Investment

• Tracklisting

'The Investment' is a journey through three decades of songwriting. The title track sets the mission statement -- the singer is headed to New York to make an investment in his music. Steve Key made that journey in 1985, recording for Greenwich Village's Fast Folk label, which led to regional touring and making his first album in 1988. Seven of the tracks on 'The Investment' were recorded in the Boston area 1989-90 and released on a CD called 'New Hope', now out of print. It was his only CD release with full-band arrangements including drums, bass, piano, fiddle, dobro, and harmonies. But Key released four other full-length albums, and 'The Investment' compiles 13 tracks from those CDs. The songs range from funny topical pieces to reflective ballads. Several were recorded by other artists -- Red House Records trio Freyda and the Acoustic Attatude did 'Brother You Never Had'; Pittsburgh's Anne Feeney and Nashville duo Hometown News covered 'Record Time (33, 45, 78)' But the first cover was 'Oat Bran Muffins', recorded by Virginia duo Greg Trafidlo and Laura Pole.