nominated for Best Indigenous Release but lost to Weddings Party Anything's Roaring Days. Steel's debut album, Bitter Street was produced by Graham Bidstrup and released in September 1989. McFarlane observed, "Steel's concise and economical arrangements, narrative style vocal manner drew comparisons with Paul Kelly, albeit in a very positive light." Badgley felt, "most of the songs are well-crafted country/folk/rock, but there is little variety. Steel cannot sustain an entire album on his own... [they] are, for the most part, pretty depressing. Pleasant melodies, but the songs start to sound all the same by the end of the disc." During 1990 to 1991 he fronted the Dave Steel Band with Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey on bass guitar, Wayne Goodwin on fiddle, guitar and keyboards, Peter Howell on bass guitar, Graham Rankin and Dave Sandford on saxophone. He was also a guitarist of pop group, The Whipper Snappers. That line-up provided a cover version of Russell Morris' "Sweet, Sweet Love" (February 1991), which appeared on the various artists' compilation, Used and Recovered By... RRR, in 1993. In 1991, Steel released his second solo album, Angels Never Cry, with Bidstrup producing again. His bandmates, Bailey and Goodwin, were joined in the studio by Michael Barclay on drums, James Black on keyboards, John Brewster on guitar, Peter Bull on keyboards, Mark Dennison on saxophone, Kevin Dubber on trumpet and Charlie McMahon on didgeridoo. The Last Radio, Steel's third album, was released in August 1992. Charles Miranda of The Canberra Times noticed, "he shows why he is a respected writer. As with his past offerings, the recording is a blend of acoustic guitar and rhythm and blues." McFarlane observed, "another well-crafted set of songs competently played... It did little, however to further [his] status as one of this country's most promising singer/guitarists." Also in 1992 Steel formed The Maddisons with Clyde Bramley (ex-the Hitmen, Hoodoo Gurus, Damien Lovelock's Wigworld) on bass guitar, Brent Marks on drums and Wayne Tritton on guitar and lead vocals (both ex-Pressmen). That group released their debut EP, Just Fine, in September with Steel also producing, before they disbanded. 1993-2000s: Solo career and band work In 1993 Steel formed the Dave Steel and the Roadside Prophets with Tritton, Darren Gower on drums and Gerry Kortesgast on bass guitar. They released an album, Cross My Palm in June 1993 and an extended play, Broken English in March 1994. Cross My Palm