Back in the 70s, the music was filled with clever singer/songwriters like Steve Goodman. Like wry observers of life like Loudon Wainwright and John Prine, Goodman wrote and sang with clarity, sincerity and humor, with this “Best Of” being a collection of his prime material from a wide variety of sources, including demo and concert works.
His anthem “City Of New Orleans” is from a solo demo tape, and there are some concert cuts to show how well he could work a crowd as on “Chicken Cordon Bleus” and the North Side special “A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request” teamed with “Go Cubs Go”. There’s a ton of fun material such as “Lincoln Park Pirates” and the hoot of “Talk Backwards” and “Vegematic” with the ideas coming quicker than a Wack-A-Mole. When did music cease being both entertaining and thoughtful?