When Steve Forbert arrived in New York City from his Meridian, Mississippi hometown in 1976, his aim was establishing a lifetime of creating, performing, and recording the songs he'd started writing at age 17 after cutting his teeth as a teen in local rock bands. He slotted seamlessly into the "new folk" revival in such Manhattan clubs as Folk City, The Bitter End, and Kenny's Castaways, yet at the same time took the stage at CBGB, ground zero of the burgeoning punk/new wave movement. He also busked on the streets of Greenwich Village and in the elegant confines of Grand Central Station.

  

He quickly won a major label deal with Nemperor/CBS Records and released his heralded debut, Alive on Arrival, in 1978. His next album, Jackrabbit Slim, won similar acclaim and brought wider renown to Forbert with its worldwide hit "Romeo's Tune." It provided the stature for his troubadour existence, which has kept him active ever since as "a striking performer, very much worth seeing and hearing," according to The New York Times.

 

Steve has released 21 studio albums featuring his songwriting gifts. His live shows are genuinely of the moment, yielding four live album releases on record labels, plus 14 more concert recordings available exclusively on his website. His oeuvre is further rounded out by a tribute album to his fellow Meridian native, country music founding father Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time (nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy award); Steve's 2020 LP of interpretations of favorite songs by other talents that have inspired him, Early Morning Rain; and collections of outtakes and early recordings.

 

Venerable Milwaukee concert promoter Peter Jest perhaps best encapsulated Forbert's creative presence. "His ability to craft songs that capture the essence of the human spirit is nothing short of remarkable. His voice is a beacon of authenticity in a world saturated with noise.”

 

The Things That I See is a remixed and remastered, 10th Anniversary re-release of Forbert's 2015 album Compromised.  Initially released on the Rock Ridge label, it features 11 Forbert originals along with his cover of "Send In The Clowns”.

 

"I have always felt proud of these songs. Remixing the recordings and adding a few touches was in order.”  Byron House was invited to add upright bass to "Send in The Clowns" and "Devil (Here She Comes Now)”.  Rob Clores added piano to "Send In The Clowns", while Aaron Comess added new drums.

 

“As time went by, Compromised became clearly a less than flattering album title. The Things That I See, a phrase borrowed from the last song on the album, makes for a much better moniker.”

 

Steve Greenwell who has produced Forbert's last three albums did the remixing at his Asbury Park studio.  Steve Puntolillo in Freehold, New Jersey did the mastering.

 

“Forbert, like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, has left his unmistakable imprint on the landscape of American music," says American Songwriter. “As with other esteemed creative souls, his work is marked by his own distinctive qualities, and he speaks genuinely to his listeners.”

 

The Things That I See will now be available on vinyl. A new Forbert song, "Ebenezer's Back In Town", will appear on the CD as a bonus track.