better live than dead
This album contains mostly all songs from the first two studio albums. The sounds are remarkably fresh and the sound quality is exceptional. I srongly advise purchasing this collection, especially if you're not a Shawn Colvin fan.

Le Bateleur

Shawn Colvin - Live '88
Great companion to all the of Shawn's later works ... not a diamond in the rough but a wee gem.Live '88

Doesn't sound "live"
The tracks are not interrupted with much applause, chatting or announcements. She sounds just as good as her studio work. Great way to round out a Shawn Colvin collection.

"Live '88", "Steady On" Live
I love Shawn Colvin, her sound is fresh, creative and original. Live 88' does not disappoint on any of these counts. However, having listened to Steady on for many years, I thought Live 88' might be the raw version - it is not. This set is polished and very, very similar to the studio recording. If you are a collector or unfamiliar with the Steady On album, Live 88' is well worth having. If you are looking for something new from an old favorite, you will be disappointed.

An unadorned diamond
Most of these songs subsequently appeared on Steady On, but that album's production - too lush and sweet - runs counter to the meaning of these gems. Here we see the other side of the spectrum in terms of production - a woman singing great personal songs accompanied by just her own guitar. These are the best songs that Shawn Colvin ever wrote by far. You'd have to go back to Joni Mitchell in the 1960s before you found anything better than this for this genre of popular music.

Her voice is strong and plaintive, her picking on open tuning gives her a distinctive guitar style, and while I would prefer to have heard these songs done in a studio with a production that matched the mood, this is more than good enough. Very few people can go out on stage accompanied by just themselves and energize an audience. Shawn Colvin is one of those rare birds that can.

It's said that everyone has one good book in them. It may be that similarly most songwriters have one good album's worth of material in them. If so, then this is Shawn Colvin's one good album worth of songs. And it's more than good. It's wonderful.