country. It’s all here on display even in his earliest work: the defiance and the rough edges, the deference to tradition and the polished song-craft, the heartache and the longing. “Guitar Town” is a perfect opener and a true thesis statement. “Hillbilly Highway” is a lonesome story song with a chorus that defies you not to sing along. “Someday” should’ve been a much bigger hit. This record sounds like ‘80s Country revival but it also sounds out-of-time, like it could’ve been made during another decade. Earle would go into explore other folk and rock territory, and he’s a famously opinionated and restless spirit. Still, he should consider one nostalgic look back, and tour this record, playing it from start to finish, because everything he is as an artist is already here.

Country mit Blues-Einschlag, erinnerte mich am Anfang auch ein wenig an Springsteen. Gute Laune ist garantiert. Erstaunlich (für mich) wie Country mich snsprechen kann.

I'm not typically enamored with country but this was an enjoyable country guitar focused album.

“Country rock” sometimes makes me cautious as that can involve a giant tasteless mish-mash of girls-n-trucks songs with 80s guitar solos, but this is a very humble fusion of the two genres’ basics with some great songwriting. Really enjoyed it. Best song: Goodbye’s All We Got Left