It Sure Looked Good On Paper: The Steve Goodman Demos
Omnivore, 2021
9/10
Listen to It Sure Looked Good On Paper: The Steve Goodman Demos
The Omnivore label continues their documentation of the legendary songwriter Steve Goodman with a peek at his in studio work, where solo and band demos are spread across 20 previously unreleased tracks.
Of the band demos, “City Of New Orleans” leads the listen with Goodman’s inimitable and charming singing alongside his timeless folk and country appeal that John Denver and Arlo Guthrie embraced. Elsewhere, “Climb The Hills To Dale” is tinted with melancholy in its poetic presence, and “Eight Ball Blues” unfolds with a very cozy, frisky delivery and sharp, wise wordplay.
The solo recordings are some of the best, including the fascinating guitar picking of “Turnpike Tom”, where Goodman’s breezy vocals are quite inviting, while the cautious guitar playing of “Song For David” aligns with the emotive singing. Near to the end, the talk/singing of “It Sure Looked Good On Paper” sure has aged well in its bare playfulness, and “The Water Is Wide” exits with 6+ minutes of Goodman doing what he did best- playing honest, raw and universally relatable tunes.
Goodman passed away in 1984 at just 36 years old from leukemia. He left behind a large body of work, and there’s been many posthumous releases as well. Certainly one of the best collections of his songs, the packaging here includes liner notes from Lee Zimmerman and photos from Goodman’s family archives to help further document one of the most revered songwriters of the last 50 years.
Travels well with: Todd Snider- Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3; Dwight Yoakam- 21st Century Hits