Saturday, February 27, 2010

Country for Garage Punkers #2: James Mc Murtry

I gotta blame Stephen King for this one. I picked it up after he raved about it in a column he wrote for Entertainment Weekly. It's been on my mind ever since. The political statements, the working class ethos, and the passion carry this live album all the way through. It's the kind of work that I would have loved to play for Joe Strummer and heard what he thought about it.
Musically the album runs from ballad feeling folk songs Lights of Cheyenne to more up tempo western swing numbers like Choctaw Bingo -- which happen to be my favorite tracks on the album, along with Too Long in the Wasteland and Levelland. I have checked out McMurtry's studio albums and they have some great stuff, but there is just something about the live recording that raises above what he's been able to do in the studio.
Here is the track listing and links to the lyrics for each song from the McMurtry website which can be found HERE

1. Saint Mary of the Woods

2. Fraulein O.

3. Red Dress

4. No More Buffalo

5. 60 Acres

6. Rachel's Song

7. Out Here in the Middle

8. Choctaw Bingo

9. Lights of Cheyenne

10. Levelland

11. Max's Theorem

12. I'm Not From Here

13. Too Long in the Wasteland


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