This is what happens when some of my old friends are called upon to produce an album.  Jack Saunders and Rick Richards step up to surround Steve Price on his debut release.  Price is an adept writer and the arrangements he and Saunders compose make this more than a run-of-the-mill country folk album.  The production features Price’s smooth and articulate style with well-blended harmonies and nicely choreographed lead breaks.  Steve Price creates a sound that makes you wonder what Townes Van Zandt would have sounded like if he had been ‘bubbly.’  Price is upbeat and aggressive through most of the album, and that’s a good thing.  Townes would have loved these songs, but he would have found some way to sing them with a ‘darker’ hue.  “Leave Me My Illusions” is one such tune.  If this was a 33rpm record, I would suggest that you play this song just once at 16 speed.  Sorry, old hippie habits die hard.  Still the same, it’s clear that Price has a place in the genre that he can solidify easily.  This studio version captures a great deal of the soul and texture of Price’s performance, but I’m certain that a live performance would allow you to enjoy some of his favorite enhancements.  The sultry rolling string work on “The Magic Mandolin” is signature Texas Americana from the Houston market.  Price rightly credits Mike Darnell and the legend, Wrecks Bell, in his liner notes.  Those influences are lightly evident on this disc.  Price has assembled his learned skill on a very fine release.  There are no disappointments here, and Steve Price, despite a late career debut, is going to be around for a long while.  This is an excellent start.

Lucky Boyd
MyTexasMusic.com

“Steve’s excellent lyrics lead you down life’s paths of reckless abandon, somehow adding a little sound advice along the way. One certainty is you know he’s had a broken heart and lived to write about it.” Wrecks Bell, musician and owner, Old Quarter Acoustic Café, Galveston, TX.

“Steve Price has a solid sense of the singer/songwriter tradition. In his songs, he continues the legacy of this heroes: Kristofferson, Shaver, and Van Zandt.” Jack Saunders, musician and owner, White Cat Recording Studio, Houston, TX.

"You've got yourself a very fine album there." Jerry Tubb, Owner and Mastering Engineer, Terra Nova Digital Audio, Austin, Tx.