Ten Favorite Debut Albums: It Came From Nashville (#10)

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Earlier today, in another countdown, I mentioned what a great debut album I thought the song came from. That got me to thinking about my favorite debut albums. Here are the results of that thinking. Before I begin, let me explain a few things. First, I do not claim these are the "best" (that's subjective); rather, these are ten of my favorite first albums that I keep going back to again and again and again. Secondly, I bought most of these albums when they came out based on the hype or hearing something I liked on the radio, so they impacted me significantly when I bought them and have stayed with me. Oh, and yes, there's one album that is technically not a debut album, but everyone thinks it is (and you probably already know who that's by ). So here we go with the first album on the list. #10: It Came From Nashville - Webb Wilder "Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em." That's the Webb Wilder credo. It has served him well for over 30 years, too. Quite the cult figure on USA Network in the 80s (he did a couple of short films under the title Webb Wilder, Private Eye), Wilder released his first album in 1986 on a small, indie label. Mixing rock, country, and a little psychedelia (he later covered "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night"), It Came From Nashville came out at the time when it should have been a huge success, fitting in perfectly with the "roots rock"/college rock/"cowpunk" music that was enjoying a tremendous following just under the radar. Unfortunately, Wilder never caught on, and remains a cult figure. I saw him a couple of years ago at Puckett's in Nashville, which is a grocery store/restaurant with a stage that holds about 50 people. He does maintain a good following, but he should be much bigger. This album featured a great combination of originals (written or co-written by the producer, R.S. Fields) and covers (ranging from Hank Williams to Steve Forbert), all delivered with great guitar-based rock. Some of the tracks were recorded live, which enabled Wilder's humor to shine ("We have never deliberately enjoyed any association with satanism, the occult, or Jimmy Page's photo collection," Wilder said in introducing his version of Steve Earle's "The Devil's Right Hand"). I still love to play this album. I'm glad I get to see Wilder in small venues, but he really should be much bigger. It Came From Nashville Recorded by Webb Wilder Produced by R.S. Fields Released on Landslide Records, 1986 Favorite cuts: "How Long Can She Last (Going That Fast)," "The Devil's Right Hand," "One Taste of the Bait," "Samson and Delilah's Beauty Shop." Here's the opening song from the album: