Any James McMurtry fans here?

[bif]

I just did a blog entry on him: http://marksmusicmemo.blogspot.com/
If you're not familiar with him, check it out. The guy's great. Lot's of his songs on youtube.

[gmoney]

1. "We Can't Make it Here Anymore" is a great song

Sad as hell, but powerful.

[Orsino]

2. Too Long in the Wasteland is one of the all-time great albums.

Sad songs. Even when they're funny, they're still sad.

Where'd You Hide the Body is also great.

[tk2kewl]

7. agreed

Wasteland was in the tape deck a lot on a 3 month cross country trip I took in '91 (or was it '92? :shrug:)

[The Magistrate]

18. Indeed, Sir: Marvelous Stuff!

[hippywife]

3. One out here in Levelland!

He's as wonderful a word-smith as his daddy. I love him. :hi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWRfBZY-ng

[abq e streeter]

11. You're really in Levelland?

I was in a band that did mostly originals a couple of years ago, but one of the handful of covers we did was McMurtry's Levelland. Also, can't remember the title, but I have a Butch Hancock live bootleg that has a song in which he mentions Levelland. In fact, Hancock is another of America's great mostly unknown songwriters . Love James' dad's books too. Never had read one till I heard ( and met) James, but I've read many of them now. Does certainly have the old man's gift for weaving a story...

[hippywife]

13. Not literally

but what I consider the kind of country described in Levelland. LOL

I like Butch, too. I like all the Flatlanders, particularly Joe Ely. Live at Antones is an awesome CD.

:hi:

[abq e streeter]

14. Ely's not a household name exactly, but certainly a legend in Texas

coincidentally,in just a few hours I'm going to see an old musical acquaintance of mine I haven't seen in ages, who played drums with Joe for quite a few years( but I don't think he was on the Live at Antone's; he and another old friend of mine who plays sax were on Lord of The Highway among other albums) , as well as some other old friends of Joe's, at a reunion of a popular New Mexico band from the 70's and 80's . It's to honor the memory of their guitar player who passed away 6 months ago; he was an old Lubbock buddy of Joe's too .In fact, they were who turned me on to Ely way back when; they used to do Road Hog, Must Notta Gotta Lotta, and Fingernails . They also did a reunion gig in Lubbock in May to raise college money etc for Joe Don's( the guitar player) kids . They used to play Fat Dawg's among other Lubbock joints over the years; the band's name is The Planets. If you're from the general area ( as opposed to Levelland itself) maybe you remember them. I love all those good ol' Lubbock boys; Hancock, Ely, Jimmy Dale, Terry Allen, Bobby Keys ( from Slaton, but close enough), Waylon Jennings ( Littlefield; right up the road too)... all the way back to Buddy Holly and The Crickets. And ...back atcha::hi:

[hippywife]

15. I should have been more specific

when I said not literally. I'm actually in OK. When I hear that song, tho, I think about this place coz I can't for one minute imagine what would make someone want to live here without a really good reason. I moved here 12 years ago because I got married. Luckily we live out in a rural area with neighbors not close by. Even though I still don't regret my marriage and adore my husband, I don't think I'd have moved here if I'd known what I know now about the place.

And this may be sacrilege to many but I like Jimmy Dale's version of Ripple better than the original.

Have a great time tonight with your friends. :hi:

[Zomby Woof]

4. Yep

Gets his storytelling descriptive gifts from his dad, author Larry McMurtry.

If you have ever seen the miniseries adaptation of his dad's "Lonesome Dove", look for James in a cameo as one of the cowboys on the cattle drive. In the Ogallala scene, he chickens out when he sees the whores they were going to visit. It wasn't long after that aired that "Too Long In The Wasteland" came out. Used to play it often on my college radio gig.

[abq e streeter]

8. rented that not long ago, and thought it looked like him---sure enough, it was

[abq e streeter]

5. Count me in-- and bookmarking for more detailed reply later

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. checking in. fan here

:hi:

[mvd]

9. I love Just Us Kids

He takes a couple good jabs at Cheney and the Bush misadministration there.

[abq e streeter]

10. back to finish up my first reply

thought that maybe if you did a blog entry that you knew him or something. I've met him on a few occasions, basically from knowing his (now ex) wife before they were married. Whenever she came back here after they were married , she always took him to the restaurant I was working in. The first time she introduced him I had no idea he was anyone special; just looked like some scraggly hippie musician ( like myself) and we compared notes on some of the Texas musicians we both knew (at least one of whom played on that incredible first album that I had not yet heard; in fact, I don't think it had been released yet). I was hoping that maybe you knew him as I've been wondering how his ex is doing and have no idea how to get ahold of her. But back to James; he really is an amazing songwriter, and I've also become a big fan of his dad's books since meeting James .

[CBHagman]

12. I've always loved "Painting By Numbers."

"You jump when they say, 'Jump.' You don't ask how high.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_pe5pBd7-A

[ellaydubya]

17. One of my favorites

When my son was in middle school (He is now 28) he did a English project about this song- his teacher was blown away, of course. James McMurtry is a true artist- he paints pictures with his words and music

[david13]

16. Nope. Never knew he existed. I like his father, Larry, tho', but not

for his fiction, instead for the non-fiction, like Roads, Driving America's Highways.
And one other.
dc

[retread]

19. Like his music. I should put on "Childish Things" but "Written in Chalk" and "Blood on the Tracks"

are in heavy rotation at retread's this week.