Ten albums I played a lot in 1997

Buddy Miller, Poison Love (Hightone Records)
Lonesome Bob, Things Fall Apart (Checkered Past Records)
Steve Earle, El Corazon (E-Squared/Warner Bros. Records)
Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dangerous Spirits (Rounder Records)
R.B. Morris, Take That Ride (Oh Boy Records)
John Fogerty , Blue Moon Swamp(Warner Bros. Records)
Steve Forbert and the Rough Squirrels, Here's Your Pizza (Paladin Records)
Jamie Hartford, What About Yes (Paladin Records)
Waco Brothers, Do You Think About Me? (Bloodshot Records)
Robbie Fulks, South Mouth (Bloodshot Records)

And five albums coming in 1998 that'll be on this list a year from now
The Mavericks, Trampoline (MCA Records)
Jim Lauderdale, Whisper (RCA Records)
Michael Fracasso, World in a Drop of Water (Bohemia Beat Records)
Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (American Recordings)
The Gourds, Stadium Blitzer (Munich Records)

--Rob Patterson

Rob Patterson is the radio columnist for the Austin American-Statesman and a frequent contributor to the Observer music section who lives in Austin.