Steve Forbert Expands 'Compromised' Album For 10th Anniversary

12-13-2025

(devious planet) Steve Forbert is proud to announce the 10th Anniversary Reissue of his critically acclaimed 2015 album, Compromised. Initially released on the Rock Ridge label, the remixed and remastered collection, newly titled, The Things That I See, features 11 Forbert originals along with a cover of "Send In The Clowns". A new Forbert song, "Ebenezer's Back In Town", will appear on the CD as a bonus track. The Things That I See is now be available on vinyl.

"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.

Steve Greenwell who has produced Forbert's last three albums remixed the album at his Asbury Park studio and Steve Puntolillo mastered. Stream it via Spotify

Forbert is a true American musical treasure, underscored by the new album. Like all his albums, it's saturated with what venerated rock journalist Robert Christgau discerned as his "omnivorously observant" songwriting, marked by Steve's gift for finding the more profound meaning and magic within everyday moments, as well as his abundant melodic and poetic enchantment.

"Like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Forbert 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.

When Steve 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.

Forbert chose his solo approach of voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, accented by foot stomps, to best approximate the melodic fullness and drive of a band. It inevitably caused him to be tagged as one of the numerous "new Dylans" that emerged in the 1970s. "Evoking the young Dylan has become a cliche for artists of this sort," observed The New York Times, "but, in this case, Mr. Forbert deserves the evocation." However, Steve focused on refining his singular musical voice and personality.

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 #11 pop chart 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 20 studio albums, most recently 2024s cricitally acclaimed, Daylight Savings Time. His live show is markedly different and genuinely of the moment. It has yielded four live album releases, 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.