T. Graham Brown's second-highest charting album,
Come as You Were, is also one of his best, displaying a range of styles beyond the country-soul ballads for which he is known. The leadoff track, "Darlene," is unlike any of
Brown's previous hits and deservedly reached number one on the country charts, becoming his third and final chart-topper. The title track, an R&B ballad similar to his first Top Ten hit, "I Tell It Like It Used to Be," reached the Top Ten. "Never Say Never" is the hardest-rocking of all of
Brown's hits, and peaked at a relatively low number 30 on the charts, perhaps indicating that his listeners preferred the ballads. Many of the album tracks are just as good as the hits, from the vaguely Cajun-flavored "You Left the Water Running" to the wistful gem "The Time Machine." Veteran Nashville songwriter
Harlan Howard contributed the song "She's Okay and I'm Okay."
Come as You Were found
Brown approaching the end of his commercial peak, but, regardless of chart rankings, his Capitol albums are remarkably consistent. ~ Greg Adams