Lone Star State of Mind
Nanci Griffith's MCA debut made some minor concessions to commercial country radio, without sacrificing the integrity of quiet, utterly personal songs. The steel guitar of Lloyd Green and the big drum sound of Russ Kunkel are the most distinctive additions to her "folkabilly." But producer Tony Brown deserves credit for never trying to make Griffith something other than one of the finest songwriters of her generation. "Ford Econoline," her tribute to folk singer Rosalie Sorrels, shows Griffith's deep understanding of the singer/songwriter tradition, a knowledge that sets her apart from peers like Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kathy Mattea.--Roy Kasten