Me and Bobbie McGee technically marks Kris Kristofferson's recording debut. But that collection (originally released in 1970 under the name Kristofferson and rereleased a year later after Janis Joplin hit with what became the title track) feels like an intro to an accomplished songwriter. This 1971 set is, in many ways, the man's opening salvo as a recording artist. Surrounded by a crew of Nashville cats, Kristofferson molds together a 10-song sophomore outing that, while not as hits-laden as its predecessor, is more cohesive. Highlights include two of the songsmith's loveliest ballads ("Loving Her Was Easier" and "When I Loved Her"), an elegy for Joplin ("Epitaph"), and what could stand for the then nascent outlaw nation's national anthem ("The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"). --Steven Stolder