Joe South: A Look Inside (Capitol)

BEFORE HE recorded his first album, Joe South spent years honing down his material — from the age of 15 he had been playing steadily, first as a sideman in Pete Drake's band, then as a solo artist, during which time he had a string of regional hits in his hometown Atlanta, then as a session musician in Nashville, finally as a writer-producer back in Atlanta, where he penned 'Down in the Boondocks', 'Untie Me', 'Hush' and other songs.