Steve Earle - Early Tracks (1987)

This collection of the songs Steve Earle recorded before his full-length debut, Guitar Town, in 1986 is interesting only as a historical document. In fact, there's very little here to predict the eye for detail that would soon emerge. Most of the 14 songs here are rockabilly-like numbers that sound downright generic due to cliched lyrics and tepid playing. Even on songs he'd later rerecord more successfully--most notably "The Devil's Right Hand"--the insights are muted by how far Earle has to go as a singer. This portrait of the artist as a young man is more like a sketch, and none too revealing. --David Cantwell