Search - Steve Forbert :: Young, Guitar Days

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME ---------

craig_paul | Pittsburgh, PA | 03/21/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"............Steve Forbert sings on the first track of Young, Guitar Days. It certainly has. It's been a long time, nearly a quarter century, since Forbert released Alive On Arrival, the critically acclaimed debut album that made him the toast of New York. It's been a long time since "Romeo's Tune," from Forbert's second release, ran up the charts into the Top 20. It's been a long time since Steve's third and fourth albums - fine recordings, just not up to the standard Forbert had set with the first two - were panned by the critics. It's also been a long, long, time that Forbert has been writing great songs and turning out great projects. Sadly, it's been a long time since anyone seemed to realize this. I'll admit I'm biased. I've been a fan of Forbert's music since the start, and feel he's possibly the most under - appreciated songwriter of his generation. Other loyal fans will be thrilled with the release of Young, Guitar Days, ostensibly a collection of songs penned and recorded between 1978 and 1981, out takes if you will, from Steve's first four albums. Forbert explained at a recent concert that these tracks were not included back then, due to the "limitations of vinyl." What is served up here is over 70 minutes of skillfully crafted music, a must - have, even for those who are only vaguely familiar with Forbert's work. Those who, like myself, have followed the career of this gifted musician, may agree that, in terms of quantity, quality, and diversity, Young, Guitar Days is surpassed only by the aforementioned debut release. Yes - it's that good.The listener will find lingering traces of Forbert's take on life in the big city (the tear - jerking "Thirty Thousand Men" being the best example). "House of Cards," which, in Forbert's words, could have been a page from his diary, speaks of lost innocence, the story line wrapped around the death of Elvis, "the hillbilly singer who conquered the world." "Oh, Camille," is an intensely personal tune, which Forbert says was written by candlelight during the NYC blackout - "It's electricity, it's blowing into me, I am at home in here, These blues are right for me." "Smoky Windows," one of the darker songs in the Forbert catalog, both sonically and lyrically, finds the songwriter viewing the past and the future in a moody dream state. "One Short Year Gone By" could well have been written (although it obviously wasn't) after Forbert's fabled standoffs with record company suits - "Made a lot of stupid moves, I've always got some point to prove, I ain't exactly all that nice, I gotta do it my way." Perhaps it was merely a self - fulfilling prophecy. "Get That Vagabond Feeling" is another song that may have been a portent of things to come, as Forbert has spent much of his career touring. "Get that vagabond feeling, Get it on the road, Get it like Bo Diddley does, and get it like Tom Joad." One gets the notion that he couldn't live any other way.There are light moments as well. A live cover of Jimmy Rodgers' "In The Jailhouse Now" is a treat. The only other non - Forbert track is a superb rendition of the Mort Shuman / Doc Pomus (to whose memory the album is dedicated) tune, "Suspicion."The release of this collection begs the question "What If?" What if "Song For The South" had been released just before or after "Romeo's Tune?" Classic Forbert, it has "pop hit" written all over it. The same with "Poor Boy" and "It's Been a Long Time." Who knows? After listening to Young, Guitar Days, a friend (and fellow Forbert fan) gave me his assessment - Even if these songs had been released when they were originally recorded, Forbert still would never have become a household name. I agree. If it makes any sense, he's just too good to be popular. John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Warren Zevon, among others, share the same curse. My friend went on to say that Forbert's loss is our gain. Had he received the recognition he deserves, we wouldn't be able to sit in the front row in an intimate club setting and watch him perform. Folk, Rock, Country, Blues - call it what you will. No matter how this recording may be categorized, the mix produces a resounding triumph. Yes, It's been a long time since we've experienced such enthusiastic, brooding, laughing, smirking, downright incredible talent wrapped up in a recording. It will be a long time before we see it again. Or at least until the next Steve Forbert album is released."

If these are the outakes......

David Kinney | San Francisco, Ca. United States | 05/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't think of a single song I'd want replaced on Steve Forbert's brilliant debut album "Alive On Arrival", but I could dang sure plug any number of the songs on this outake collection throughout his next three releases. What an incredible supply of great songs the man must have had stored up in his early days to allow for a release of this magnitude now. The young, precocious Steve Forbert was a virtual font of great sounding, heartfelt tunes about a small town boy in the great big city.Hand picked by Steve himself, this generous 20 song CD deserves the attention of both his recent fans, and of course, all the Forbert die hards to whom he has given so much pleasure over the years. "Planet Earth Song", "Smoky Windows", and "Thirty Thousand Men" are great songs that deserve to stand proudly in the Steve Forbert canon. Do I sound like I like this CD enough? It's great! He's great! And I see there's a live CD on the horizon too. Forbert fans and all who like folk/rock/country blues/singer songwriting etc. etc. ,well, this is the guy, and this is a terrific example of why."

Unsung Hero

themuffingirl | Baden, PA United States | 04/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It amazes me that this excellent CD is made from castoffs from Forbert's earliest work due to "vinyl limitations". I have been listening to this CD in the car almost non-stop for the last two weeks. Young Guitar Days makes other CDs and radio tunes seem banal and uninspired. Unfortunately, if you are like most people, Steve Forbert is the best singer-songwriter you've never heard of. Now isn't that a shame."