Mississippi-born and raised, Steve Forbert moved in 1976 to New York City. The sparse acoustic format of Alive on Arrival (Epic, 1978) was hailed as yet another "new Dylan", but Forbert's concern for losers and misfits betrayed the influence of the punk generation (and David Sanborn on saxophone added an eccentric touch). The album is largely autobiographical, recording his moral and physical transition from his home state to the metropolis (Goin' Down To Laurel, What Kinda Guy, Big City Cat, Grand Central Station March 18 1977).

Jackrabbit Slim (1979) contains the catchy Romeo's Tune, but is vastly inferior. Little Stevie Orbit (1980) is even worse and Steve Forbert (1982) is a stylistic mess.

After a six-year hiatus, Forbert returned with the better focused Streets of This Town (Geffen, 1988), influenced by Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. The short The American in Me (1991) continued in that vein, and contains You Cannot Win 'Em All and Born Too Late.

After the solo live album Be Here Now (1994), Forbert staged an impressive come-back with Mission of the Crossroad Palms (Paladin, 1995), possibly his best album ever, with It Sure Was Better Back Then and Trouble With Angels. Forbert moved even closer to the alt-country format of the 1970s with Rocking Horse Head (1996), Here's Your Pizza (1997), Evergreen Boy (Koch, 2000).

Young Guitar Days (Relentless, 2001) collects rarities of the early days.