Affordable Art by Steve (Folk) Goodman (CD, Jan-1988, Red Pajama Records)

For people who are not familiar with Steve Goodman's work, "Affordable Art" is the perfect place to begin. This album contains outstanding samples of Goodman's diverse musical styles and songwriting: the comical ("Vegematic" and "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request," which many argue was the funniest thing he ever wrote), the serious ("When My Rowboat Comes In," about his long battle with leukemia), and the inexplicable ("Talk Backwards," which is exactly what the title implies, and "Watching Joey Glow," which Goodman once described as "about a post-nuclear nuclear family"). There's blues ("Grand Canyon Song"), soft ballads (the marvelous "California Promises"), rock ("How Much Tequila (Did I Drink Last Night)"), and a strong nod to his folk roots (a cover of John Prine's "Souvenirs," complete with Prine on duet vocals). The incredible Jethro Burns is featured on "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and is honored in the instrumental "If Jethro Were Here." In addition to the marvelous music, Goodman's great sense of humor is in full display on the cover: the man nicknamed "Chicago Shorty" because of his height (or lack thereof) is seen posed amid lawn statues as if he were a lawn jockey.

Sadly, this was the last album released in Goodman's lifetime. The follow-up, "Santa Ana Winds," was shipped to stores the day after Goodman finally succumbed to complications of the leukemia he bravely fought for a decade and a half. But Goodman's story and legacy is not in his death, but rather in his life and the exceptional music he created in spite of a fatal time bomb ticking inside his body. This album will not make you feel sad over Goodman's tragically early death but rather joyous that he lived a full life while creating some of the best music in American folk/country music history.