"I only came to Steve Goodman a couple of years ago when I heard tracks from 'No Big Surprise' played on the radio. I have since chased up everything of his that I can find. While Steve was clearly a terrific songwriter, singer, and guitarist, his music is really much more than the sum of its parts. There is a love of life present in all his music which makes it uniquely moving. Steve could make an emotional journey out of comic songs simply through his own unfettered joy in playing them. (Some of the emotion his music generates is also bound up in the sadness of his too-early death.) This is one of Steve's best albums, and contains the best-ever version of 'The Water is wide', a beautiful traditional number that is often recorded. Buy this, and any other Goodman albums you can get your hands on."
Joyful and Happy to be still alive!
spacenurse | Venice, CA United States | 02/04/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Steve did thid album after losing his hair to Chemotherapy. I stll love it. It has his hits "City of New Orleans" and "You Never Even Call Me by my Name".I often make new friends listen to "Three Legged Man" They love it and laugh. This man knew how to have fun! Listening to ARTISTIC HAIR will bring you joy too!"
Artistic Hair - Steve Goodman
E. McGraw | Roswell, GA United States | 07/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wonderful! A great, folksy introduction to the music of Steve Goodman, as fresh, original and fun as it was back in the late-seventies-early-eighties when I first saw him perform. Right in vogue for all of the next generation who has yet to discover Steve in Mom's old record collection.
I laughed, I cried, I ordered more of his cds. The world lost a great artist when leukemia took Steve almost 20 years ago, and this cd is evidence of his humor, monumental talent, and wry wit. Rock on, Steve, wherever you are."
Great memories
Eric J. Anderson | 06/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I originally had this album on vinyl, then tape, now on CD. I must have played that vinyl down to a smooth platter. The spirit and energy of Stve Goodman really comes through here, from New Orleans to Tico Tico and Water is Wide.This will always be a special collection of music for me."
A hairy, hilarious record!
Eric J. Anderson | Ankeny, Iowa | 04/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I saw Steve Goodman in concert only once, opening for John Prine, a few years before his death, I believe. That experience and this album leads me to believe that his live performances had an additional level of energy that probably wasn't captured fully in his studio recordings.
Suffice it to say that this album is full of enjoyable folk music moments. Particularly when Goodman's humor is on display in his wild scenarios like the Three Legged Man. On the other hand, his version of The Water Is Wide here is spot on target, and heartbreaking. The man could do it all.
This collection is kind of a mish-mash. Some live recordings, some not. There's no unifying theme, just a bunch of good songs. I take one star off for uneven and sometimes quite poor recording quality. Still, it is an excellent collection, and the price isn't too steep. Man, if you can't enjoy this then you are seriously depressed. Get some Prozac, quick!"