This review pertains to the 2016 MCA Nashville vinyl re-issue of Steve Earl’s 1986 debut LP “Guitar Town” (and somewhat to Lyle Lovett’s yet-to-be re-issued self-titled debut album from that same year; see photo).

For some reason, I’ll always think of these two albums together… They both came out at the same time, on the same label, shared the same Producer (Tony Brown) and in MANY WAYS represent different sides of the same Texas Musical coin. Their styles, execution and the genres that they pay tribute to are completely different… and yet…

IMHO, Earl’s was one of the most astonishing debut LP’s I think I ever heard: The compositions, vocals, instrumentation and arrangements were all delivered in an economical, straightforward production. Each track functioned on it’s own, yet the entire album has a subtle cohesiveness: Addressing life on the road, frustrations with being stuck in a nowhere situation, good ‘ole boys getting into mischief yet also sensing (very subtlety) their own mortality.

And it all lasts just long enough - clocking in at a tidy 34 minutes. The overall length of an LP - along with the notion of a Side 1 and a Side 2 - were hallmarks of vinyl records: There was only a certain amount of room on those pieces of plastic and every track had to count.

Lovett’s debut album permeates and penetrates many facets of Texas music, with nods to Western Swing, honky-tonk, and contemporary (at least for then-1986) modern cowboy-style themes.

And for as limiting as you think his vocals might be on a first hearing, his is a multi-faceted instrument that could ONLY have come from Texas. His voice can be warm, funny, and touching… but the final track, “Closing Time” (kinda his thematic version of “Piano Man”, and certainly born of personal experiences) reveals a starkness as lonesome as the West Texas wind.

Taken together, these two very different yet somewhat related records paint a comprehensive canvas of Texas Music - at least as it was in 1986… Which leads me to this end note: I’m not understanding a lot of what passes for “county” today…