Starting Now (River North, 1995)

Rob Crosby released a couple of CDs on the Arista label in the early '90's which drew favorable critical comparison to James Taylor and other sensitive singer-songwriters of that ilk. Radio, not having a box Crosby comfortably fit into, manly ignored him. Crosby's back after spending the last few years further honing songwriting skills (he's written for Lee Greenwood, Restless Heart and wrote or co-wrote 9 of the 10 songs here. ) The message he seems to be sending is he's willing to compromise. "The Trouble With Love" and "I've Got Just the Heart" are radio-friendly ditties you can sing along with the first time you hear them. (In fact, it's almost impossible not to.)

For displaced rock-and-rollers, "Gettin' Out of Dodge" will evoke early Springsteen or Bob Seger. Fortunately, in his efforts to appeal to a broader audience, Crosby did not forsake his ability to turn a clever phrase like "I got callouses on my knees, and I'm hoarse from begging please, please, please. I keep fallin' in and crawlin' out of love" (from "Fallin' In and Crawlin' Out"). Unfortunately, radio still might have a bit of a problem with Crosby as he's not Playgirl-model good-looking or a hat-wearing recording studio cowboy.