Guitar Town

On the plus side it’s only 34 minutes long!

When I first started listening I thought that Spotify had got this album confused with the album by The Woolpackers, novelty celebrity band that was spun off from UK farmers soap opera, Emmerdale. Unfortunately I was wrong. There’s a couple of ok songs, but the rest is just so ‘Country turned up to 11’ that it feels like parody.

Pretty good! Four stars

This is Ok. I am ready to be done with this project. 3 *

Sharp songwriting and a lot of restless energy. It feels like driving with the windows down, even when the stories get heavy. A few tracks blur together, but the attitude carries it.

It's alright

I did not like this because I’m not a guitar strumming hillybilly.

Meh

Little too modern country for me. I'm an old C&W guy. Though I do appreciate his lyrics some.

Far more country than expected. Not terrible.

Not as good as later, more overtly political (and less country) work. But still good.

I mean, he can sing. And that is everything said in this album. Its just overproduced country junk.

I went to guitar town and everyone there knew ya. Country singer song writer. Eh. Not my thing. Skipped most of this record

Still don't like country, and this is not even good country.

The album sounded very American to me, almost like something that could be used in the soundtrack of an old film. I didn’t find it unpleasant at all, but at the same time it didn’t leave a particularly strong impression. Listening while doing other things, it seemed to pass by very quickly. Fearless Heart might be my favorite track.

That was somewhat enjoyable though forgettable. For me, not a must-listen or stand-out. 3/5

Gezellig, maar wel precies een parodie van country zo overdreven da het is.

Steve tastefully blends elements of rock, country, and folk into his strong debut record, which was apparently one of the first country music albums to be recorded digitally. The more you know. Yeah it's a bit cheesy at times, but it was the mid-80s, what do you expect lol. All in all a nice listen - doesn't overstay its welcome at only 35 mins - and makes for a great "driving down the interstate, wind in your hair" kind of record.

Love Heartworn Highways, you can tell his songwriting is generally solid. That being said, this feels like a pretty standard country rock record.

Decent Country album.

Great album Made me feel relaxed

для любителей кантри.

Well at least you get exactly what you bargained for, considering the title, cover and everything. Actually, that’s not quite right: he should also be wearing a cowboy hat.

This album was highly stereotypical country. I didn't hate it, but it also did very little for me. It was acceptable.

I went through a country phase in the late 80s, and the title song sounds vaguely familiar. The artist, however, doesn't ring a bell at all. The album's okay, nothing really stood out.

Perfect for parties in the barn.

i prefer to stay off the ... "hillbilly highway"... and I dont want a pickup truck. No thanks

You already know this is going to be mid based on the title. Typical old country rock. The ballads are okay, the rest of the tracks sound kinda corny.

All sounds the same, and his voice is annoying.

Im very open to almost any genre of music, but god I cannot fucking stand this hokey country music bollocks. I knew immediately from the first song I’d hate this one

I know Steve Earle is popular and widely respected. But c'mon with this album. Every time I think I am being too harsh on country music, I have to listen to something like this and I am reminded I am in no way being harsh on it. This is cookie cutter music to the extreme. Nothing new or interesting musically, and vapid lyrics that push every country music cliche. Over and over again.

Bridging the outlaw country 'heartworn highways' singer-songwriter Austin scene and the more polished 80s heartland rock sound, this is a great bit of Americana - twangy but dark, cynical and jaded, with some great barroom guitar tones and a mix of sad bastard and big and blustery hard driving songs. He's a story-telling lyric-driven song writer, and I don't pay close enough attention to really appreciate what he's doing there.

Yeah it’s country. Lost his job, found a truck, had a cold beer, lost his paw …. Got old fast

Born in the USA with a country twang. Made it 4 songs in, which was 3 further than I expected. OK, but not my thing.

It makes a lot of sense when you learn that Steve Earle spent the first part of his career working as a jobbing songwriter in Nashville. He is a craftsman as much as an artist, his songs are sturdy and reliable. This album leans more into heartland rock and pop than pure country, big emotions, whole chested deliveries and a rich authenticity of voice. This album is packed with bangers but unfortunatley for mine loses a bit of steam in the last couple of tracks. There is a lot to love here though, and Earle as a figure deserves his flowers.

"Country Rock" my ass. Don't try to fool me; it's straight up Country. The title of the album is somewhat relevant, but the quiet, hick guitar gets drowned out by the dreary singing. Lord, help me on this rainy Wednesday morning(this album turns 40 years old tomorrow by the way). Favorite Track: "Guitar Town".

Well that's honky and it's tonky and I don't mind it but it's a bit too honky and tonky for my taste

Not bad but just ok for me - I like country and this is pleasant.

Bland country rock. VERY samey. An annoyance.

The cover looks like it was made on PowerPoint

55/100. Just an okay country record. It is solid, well played, and easy enough to listen to, but it never really jumps out at me. The guitar work is definitely the highlight. Sometimes okay is simply okay.

I did not hate it, but I was surprised at how country it was. A little too twangy for me at points. 3.0.

This generator has already proven I don't like country much. I still gave this a few open-minded listens. I'm feeling the guitar wielding free spirit vibe, and frankly his pen isn't terrible either, I've heard songs written much worse on the genre. A little too commercial for my tastes, without going full pop though. There's appreciation for the talent but not for what's been produced with it. Album art looks like SNL. Hard to take seriously from the get go. 1.8/5

not for me. maybe for you? not for me.

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I am completely unfamiliar with this album How do I feel about this artist? I do not know anything by Steve Earle Favorite song(s)? Down the Road Overall Thoughts: I thought it was kind of cheesy, I like country more when it’s actually saying something of substance. Not a bad listen, but not my thing.

Yea this was cool kinda just ended tho nothing I’ll take home with me 3/5

Nahhhh Not for me, friends. Everything sounds the same to me and I stopped listening after someday.

Think I made solid effort at being open minded but found all of these songs super boring

Steve Earle, you seem like a nice man, but I could not wait for this to end.

2+ Stars (6/15)

not my thing

It’s not my jam, but I get it. Decent writing for sure.

Some country, some Rolling Stones, a lot of beer and quite possibly other substances as well.

Good listen, some excellent songs. Made me want to drink beer with a big hat on

I gave it a chance but I just don't like country music. And this is especially bad

its in times like these that i find the excess of cheesy synthpop and landfill indie extremely bearable. im visibly pissed by this. 2/5

Enjoyable little country folk album. Faves: Guitar Town, Hillbilly Highway, Fearless Heart, Down The Road

Country is my absolute least favorite genre. I gave it 3 tracks, then stopped listening. Didn't want to waste half an hour of my time

I think I'm just incapable of getting into country music (with very few exceptions). This is decent but I can't give it more than 3 stars because it just isn't for me.

No. Generic Country music. Just bad.

Steve walked so Ryan Adams could run for a bit then turn into a drunk philanderer

Did not enjoy. Not a country fan

The Wire's best country singer.

Genuinely my least favourite kind of music, sorry.

He’d get better. For a debut, it’s all right. He’s got that snarly twang locked in and the guitar playing is solid. I like “Hillbilly Highway” more than I probably should.

If I wanted to listen to some hackish country rock fusion ballads from the 80’s, I’d just got listen tonJohn Mellencamp’s “Ain’t Even Done With The Night”. Steve Earl just cycles through all the tropes that sadly validate the blind hate for anything remotely country that users of this list seem to ascribe to, especially on the song “Good Ol Boy”. My favorite track was “Someday”, one of the few that did just enough to keep this from a 1/5 stars

A good mix of country, folk, and bluegrass music. 5 stars or A-.

Maybe it's just because I listened to some Springsteen right before, but this is better than I was expecting. Goodbye's All We Got Left, Good Ol' Boy, Someday and Think It Over are all real solid country songs that blow most modern country out of the water.

There are some albums that aim high and crash. Guitar Town seems to acceptably hit the mark it aimed for. A much more listenable album than most 2s, but just one I can’t quite justify a 3. ——— Steve Earle occupies a weird place in my musical cosmos. I love many of his peers’ and inspirations’ music dearly and I would pick up his memoir in a heartbeat. His portrayal of Waylon in The Wire sincerely evokes people I have met in the rooms, and I know that’s because it’s pulled from his own experience. Importantly, this marks the second (after Elvis Costello) artist I’ve now encountered featured in arguably the musical zenith of the millennium, 30 Rock’s Kidney Now! I feel like Hansel in Zoolander—I’ve never clicked with Earle’s music, but the fact that he’s out there, making it? I really respect that. I find many albums of Earle’s late outlaw country ilk suffer from overproduction. On many (but not all!) tracks, Guitar Town isn’t an exception. I could do without the organ and synth plugging cheerily in the background, even the lap steel seems a bit superfluous. I think I’d like this more with a different, stripped down arrangement. Even the kind of somewhat expansive, but less polished arrangement of Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night would suit these songs much better than the twangy, middle of the road production predominant here. Way too much reverb on the vocals, too. The songs are good, not great, some classic country tearjerkers in goodbyes all we got and my old friend the blues. But the production really drags this down and a lot of the album seems like filler even if there is a cohesiveness that brings it together. Ultimately I don’t dislike it. But were I in the mood to listen to an album like this, I’d pick plenty before Guitar Town. The album hovers between a 2 and a 3, and I don’t know precisely where to come down. There are a few songs I genuinely like—goodbye, the blues, someday—but they aren’t great songs, and the rest of the album feels a bit…there. I still love Steve Earle, but I’m still waiting to love his music.

Goddamn this is some hokey, cheesy sounding country-rock-pop. Neither the music nor lyrics are particularly interesting (there’s an occasional alright guitar line), and I just can’t get down with these vocals. Clear pass for me.

Man, that second to last song got repetitive. I didn't like this album very much.

Yee-nah

Good but average country music. Nothing really stands out, but it's not bad per se either. Just some nice music to play on the background while doing something else, and you'll have a good time. 6 / 10

Typically I don't enjoy country or country-rock. However, I do love folk music and I have a soft spot for outlaw country. A good amount of early country was quite good and retained the essence of its roots. There's still a few artists in this category today; they just don't get played on the radio. Steve Earle is one of the greats from his time. I understand that many will roll their eyes and groan when they hear that country sound, but comparing Steve Earle to these 21st century hacks is a complete disservice. Hilariously, one way you can determine the legitimacy of a country artist is by investigating their politics. Anyways, despite all this defense of Steve Earle, I wasn't exactly blown away by Guitar Town. "Someday" was probably my favorite track, as it felt rather personal and reflects my life as well. Some hits here, some decent writing at points, and the singles are pretty good, but largely an album that won't stick with me in the long run. A worthy addition to this list, and a respectable 3 stars.

This sounds like a parody of a country album. Steve Earle covers all the cliches: curntray twang in the voice, singing about Tennessee and generic love story. It's not the worst album I have listened to from this list, but I won't revisiting.

Guitar Town is the debut studio album from American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released on March 5, 1986. It topped the Billboard country album charts, and the title song reached No. 7 on the country singles chart. Earle was also nominated for two 1987 Grammy Awards, Best Male Country Vocalist and Best Country Song, for the title track.

Good Album, enjoyed it.

Not really anything on it that stood out to me

Fairly ordinary C&W vibe, one or two pleasant tunes.

Country music starts of with a disadvantage when I listen to it, it has to be really special to break through my dislike. This didn't do it

Helt enig

Likes: good guitar playing and tones given the genre, good classic country storytelling and turn-of-phrase songwriting, good energy, some rockers in the track list Dislikes: stereotypical lonesome troubadour energy on some tracks, a little too twangy for me Overall, not bad, just not my jam. You can hear a lot of old and newer country in his sound, almost like a bridge between the classic and millennial eras

This sometimes sounds like a parody of country music, but I think that's more because it was influential to the genre. I much, much prefer this type of country over the post 9/11 country music.

Cowboy punk

3 stars

Really Really like this album

A fine mid-80's country album. It didn't really stand out to me in any way but an easy album to throw on and chill out to nonetheless.

No real complaints from me. Just a solid 80s country album all around. Can feel a little too corny at times but it's all part of the charm. The steel guitar work is great and really stands out.

Decently front-loaded like these newer 80s country albums can be but I really liked the stuff I was fucking with. Steve Earle can be a little scattered but this is pretty focused albeit with the guiding hand of the studio producer hanging over every minute. Earle's later work is definitely more driven by himself. Never knew his hair looked like that... Favorite Tracks: Guitar Town, Hillbilly Highway, Good Ol' Boy (Gettin Tough), Down the Road

Nothing ground breaking but all very well put together 4*

Raznovrsno, u smislu da ima hardcore country i predosadni country, a ja ne znam koji više mrzim pa eto.

A bunch of pretty harmless country rock tunes. I vibe with it, but it’s definitely not something I find particularly exceptional or impressive.

It’s the genre. Just lacks anything resembling originality. Hillbilly Highway? FFS

I really don't like country music, particularly this style of country music. I'm sure there are others that will rate this album higher. To me, even interns of country music this is not that good.

It's not offensive, but it's not interesting either

Not my kind of country

Earle sings like a man who’s been wronged, underestimated, and told “no” one too many times, turning every verse into a steel‑toed stomp on the throat of polite Nashville.

You know, I didnt mind this actually. First track was great, slid off a bit after but not too bad.

A little country cringe 😬 Not necessarily awful and in some parts enjoyable, but if you’ve heard one song, then you’ve heard the rest.

Not my taste. But it's not too bad.

Evidentemente a la gente que recopiló los discos le gustaba mucho el country, ya dos álbumes al hilo me tocaron, pero este realmente no es para mí. Leí a alguien que dijo que si le hubieran dicho que era una parodia de un disco country lo hubiera creído, y es que es verdad, cumple con todos los estereotipos. Hacia el final va mejorando, y hasta le doy un pase a Someday que me pareció buen tema, pegadizo incluso.

Feels like I'm at a karaoke bar somewhere in Alabama. These were all very sing-along-able. Not bad

i like it, it’s good

Country...

If you’re into Honky Tonk, which I am not, this is probably a great album.

Great Songs: Good Songs: Guitar Town, Goodbye's All We've Got Left, Hillbilly Highway, Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough), Little Rock 'n' Roller, Down the Road Mid Songs: My Old Friend The Blues, Someday, Think It Over, Fearless Heart Bad Songs:

Meh

I love a good slide guitar.

Not bad

nah sorry too american for me

Shit

As I listened to this album, I struggled with how to rate it. It's not bad, it just sounds like plain, boiler plate, no frills, 80s country. However, in the spirit of this generator, I remembered that this is supposed to be "1001 albums to listen to before you die", and if I had never listened to this album, I can honestly say that it would not have impacted my life either positively or negatively. As a result, it makes me mad that this seemingly average album is even included with the "1001 best albums" when there are likely many albums that could have been included in its place

I'm pretty sure when I signed up for this, I excluded country, but here it is

Dolorosamente genérico e desinteressante, exatamente o que eu esperava de um disco de country da década de 1980. Os elementos mais voltados pro Rock me parecem forçados e sem graça, e falta nesse disco autenticidade. Tudo é derivativo ao máximo, e nada se destaca. Steve Earle tenta desesperadamente ser Bruce Springsteen nesse álbum, isso é palpável. A voz dele consegue passar às vezes, e há nesse álbum algumas melodias agradáveis, então não é um caso totalmente perdido. É possível tirar um leve proveito destas canções. Mas não muda o fato que eu preferiria estar ouvindo quase qualquer outra coisa, e que já ouvi muito country vastamente superior à este. 2/5

This album is an example of being appreciate something while simultaneously being able to admit that it isn’t my cup of tea. Guitar town is in my opinion a perfect specimen of late 80s country music. Steve Earle lays his heart down on every song, sometimes singing about feelings thag resonate with me today. The song Good Ol’ Boy (gettin tough) is a prime example. Overall I’d give it a four, though there may only be one or two songs I will re-listen, I can appreciate his authenticity and artistry.

For a country album, this one was alright.

Some easy-listening alt-country from the 80s was exactly what my overworked brain needed when I listened to this.

The promise of country perfectly realized, not stomped down into banal, repetitious, smarmy, over-produced shit. Yeah, we're talking about you, Nashville (hah where this was almost surely produced!). Anyway, come for the country, stay for the rock, or vice versa, or throw stupid labels in the trashcan and light them on fire. Then burn the motel down.

I couldn’t get that Osmonds’ track out of my head: I’m a little bit country, I’m a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Very distracting when your head is full of a cheesy ear worm and you’re trying to appreciate something else. I knew of Steve Earle, but I don’t think I’d ever listened to much, if anything. I could hear lots of influences and he was a little bit Springsteen-esque. Decent but not earth-shattering. Sing along with me – he’s a little bit country, he’s a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Is the ear worm stuck in your head now? You’re welcome.

Somehow, Steve Earle has an album full of songs with titles that read like Country cliché and pulls off an impressive set of provocative tunes that sound like they were simultaneously influencing and influenced by contemporary Country artists and pop artists alike (Springsteen and Mellencamp, for starters). I loved it.

I went to see him in 97 or 98 when he was doing his comeback tour (he'd had a very serious drug problem). I knew nothing about the guy, had never heard a lick of a single song, I just knew that the alt-rock dudes liked him, and I was getting into country at the time. He put on a decent show, and I came away liking the cut of his jib, if not ready to do a deep dive into his career. Such was the case here. This album has some really nice moments, though there are a few too many "school/fool" rhymes for my liking and some of the clichés are too much to bear. (At times, he seems to turn the clichés on their head, like on Hillbilly Highway, but only at times.) Anyway, before Wilco, Old 97s, and Whiskeytown, before Uncle Tupelo, even, you had Steve Earle. And he's cool. He's like a cross between Bruce Springsteen, Merle Haggard, and the Replacements. I'll never exactly be a fan, but Country Music is better with him in it.

Loved this. Familiar with some Steve Earle but his motivates me to explore more.

3.5

Album was ok

crazy good???

6/10… country / heartland rock / *1986

Good album, such a good old country sound

That was alright. I knew the name but had never knowingly heard his music. It seems like a good segue to the 80s of real country music where the protagonist is still fighting against the man rather than voting for fascists. I'll listen to more Steve Earle...

Couldn't finish it

Meh, its not my sort of thing. 5/10

I enjoyed this a lot less than I thought I would.

This is why for the longest time I did not like country music

2.5 first listen, it had a decent single in Guitar Town, I think he was looking for his outlaw sound, and kinda got muddled in the flat belly Nashville sound.

Not my style of music. Happy to know it exists, but I will not be going back to this well.

A little to yee yee for me in the winter. Might hit on a boat with some drinks

The trad country stuff was fine, but I preferred songs like "Hillbilly Highway" and "Fearless Heart" that embraced more heavily produced '80s sounds

5.5 / 10

Ja to nawet lubię country, ale nie w takim natężeniu. Jedna-dwie piosenki ok, ale cała płyta takiego hardcore'owego country? Nie. Zdecydowanie nie. Radość przeplatała się u mnie z irytacją. Za dużo country w country. 5.5/10.

I love Steve Earle. I think he's a great songwriter. I dug the Mountain and Copperhead Road. Album is from 87 and sounds like it - the vibe of it kind of reminds me of the Bodeans Outside Looking In (which is way more 80s sounding imo) with better songwriting and better musicians. I actually love that Bodeans album so I don't mean that as a slight. The only dig I have on this album is that it's a bit polished for me, but I like the songs enough to still revisit them.

Steve Earl is among the better modern county artists, especially when he integrates rock and americana. I had never listened to his debut “Guitar Town”, an album that ultimately was important in instigating the alt-country movement that flourished in its wake. Most tracks on the album are well structured, often with theatrical lyrics about everyday American life. Country has always been known for this such storytelling, but Earle does a good job of giving it a modern spin. Instrumentally, the album also features traditional twangy guitars and fast-picked mandolins yielding a distinctly country sound. Again, Earle updates the sound by incorporating elements of rock. One can hear him channeling artists like Springsteen and Petty. Not my jam, but a jam I enjoyed, nonetheless. Although, it not likely to enter my regular rotation.

Nope! Country + folk = Not for me! I won't lie there were a couple pf tracks that were tolerable (Maybe "Good Ol' Boy"). I won't listen again.

Not bad.

I would move to that town for a little while

Quite OK country rock, but i probably won't feel the urge to listen to this again.

I really don't like murican schlager music.

I like the playing but the music could be better

Not bad, but not memorable.

Oh, God. What I see before me is a 1980s country album from somebody I've literally never heard of. It's not completely insufferable, but it's also not great. It's very pop-tinged country, almost foreshadowing modern-day "bro country" but nowhere near as awful. It's okay musically, with decent hooks despite poor lyrics(though not quite as poor as most of what came after it) and an overreliance on pedal steel. It's not quite overproduced enough to descend into bro country terribleness, but it's not exactly a great album.

Meh.

This album makes me want to buy a cowboy hat, move to Nashville and go horse-riding. It's almost a parody of country music, to the point I struggled to take it too seriously. Overall a 2.5/5.

Not my kind of country. Not my kind of jam.

Guitar Town really is not my thing. I am not a big country fan to begin with, and this leans heavily into that sound. At times it almost feels like a caricature of the genre, which makes it even harder for me to connect with. The twang, the themes, the delivery. It just does not land for me. A few tracks feel like second hand Bruce Springsteen, but without the emotional punch or drama that makes that style work so well. There is very little here that grabbed me or made me want to revisit it. The only positive in that sense is that it is a fairly short album. Favourite track: Someday. If I have to choose one, this is the most listenable. Decent lyrics and a solid rhythm, even if it still does not fully win me over. Least favourite track: My Old Friend the Blues. Relentlessly dull and the moment where the album really drags. Album artwork: A genuinely cool cover. Arguably the best thing about the record

Decent Country album

I wouldn't mind living in this so-called guitar town.

A good time. Lots of lyrical echoes of this album in current country.

I recognized these!

That sure is some honky tonk. Hear a lot of influence on the 90s country I enjoyed so much

A master class album filled with every country music cliche.

His voice isn’t particularly impressive. Add that to some generic country music and this is an easy “never again”

You know what, I don’t hate it…?

No thank you. 1/5

Country trash Fave track: Guitar Town

Awwww shucks. 1/5

Not my thing tbh, I can see its appeal on a road trip, but outside of that it doesnt do much for me.

Pretty dull and turgid American road movie country rock. Good ole Boys. I quite like the twangy guita.

Interesante, full guitarra, se deja escuchar, pero ninguna favorita.

No private session used for Spotify, though I should have. I don't like this style of country music. I don't know why this album made this list as it seems so generic and typical of the twangy, mullet wearing, country crap. There might be some meaningful and poignant lyrics here, but I do tend to block out that forced country drawl.

This was a good album. I'm not a country fan, but this was solid.

Not my speed. But ok.

Perfect whiskey drinking late night driving western music

Not bad, but not my favorite style.

I was prepared not to like it but I did. Alan Jackson he's not and that's high praise indeed but I wonder if the accent is real.

It grew on me. Little bit Springsteen, little bit Blues. Liked the guitars, liked it lyrically.

This album is around 38mins too long....

What a beautiful way to end an album.

I don't like country

It is ok at best. It's country, and I would say I don't like country -- but I gave that Lucinda Williams album a 3/5 because it was surprisingly fun and listenable. This one is not great. It's just kinda too...well, country. Also the twang of the guitar is beyond parody. We get it, country has a line of lyrics followed by a really loud steel guitar twang riff but you don't need to make it 10 times louder than the rest of the song and also do it every damn time. Not actively bad so it doesn't get a 1, but it's not great so it doesn't deserve a 3.

Bit too country bit too western, won’t listen again.

I didn't hate this album, but didn't love it either. It's good, but not really great.

I mean, I like him and the music is solid, but could be any one of twenty artists.

Twangy country. Not sure what depth or interest I'm missing but it's fine.

This sounds like the early days of figuring out new country. Songwriting in country hasn't changed much since this, just more mentions of "cold beer" and trucks. I'm not a fan of the machine that is pop country.

I appreciate the twang.

First song great

Poor.

ass

The twangy king of country. The singer is a nice bloke.

Steve Earle doesn't sound like Nashville (despite where it was recorded), but Nashville has been trying to sound like this album for 40 years. None of Earle's contemporaries were as uncompromising as him. He is a hell of a storyteller, a good singer, and heck of a songsmith, just shy of the top of the Americana singer-songwriter pantheon.

Whatever country, really. Not my favorite genre

I laughed at the corny lines, and every song sounded the same.

Heaps of corny country lyrical stereotype boxes ticked, but also a lot in this taken straight from the Springsteen playbook, which gives it a bit more substance than I was expecting. I think the trick to enjoying this one is to not take it quite as seriously as it may have initially been intended.

Pretty good country album, just felt a lot of songs left me wanting more

It’s your good rockin daddy down from Tennesee… cant.

Sorry Steve you seem like a nice guy but country music ain't really my thing.

Hard pass.

Country music is probably the most divisive musical genre. It’s very easy to be snooty about it or just see it as schmaltzy stuff for rednecks and hillbillies, and to be fair there is, as with every other type of music, a lot of dross out there. On the other side of coin, the very best country music taps into authentic America folk traditions and is played with genuine emotion and talent. This album falls somewhere in the middle. I was all prepared to write this off as some sort of parody, judging by the opening title track which leans into the familiar tropes with glee. Indeed, one of the later songs is called ‘Good Ol’ Boy’ without a trace of irony. However, it didn’t take long for Steve Earle to win me over. It’s obvious that he loves the music and the songs, and it’s nicely done without going over the top. On top of that, he seems like a genuinely nice guy - he’s a socialist, pro-choice and anti-death penalty, and he’s not been afraid to criticise the current president, as well as pointing out that the Democrats should do more to engage with working class Americans. Not the world’s greatest country album, but a solid three stars nonetheless.

Not really my taste, but an understandably vital album. Noted as one of the first Country albums to be recorded digitally, it brought the genre to a modern age. "Guitar Town" also heralded the birth of Alt-Country. The current musical landscape would be very different without it.

3.5. surprising

Country music bad

This little rock-'n'-roller good ole boy with a fearless heart is gonna take the hillbilly hiway down to guitar town with my old friend the blues. Hope mr state trooper don't stop me down the road someday. Guess goodbye's all I've got left to say. This album may not be a five, but I'm giving it one anyway because fucking Steve Earl IS a five. 5

To me this kind of just falls into a bit of the like Dwight Yokam, Tom Petty, maybe a little bit of Cougar Melloncamp type feel. I don't know how to differentiate what of the 80's country adjacent music is worth knowing about or legitimate. But I will say that the album carries along pretty well and it finishes with a pretty great live cover of Springsteen's State Trooper.

Had some fun guitar parts. Not the biggest country fan but this was an enjoyable listen

Fine enough, but nothing memorable.

It’s fine but the accent seems forced like in pop country songs. A little trite at times. Well performed and produced.

Not my cup of tea. Definitely country music. But not the worst I've ever heard.

Mid ass country that I ain't fucking with. Give me a better album book.

Such a young Steve Earle. Fun to hear him in his most straightforward country moment, young and hungry but already with a vision. Some great songs, some good ones, some okay ones. Thumbs up

I missed the boat on this (and anything country adjacent, for that matter) in the 80s. There’s something so fresh and refreshing about this album, even almost 40 years later.

Idk. It feels almost fake, these songs are so stereotypical. Very basic guitar work especially for an album called Guitar Town. His voice is nothing special. I actually was expecting to like this a bit from what I had heard about him, but I’m not feeling this at all. I just got to a song called Fearless Heart and it reminds me strongly of Springsteen’s music. I don’t like his stuff much either. But yeah, this guy sounds alot like him, (and Bruce was all over the airwaves in 1986) but with a country twang thrown in.

Guitar Town is not a place I would like to spend a great deal of time. Country music is timeless, isn't it, by which I mean this could easily be from 1956, rather than 1986. People who make it must just be totally immune to the development of anything new that's happening around them. Fair play, I guess. It's like the Amish community of music.

3.5. I love Earle, but enjoy his rougher later career stuff over the commercial country. The Mountain, Copperhead Road, Transcendental Blues, all 4 or 5s. This feels overproduced, but his songwriting is great. “Someday” is an all-time classic. Great artist, glad he’s represented on the list, this just isn’t my go-to album.

Could not make it past the first track

As country as it gets for me. Pleasant enough listening, but not my milieu.

Actually, I quite liked this country album. Is there something wrong with me? Is all the country music I've been listening to starting to have an effect? :-(

This site needs motor alt/outlaw country.

Only listened to part of album. Country rock

Iconic country vocals with some country and rock guitar riffs. I must say I preferred the rock than the country elements. I do love the lyric ‘born in the land of plenty, now there ain’t enough’. Feels apt for current climate. The album shifts from more upbeat to slower jams - track 5 really lowers the mood. Fav track was Little Rock n roller for its story telling lyrics. Not my fav album though on the whole.

I mean this is just kinda my shit

I wish life was this simple. I think ill move out to the country. Think It Over singlehandedly bumped this up to a 4 for me

Enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would

A simple album with great lyrics and even better musicians!

I'm sorry I tried but I can't

A pretty run of the mill country album to me. It was not bad just not always my genre.

(5) Good country music is better, if not best when it’s an authentic look into a cowboy’s heart. This is an authentic look. Steve Earle, John Prine are my favorite roots country artists because they speak so truly in both musicianship and in lyrics. As far as some people think is this cheesy? No. He is a singer songwriter at his earliest. He has lived a bit, and from this bit he draws from. He wrote or cowrote all the songs on this album, so it is original and true to his voice! Is this his best album? No. But it’s a great debut. The title track has been covered by Emmylou Harris, and Shawn Colvin.

Good, but not my thing. 2/5

Nicht country rock

Bored. But whatever.

Totally fine! Very 80s production

Vocals aren't good. too stereotypical twangy country music.

Good album.

Yes, it's pretty awful country and folk rock. During the second song, I couldn't take it anymore and had already heard too much. Terrible. 1/5

Fine I guess

Basique

Rock banal

Sympa, il joue bien et chante bien mais c'est pas transcendant

Ok

Earle is really good at putting the listener where the stories took place. This is an Americana album about a young g man who grew up in a shitty small town and I felt like I was right there watching Steve Earle pumping gas on the side of a dusty interstate road. He’s a great story teller, there are some solid tracks here. Opens strong with the title track right off the hop and Hillbilly Highway is a great rollicking tune about his Dad leaving town for a better life. Good ‘ol Boy is kinda corny but I actually really liked it, it’s a well written dumb country song. I did think I’d like this more overall, while the songwriting and imagery is strong, I felt like it lacked musically. Just sounds a little Nashville studio and lacked punch. Decent listen though 3 stars

Nice country vibe

This isn't a terrible album, but it isn't one I enjoyed. With a name like Guitar Town, I thought there would be some standout guitar, but it was pretty bland. His voice sounds too much like a country version of Elvis Costello, so basically two things I don't love. This is a 2.

First time hearing about Steve Earle and this album and i was pleasantly surprised on how good this was.Hillbilly Highway gave me some Johnny Cash vibes.I love that it was released in 86'.Great production and nothing but boring.A country gem. Favourites: Guitar Town,Goodbye's All We've Got Left,Good Ol'Boy(Gettin' Tough), My Old Friend The Blues,a slower bluesy number that makes his voice shine, Someday,great autobiographical storytelling. Fearless Heart,gave me a bit of Paul Young's Everytime You Go Away vibes.This should have been a single, Little Rock 'N' Roller,builds slowly,a sweet lullaby to his little self.Beautiful. State Trooper (1986/Live At The Park West).wow.Bluesy guitar start with great vocals,gets you from the very beginning! When 80's production meets Country and Blues.Outstanding. 5/5

While Guitar Town catches my ear the rest of the album ends a bit ho hum for me. While I have historically been a fan of country music the ear worms on this album just don't seem to be there. I won't dispute it's impact or that it's a good album. Just doesn't really hold my attention.

If I was a bigger country fan I would’ve enjoyed this thoroughly!

pretty cliche "country rock"

Nettes Gitarrrenalbum für einen gechillten Saturday Afrernoon.

Fine genre music but not a style I like

I really enjoyed this album. Great songs, great voice.

The Good: the lead guitar and the organ sounds were nice and the vocals were fine, if unexceptional. The Bad: A sense of deja vu. I'm sure I have heard this album at least 5 times already on this list. The Ugly: The awful 80s production (especially the heavily reverberated drums). It plain doesn't suit Country music. Anyway, it difficult to see what makes this a stand out country album as there is nothing unique or innovative about it. I'm off to toytown for some pop psych....

I hate that town

Is this real? Or is it country's Spinal Tap moment? Awful if the former and not funny enough if the latter

Why are we listening to another country album that only got a single to #7 when it was released. Whilst we're at it, why is country? Johnny Cash nailed it, and it should have just stopped there.

Now I'm gearing towards the end of the 1001 list, I'd hoped the duds were behind me... but nope, there's always one more to bring out that good olde apathy and indifference... Welcome to Yawnville! 🥱

Det e jo ikke til å komme unna at det e de første tre sangan på det her albumet som sett sæ mest, for min del, men de tre (eller egentlig to, da, æ huske ikke ka spor to hete) e til gjengjeld nok til å bære et helt album på egenhånd, så det jevne sæ ut. Veldig fan, både av de sangan spesifikt og av Steve Earle generelt, sjøl om æ ikke høre så mye på han til vanlig. Men han e jo også faren til Justin Townes Earle, så i så måte e æ særdeles takknemlig for alt han har gjort.

giving this extra stars because this is true heartland music by a woke king. god bless america.

OH HEELLLLLLLL NOOOOOOOO. this is stereotypical country that makes me SCREAM

it's a good album, I haven't listen it all already, but I am enjoying.

Redneck rock

After the first three songs, I knew for sure: I couldn't stand this crap. Actually, I knew after the first one, but I wanted to give the guy a chance. Country is country, no matter how much you tweak and manipulate it. This kind of music is simply awful. Let the Americans and a few weirdos be proud of this garbage; it just makes my toes curl.

interesting how much this sounds like bon jovi

I’m gonna kill myself

I was getting Jimmy Buffet vibes on this one

Very nostalgic

“It’s just classic country imagery”. I didn’t know any of these songs though they all had that familiar vibe.

This is a big one for me, a frequent flyer in the CD player of our Corolla for the first years of my marriage. The production feels dated but the songs still hits like a guardrail. Funny, irreverent and heartbreaking. "Someday" still chokes me up a little at the chorus.

Random observation: “My Old Friend the Blues” sounds similar to the song “Greenville” by Lucinda Williams, which came out several years later. Perhaps she borrowed from it? Check it out. It reinforces a thought I had about this 1986 album — that it was a touchstone for the whole “alt-country” movement (Wilco, Son Volt, The Jayhawks, etc.). I didn’t immediately warm to this, owing to the glossy production sheen, and I wish his backing band had more bite, but on subsequent listening there are a lot of really good songs here. I also read that he toured this album opening alternately for Dwight Yoakam and the Replacements, which is pretty fucking cool.

Like Cher, Steve Earle is a mediocre musician who turned out to be a fantastic actor (Treme, The Wire). This record did nothing for me.

Never heard of him before but I love this type of country music. Great songwriting and love the pedal steel work on it!

Really liked this and not really a country fan, feels like a good listen for when I need to feel something

I owned this on cassette back in college when I went through a big Steve Earle phase. Seems like it's definitely his most straightforward country album which put him on the map before he got steadily weirder and more interesting. I Feel Alright from 1997 should have been on this list instead of this, but this album is super solid.

nonie ghört. erste song dchöni tremolo gitarre. de song isch niiix vsunders. zweite song au die gitarre hä. und er isch hert nöd spannend? little rock n roller en song a sin sohn wo trurig isch well sin papi isch weg well er isch truck driver?? er isch mega en lefty das macht die songs chli besser? so trucker songs vomne rechtw guy wäred chli weird. aso normal aber fänds denn chli ass. down the road au hezig. ich find etz nöd dass das album viel uf dere liste z sueche het aber wells kinda herzig isch gits es 3.

de ahfang isch chli lagerfür-country/folk, es subgenre wo ich NÖD gern han ok nachane wieder meh eifach country HAHAHA kei ahnig wiemmer de nennt aber de DONG bi jedem takt isch soooo 80er hmm bis jz isches eifach megaa ok, aber chli die emotionali komponente fehlt mier meistens? liit vlt auchli ade 80er-production aber han da au z wenig ahnig das han ich sicher auchli s gfühl wegem ziitliche abstand, aber us de jetzige sicht würkts fast scho wiene karikatur vo dere poppige art vo country LOGIIIISCH packt mich s lied woner "SOMEEEDAAAY I'M GONNA LET GO" singt😭😭 was au immer s chline solo uf fearless heart nachem refrain macht, s gaht direkt daa inne daa herz, chli di emotionali response wo ich gsuecht han joo es 3? hanmer es 2 überleit aber es isch teilwiis schono cool I guess?

I don't hate this. It is kinda more southern rock overall than I remember, but I kinda knew it was that from back in the day... I suppose it is poppy enough to be mildly interesting and has a couple of straight up good songs to be sure. I suppose the genre for me kind of holds it back more than it deserves? But it is me and I am sure I "over rate" albums that are more suitable to my style so it is a wash. Anyhow, glad for the recommend as it is worthy and interesting.

lack of instrumental variety, lack of vocal range, superficial lyrics throughout. None of these are inherently bad and prohibit an album from being good, but when your album possesses all three... The most memorable part of this album was also the biggest slap to the face. I felt most songs were upbeat in their instrumentals while the lyrics were often melancholic (which, for me at least, makes for a disjoint listening experience unless done properly). But then the last song (Down the Road) started with a very nice echo-y a cappella that finally set a tone to match the lyrics, but then immediately switched into the most jarring, lighthearted, plucky melody and I felt, for the first and last time, like a fool for expecting something worthwhile out of this album.

I'm a fan of Steve Earle, not familiar with this album but it feels a bit more country than the stuff I am familiar with. Really digging the twang and of course some solid song writing. I pretty great first album but definitely not as good as some of his later stuff. I really need to dig deeper into his library because I enjoyed this album and forgot how much I like him.

If you like generic country music, this might be for you! It wasn’t for me. Top tracks: “Guitar Town,” “My Old Friend the Blues”

--Guitar Song...definitely a country song. --Goodbye's All We Got Left...decent but nothing special --Hillbilly Highway...if you told me this was Weird Al I'd believe you --Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough)...the production of this one makes it sound like a karaoke track --My Old Friends...it's not bad but I'm really not feeling this --Someday...I like this one. goes slightly beyond the generic trappings of previous tracks --Think It Over...'50s throwback --Fearless Heart...the production of this one is a little quirky, at least --Little Rock 'N' Roller...is this a lullaby? I respect the cheese --Down the Road...I like this one. Simple and touching but not in a cringe way like the preceding track

Just another country album, nothing really standing out for me. It isn't bad, there is just nothing special. It is really full of clichés lyrically, which even stood out to me who never really pays much attention to lyrics. 'Hillbilly Highway' could have been a parody song and then I would have said it was a bit too obvious. It just makes it past the minimum mark since it was at least somewhat enjoyable to listen to. 2/5

Very enjoyable album

The last few years have seen me listening to more country. I've largely avoided Steve Earle because I'm not actually a huge fan of Copperhead Road, and country-rock generally, even though I really liked his acting on "The Wire." Is this album a little cheesy? Yep. A bit clichéd? Also yes. I still had a good time. Its rootsy, melodic, lyrically basic, but I think does a good line of straddling that country-lyric line of being simple but evocative. Earle's got a good ear for storytelling, so if you enjoy that part of country there's stuff in here you'll enjoy. There are also elements that sound a bit bluegrass-y to my ear. Mandolin and harmonies that are very in that old school country-ballad tradition. All in all a very solid listen. Lots of fun, 4 stars.

GOAT

More like boring town

A little better than some of the other country albums on the list. Still lacking something that would keep me interested or wanting to listen again. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Good classic guitar-based country music. Very much an influence to bands like My Morning Song. I enjoyed this album a lot.

This is the kind of shit they play on loop in the part of heaven reserved for cousin fuckers. Utter seppo dogshit. Every yank retard complaining about the amount of Brit pop here can go fuck themselves.

basic-ass country

Good songwriting and performances, though the production is a little "90s thin" for me. Great debut but I think there's more depth later in Steve's career.

Dang! It’s country so not my fav. But this one was more listenable than many other albums on the List and I felt like we got a bonus at only 35 minutes run time. Song topics (like as Hillbilly Highway, Good Ol’ Boy, My Old Friend The Blues) and that southern twang put Guitar Town into the “typical country” pigeon hole. Kind of a mashup between Johny Cash and Johny Meloncamp - but not as good as either of them. Although released 40 years ago, sounds like it could have dropped yesterday. That’s country for ya! (2.6*s)

Was this album groundbreaking for country at the time? Not sure what qualifies it for the list. Cookie cutter country but not completely intolerable. "Someday " and "Fearless Heart" stood out, the rest I didn't notice. Don't think I'll remember this one when looking back...1.68 stars.

Not the worst country I've heard but still not something I want to listen to more than once. It has some textbook southern twang and hits enough of the country music tropes where I'm sure there is an audience for it. It's relatively unobtrusive for the most part which is more palatable than a lot of the other country garbage I've been exposed to. I can't fault it too much even if it's not my thing. 1.63 stars

Steve Earle is a GOAT. He is bleeding heart citizen of the world, and he has always been a legendary individual. But I cannot do country. It's not Steve Earle, it's me. This album IS country, if you are into country this is the album you should listen to. There is a reason why he is in the Nashville hall of fame: a singer, a poet, and an author. But in keeping with the "personal" aspect of this project I want to rate this based on my time with the album, and it was not good. 1.5/5

I’m good.

Rootin tootin

yeah it was alright

Tone set with self-titled track to kick things off. Feel that dirt road, guitar in old case on top of torn truck passenger seat fabric, feel

This was great from a genre I don’t normally fw

A middling concept that's executed well: solid production, engaging lyrics, and sufficient enthusiasm to convince me it's worth revisiting.

I can’t stand twang and country in general leaves me cold. I know he’s a respected songwriter, tho it’s often hard for me to really grok lyrics on a first listen. It’s a 2 for me musically, elevated to a 2.5 for some good lyrics I managed to digest.

liked the last song. too country for me though

Not my really my style. State Trooper brings it from 2 to 3 stars

I really enjoyed it. Some tracks were not as strong as the hits but it was a pleasant experience.

Dahora! A guitarra é a estrela desse álbum, bem como o nome diz.