Shawn Colvin
Steady On
CBS Records

From The New Music Scene November 1989

"Today is the happiest day of my life...well sort of" shyly gushed Shawn Colvin as she took to the temporary stage set up in CBS Records' New York Branch offices in Rego Park for the party commemorating the release of her CBS debut LP "Steady On."

The night was Tuesday, October 17th, a cool, drizzly night in Queens, and as baseball fans splashed their cars through the puddles on Queens Boulevard past the CBS building to get home to watch Game #3 of the World Series, Colvin was set to unveil her new LP to CBS representatives and a small cross section of the music media. At 8:04 pm, Colvin was introduced to the audience, while in San Francisco, Game #3 of the Series suddenly became the last thing on anyone's mind as the earthquake that would kill nearly 100 rolled through the California landscape.

"I can't believe this has finally happened" said Colvin, not of the quake, but of "Steady On"'s release, "But a friend from Colorado called me to say that she saw me in Tower Records this morning, so I guess it's true!" Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist and close associate John Leventhal, Colvin played six songs from "Steady On" before dedicating her cover of the Talking Heads' "Naive Melody (This Must be the Place)" to all who made the LP possible. After a standing ovation and a half-hour autograph session, Colvin retired to the CBS President's office, curling up in a leather recliner to watch the office television in shock as the Goodyear Blimp provided aerial shots of the fire and destruction from San Francisco.

Born in South Dakota, Colvin, 33, says "Steady On" has been in the making for 15 years, in which time she hadn't found "the right situation" to produce her debut until CBS offered. Moving to Illinois, she developed her solo folk style, before a move to Austin, Texas found her in a country band. Relocating to New York, she became part of the Village's "Fast Folk Musical Revue," all the while gaining a following for her solo show. It was in New York that she also met some influential friends. Leventhal was introduced to Colvin by a friend as "a 29 year-old from Westchester who lives with his parents," Colvin laughs, "first impressions may deceive." Colvin also met up with Suzanne Vega through her part in "Fast Folk."

Colvin's star would rise through her association with Vega, who had Shawn sing background on "Luka," which became a worldwide smash in 1987, giving Colvin experience before a larger audience, as she accompanied Vega on tour to sing background vocals for her. Interestingly, Vega has now returned the favor, lending her vocals to backup Colvin on "Steady On"'s "Diamond in the Rough."

Opening with the inspirational title track, "Steady On" is a bright, shimmery collection of heartfelt songs from an expressive new voice determined to make all who hear take notice. Co-produced by Vega's boardman, Steve Addabo and Leventhal, "Diamond in the Rough" would be an appropriate descripton of the sound, as the sparse instrumentation is delivered beautifully, with the production allowing the music to take on an expansive atmosphere while not interfering with Colvin's lithe vocals. Guests T-Bone Wolk on bass and Bruce Hornsby on Piano compliment Colvin well, but a live drummer throughout the album would have added to the few tracks that relied on drum machines.

Although the theme of songs such as "Stranded," "The Story," and "The Dead of Night" may be bleak in outlook, Colvin's performance gives a sense of strong conviction overcoming hardship in the end. "I grew tired of writing self-pitying country songs and decided to try and write a happy song..." Colvin said of "Cry Like an Angel," "I guess you can tell how far I got!" she laughs. Celebrating her cross-country mobility, "Ricochet in Time" is a semi-autobiographical song that Colvin started writing "very drunk in Berkeley," and finished writing "very sober in New York."

"Shotgun Down the Avalanche," perhaps the strongest cut on the album, showcases the jubilation among turmoil Colvin is so adept at, and proves to be ironic, considering the earthquake on the LP's release date. "Another Long One" is another standout in which Colvin comes to grips with her "well-intentioned spite," singing "If losing sleep were any indication/Of the loving that I've missed/I would wrap myself around you/But how likely can that be when I feel like this." "Steady On," as the lyrics "Like ten miles of a two-lane/On a South Dakota wheat plain/In the middle of a hard rain" suggest, is a beauty amid desolation that one simply cannot turn away from upon being exposed to. It is a surprisingly rich debut offering that should establish Shawn Colvin as a fixture in the music world for years to come. Steady On!

-Doug Mash


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