Cimarron

Cimarron

ASIN: B00000EYAF

Track Listings

1. Rose of Cimarron

2. Spanish Is a Loving Tongue

3. If I Needed You

4. Another Lonesome Morning

5. Last Cheater's Waltz

6. Born to Run

7. Price You Pay

8. Son of a Rotten Gambler

9. Tennessee Waltz

10. Tennessee Rose

11. Colors of Your Heart

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
By the time Emmylou Harris released Cimarron in 1981, she'd established herself as one of country music's most dependable performers. Dependable is also the word that applies to this 11-song collection. Lacking the musical cohesiveness of its immediate predecessor, the bluegrass-flavored Roses in the Snow, as well as the thematic thrust of her next ambitious outing, 1985's The Ballad of Sally Rose, Cimarron feels like a bookmark in the singer's extensive catalog. Which isn't to say that it isn't studded with some stunners, including a resolute cover of Poco's "Rose of Cimarron" and a hushed duet with Don Williams on Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You." Still, one is tempted to dismiss Cimarron as a mere collection of well played, beautifully sung songs with little rhyme or reason. But with rhymes like those in tunes by Bruce Springsteen and Paul Kennerley sung by a singer with impeccable taste and grace... well, that's reason enough to give this one a shot. --Steven Stolder

Tracks:

Car Outside
Catch The Wind
This Land
Truth
Lucky Man
Hideaway Girl
That's The Way It Goes
Not Dark Yet
Walk A Mile In My Shoes
Don't Ask Me
Home Once Again
These Blues

Album Description

Austin singer-songwriter legend and master of soulful "red dirt" roots music returns with a panoramic collection of songs on his first new release in two years. Cimarron Manifesto pays tribute to Woody Guthrie, J.J. Cale and LaFave's Oklahoma homeland, and sings of long roads, heavy loads and wide-open spaces. The record artfully combines soulful originals with inventive covers, creating a country mood that is both sweet and mournful. Delivering his most realized recording to date, LaFave solidifies his place as on the truly great American songwriters.

Raised by the Cimarron River that runs from northeastern New Mexico to Tulsa, LaFave draws great inspiration from the independent thinkers and musicians from this region and pays homage to them while exploring the current American climate. "I wanted to make an album that was a musical statement - something that spoke to that part of America that's going away." Cimarron Manifesto is LaFave's personal response to the country's changing cultural landscape, exploring themes of loss, war and wanderlust. Amidst his brilliant originals, Jimmy reinvents classics by Bob Dylan (Not Dark Yet), Donovan (Catch The Wind) and Joe South (Walk A Mile In My Shoes).

Produced by LaFave and recorded in Austin, it features the immense talents of his regular band: John Inmon on guitar and lap steel, Andrew Hardin on guitar, Radoslav Lorkavic on keys, Wally Doggett on drums and Jeff May on bass. Looking to include some of his favorite female singers, LaFave invited Ruthie Foster, Carrie Rodriguez and Kacy Crowley to lend their vocals, adding their full harmonies to four tracks.

Recorded with friends and neighbors, Cimarron Manifesto has an organic feel that grew out of the red dirt of LaFave's childhood. Celebrating the restless American soul, it's destined to be the brightest jewel in a career of musical treasures.

Customer Reviews:

Jimmy reaches out and grabs you.......2007-06-15

The first I heard of Jimmy LaFave was his cover of 'Walk Away Renee' on 'Austin Skyline' a good few years ago. It jumped out of the radio and grabbed me by the throat. I was lucky enough to see him live here in Auckland as the opening act for Lucinda Williams ... what a concert that was. His cover of 'Catch the Wind' on this will reach out and grab people all over again.

New LaFave cd grows on Cheyenne Chick .......2007-06-13

I have all of Jimmy's albums; try to go to all the live shows I can. This latest work projects a different twist/side to his personality. I love the passion of his other albums and his ability to touch your heart with his words and his voice. All of his albums are excellent. The new album to me has an ever so slight country slant to it but it is good although it took me a few listens to appreciate the added female vocals. As of yet, it is not my most favorite but I will definitely "wear it out" over time. The photography on the cover is phenomenal--good job Brian. I would have liked to had the words to the songs included as with all the other albums.

As good as ever.......2007-05-29

Jimmy is my favorite artist. I guess that Texoma is still my favorite, but this CD is right there. Like other reviewers, I remain amazed at how great a writer, singer and guitarist he is...and only a few folk outside of Texas and New England know his work. Buy this and you will want everything else he has ever done!

Revival!.......2007-05-17

Let the others have their radio hits, Jimmy's the man when it comes to true American music. This is another nice piece of work. Musically, it is very "full" sounding and the harmonies (with the ladies) are just terrific. A great group of musicians here (Andrew Hardin is always a plus). "Lucky Man" really hits home. A great song. Dont miss out seeing him live!

Average customer rating:

Pretty dang good
Great movie soundtrack!!!
Awesome!
For the whole Family
I like it very much

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Bryan Adams , and Hans Zimmer
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Full Screen Edition) [Animated]
Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
Brother Bear
Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
Best of Me

ASIN: B000066C1N
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

I Will Always Return (End Title)
Here I Am
This Is Where I Belong
You Can't Take Me
Get Off My Back
Sound The Bugle
I Will Always Return
Don't Let Go (With Sarah McLachlan)
Brothers Under The Sun
Run Free
Homeland
Rain
The Long Road Back
Here I Am (End Title)
Nothing I've Ever Known

Customer Reviews:

Pretty dang good.......2007-07-03

I really like this CD. It has some fun songs as well as a few orchestrated songs. Alot of the tunes sound very similiar, but all and all, its worth it.

Great movie soundtrack!!!.......2007-05-25

My 3 year old LOVES watching the movie, "Spirit" and with a soundtrack performed by Brian Adams -- is actually one kid's movie that I don't mind watching over and over and over. We bought this soundtrack for him and he enjoys listening to it as much as he enjoys watching the movie -- and so do I! Great songs!!

Awesome!.......2007-03-09

My three year old girl loves horses. Spirit is her favorite movie and the cd is her number one choice to listen to. She knows the words to all the songs and it really is fun to just listen to her sing or hum, even when the music isn't playing.

For the whole Family.......2007-03-08

My kids (4) have loved this CD for years. We are now having to buy a new one. They know every note to every song. They adore this CD! As for the movie, we have bought several because they have loved it so much (they played it so much & have scratched it). Enjoy as a Family!

I like it very much.......2007-02-17

"Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron" is an amazing animated cartoon film. And this disk is an aggregate of remarkable music and a wonderful vocal. I recommend it to all =)

Average customer rating:

Soulful country music
Good but not great
What else can we say but that she has a voice of an angel?
It's finally out on CD!
Worth the Wait

Cimarron
Emmylou Harris
Manufacturer: Eminent Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Ballad of Sally Rose
White Shoes
Spyboy
Brand New Dance
Songs of the West

ASIN: B00004SVJZ
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Rose Of Cimarron
Spanish Is A Loving Tongue
If I Needed You
Another Lonesome Morning
The Last Cheater's Waltz
Born To Run
The Price You Pay
Son Of A Rotten Gambler
Tennessee Waltz
Tennessee Rose
Colors Of Your Heart

Amazon.com

By the time Emmylou Harris released Cimarron in 1981, she'd established herself as one of country music's most dependable performers. Dependable is also the word that applies to this 11-song collection. Lacking the musical cohesiveness of its immediate predecessor, the bluegrass-flavored Roses in the Snow, as well as the thematic thrust of her next ambitious outing, 1985's The Ballad of Sally Rose, Cimarron feels like a bookmark in the singer's extensive catalog. Which isn't to say that it isn't studded with some stunners, including a resolute cover of Poco's "Rose of Cimarron" and a hushed duet with Don Williams on Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You." Still, one is tempted to dismiss Cimarron as a mere collection of well played, beautifully sung songs with little rhyme or reason. But with rhymes like those in tunes by Bruce Springsteen and Paul Kennerley sung by a singer with impeccable taste and grace... well, that's reason enough to give this one a shot. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Soulful country music.......2002-11-28

This brilliant album is rich in sonic gems. To my ears, Cimarron's on a par with classics like Pieces Of The Sky and her bluegrass masterpiece Roses In The Snow. She sails through Rose Of Cimarron as if it were written specially for her, her version of Spanish Is The Loving Tongue aches with beauty and If I Needed You, the duet with Don Williams, grips the listener with its sincere and elegant tone. Another Lonesome Morning is a delicate weepie, while The Last Cheater's Waltz reminds me of Richard Thompson's much later but equally gorgeous Waltzing's For Dreamers. She rocks away on the lively Born To Run (not Springsteen's) and then delves into the sadness again with Springsteen's The Price You Pay. The somber Son Of A Rotten Gambler with its rousing chorus is followed by Tennessee Waltz, the best version I've heard, and Tennessee Rose, another flowing ballad. Harris' music has a certain spiritual quality that makes listening to her an almost numenous experience. In its ability to speak to the soul, her voice is almost unrivalled.

Good but not great.......2002-01-31

Wrecking Ball brought me Red Dirt Girl, then Spyboy, then all the rest. I am an Emmylou Harris completist; I own all of her available CDs (including Sally Rose and White Shoes). Thus may you realize how I prize Ms. Harris' music.

Cimarron is somewhat similar to a child born despite birth control, in that it's comprised largely of songs rejected from previous albums. That, of itself, isn't bad: some of Bob Dylan's very best recordings were "outtakes" from his 1980's albums.

I believe this album came to life during Ms. Harris' pregnancy that gave birth to her daughter Meghann; I believe three albums surrounded that pregnancy: Roses in the Snow, Light of the Stable, and Cimarron. I tend to listen to this CD with that in mind: due to the nature of radio and the public's awareness of available music, Ms. Harris felt it important to release albums regularly. Perhaps, in hindsight, she would have been better served to wait a while before releasing this album. But, although it's in some ways flawed (especially considering its masterpiece forebear, Roses in the Snow), it's not at all bad.

But, for me, it's not a five-star album. Still, there's lots of great music here. "Rose of Cimarron", "If I Needed You", and "Tennessee Rose" are classic Emmylou Harris songs. In fact, there's not a bad song here; it's just that the highlights are less spectacular than those of some other Harris recordings from this era.

This IS NOT a bad album; if you enjoy Ms. Harris' recordings then this is a must-have for you. I only wrote this review because I was surprised at all the five-star ratings; Cimarron isn't that good. But it's very good, and four honest stars place it above much of today's music.

What else can we say but that she has a voice of an angel?.......2001-07-15

A lot of people are lamenting the sorry state of country music today, with it making more and more concessions to popular tastes. While I admit to being one of those naysayers, I go for country music that takes risks, but still has enough twang to truly be called country. And sure enough, Emmylou Harris can best be called one of the first country artists to venture outside the confines of the genre, and still be accepted as one of country's own. A protege of the legendary country-rock godfather Gram Parsons, Emmylou has been bringing her distinctive style to just about every song from country to folk to straightahead rock. Thanks to that, some of the most unlikely songs have become country standards in spite of their non-country pedigrees. By 1981's CIMARRON, Emmylou had been making music for well over a decade (although her first album PIECES OF THE SKY was released in 1975). As a hitmaker, her days were coming to an end, but as an innovator, she hadn't yet begun to quit. Emmylou can take even the most well-worn country standards, and make them sound as if they were written yesterday like that old warhorse "Tennessee Waltz", a short 2:30 song in an album filled with numerous 4-minute tunes (which is near-epic-length for country music). I'm sure every country singer worth their salt has attempted "Tennesee Waltz" at one time or another, but Emmylou does what she has done numerous times before, making it sound like it was written for her all along. Other country greats given a new lease on life by Emmylou include "The Last Cheater's Waltz" (originally a hit for T.G. Sheppard), which is a much longer version so as to showcase the excellent musicianship of her band, "Son Of A Rotten Gambler" (written by Chip Taylor, who also penned such disparate ditties as "Wild Thing" and "Angel Of The Morning"), and the traditional "Spanish Is A Loving Tongue". But to prove that Emmylou was more risk-taking than her fellow country-ites, CIMARRON has its share of more modern, contemporary numbers. "Rose Of Cimarron" was originally a hit song for the country-rock band Poco; "If I Needed You" (a duet with country great Don Williams) was written by legendary folk singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt; "The Price You Pay" originally appeared on Bruce Springsteen's double album THE RIVER (1980). All of these are given enough country sound to make one forget the fact they were written by people far from the country radar as possible. The other songs on CIMARRON were probably written especially for the album: "Another Lonely Morning" is a great song just looking for someone to cover it (even if it may not be better than Emmylou's); "Born To Run" (NOT the Bruce Springsteen classic) was written by Paul Kennerley, who would later become Emmylou's third husband; "Tennessee Rose" was written by Emmylou band member Hank DeVito. With all those wonderful songs, CIMARRON was a wonderful album already, but because it has been released on CD for the very first time, the deal is made even sweeter with the inclusion of a rare song called "Colors Of Your Heart", written by former Emmylou bandmate Rodney Crowell. While he had long went solo from her, this song proves why Crowell is one of Emmylou's favorite songwriters, and also a fellow "modern traditionalist" like her. After CIMARRON would come the live album LAST DATE, which was unique in the fact that it contained songs Emmylou had not yet recorded in the studio. Unfortunately, that would be her last truly successful album on the charts. But that allowed Emmylou to experiment even more with her music, resulting in such uncategorizable masterpieces like WRECKING BALL (1995) and RED DIRT GIRL (2000). For those who were introduced to Emmylou Harris courtesy of those classics, earlier albums like CIMARRON will help show that she's had it in her for more than 3 decades, and hopefully, is not thinking of slowing down any time soon.

It's finally out on CD!.......2000-06-10

Thank goodness and thanks to Eminent Records for having the intelligence to release this outstanding Emmylou Harris album on CD. CIMARRON is one of my favorite Emmylou Harris albums, and it isn't had to understand why each time I listen to these ten magnificent songs. Emmylou Harris' vocals are exceptional, as usual. The packaging on this reissue is superb: excellent linear notes, lyrics, and quotes from Hot Band members. The music is what makes CIMARRON exceptional. The guitar intro to "Rose Of Cimarron" starts the album off with spirit, it's a remarkable interpretation of the Poco hit. The traditional "Spanish Is A Loving Tongue" is gorgeous. Emmylou and Don Williams are perfect vocal partners on "If I Needed You". These marvelous duet was a #3 hit. "Another Lonesome Morning" is one of my favorites on this album. "The Last Cheater's Waltz" is brilliant. "Born To Run" the first Paul Kennerley song on one of Harris' regular albums (Kennerley would contribute many songs to her albums later, as well as co-write THE BALLAD OF SALLY ROSE with Harris). She would also cover many Bruce Springsteen songs in the future, but "The Price You Pay" was the awesome first. Chip Taylor, who also penned "Wild Thing" and "Angel Of The Morning", wrote about Emmylou Harris' cover of "Son Of A Rotten Gambler". It's a fabulous version. Harris brings new life to the classic "Tennessee Waltz". Former Hot Band member Hank DeVito co-wrote "Tennessee Rose", the albums outstanding closing song, a #9 hit. The Crowell penned bonus track "Colors Of Your Heart" is excellent. CIMARRON was a Grammy-nominated album, and was a high-charting release for over 42 weeks. It represents how Emmylou Harris is an extraordinary artist, lightyears ahead of the rest of the music business in talent, creativity, and intelligence. Be sure to check out the equally outstanding reissue of the classic LAST DATE. Hopefully Eminent will also apply their terrific reissue format to EVANGELINE and THIRTEEN, to give those incredible releases a CD hearing.

Worth the Wait.......2000-06-05

Emmylou was in beautiful voice when she did this one. The band was tight and precise, but loose enough to swing. Ahern's remastering of his original production is a work of art in its own right.

Average customer rating:

A Must-Have Album
Highlight of Poco's "Middle Ages"
WHAT A TITLE TRACK
Sadly Overlooked
Excellent album

Rose of Cimarron
Poco
Manufacturer: Universal/Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Pop | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Indian Summer
Cantamos
Head over Heels
A Good Feelin' to Know
Crazy Eyes

ASIN: B00005GSO5
Release Date: 1994-11-23

Tracks:

Rose of Cimarron
Stealaway
Just Like Me
Company's Comin'
Slow Pole
Too Many Nights Too Long
P.N.S. (When You Come Around)
Starin' at the Sky
All Alone Together
Tulsa Turnaround

Album Details

The Final Album from the Poco Lineup featuring Rusty Young, Paul Cotton and Timothy B. Schmidt (Just Before his Departure for Greener Pastures with the Eagles). The Set is Regarded by Many Aficionados as One of the Best Albums of the "Southern California Sound". The Title Track Would Be Borrowed by Country Queen Emmylou Harris in 1981 for the Title of her Own "Cimarron" Album.

Customer Reviews:

A Must-Have Album.......2006-01-08

This POCO album is one that just cannot be overlooked- despite its low sales. This is the best album of theirs, Furay-era or Post-Furay-era. I don't know where to begin with it (though I guess the first track would be a logical start)!
1.)Rose of Cimarron- Rusty Young shines. Period. The song is so well-written. It is amazing to see Rusty's evolution as a writer. Don't forget, Rusty wrote Grand Junction- the instrumental piece in the medley in DeLIVErin'. That was good- and this is a thousand times better. He not only shines as a writer- but also as a performer. He plays a countless number of instruments on this song- from his classic pedal steel to dobro! Furthermore, he doesn't just play these instruments; he is wildly talented on each and every one of them. The song also has a a spectacular ending, consisting of a piano, strings, and a harmonica backing up a furious solo on the electic guitar played by Rusty. As I said- Rusty shines.
2.)Stealaway- fine song, also written by Rusty. Again, he also plays a variety of instruments. The song is clearly not as good the title track (not to take away from this song- one must remember that the title track is flawless and nearly unbeatable), but still solid. Well-written.
3.)Just Like Me- I have read so many reviews on Timmy's songs- and it seems that whichever song the review is critiquing, it is always "the best song Timothy Schmit's ever written." There is only one best song by Timmy, and it's this one. There is not much more I can say. Personally, I love the track.
4.)Company's Comin'- Again, a great song by Rusty. On this song the entire quartet sings, even Rusty himself. Much energy. This song may be the closest on the album to pure country and less rock inspiration.
5.)Slow Poke- This is the instrumental ending to Company's Comin' but is a separate track that is nearly as long. Also written by Rusty. This is the most lively of all of the songs. There is so much energy, and all of the musicians are in sinc with one another. The musicianship by everbody is just awesome. It is so entertaining to listen to. It must be stunning to watch live- and I can see POCO having so much fun playing it live. This song shows that POCO really is not in it just for the money. They have lots of fun doing what they do, regardless of the pay. Music today should be more like that- I think.
6.)Too Many Nights Too Long- This is the beginning of Cotton's half. Rusty wrote all of the songs on the first half (except for Timmy's one song), and Paul does the same on this half (except for one that Timmy wrote for this half). This song is really good. Paul now takes Rusty's place and plays multiple instruments- a variety of different guitars, including a Spanish guitar. Any POCO fan can tell that this is a POCO song without knowing so to begin with, but it still ventures into new territory (Spanish-like sound) all the same. I can't explain with words how this works- you have to hear the song to understand.
7.)P.N.S. (When you Come Around)- I personally don't know what "P.N.S." stands for- but that's okay. Another great song. Al Garth, the fiddle/sax player that played with Loggins and Messina that joined POCO for a very short time when this album was being made, shines on this one as a fiddle player.
8.)Starin' at the Sky- Timmy Schmit wrote it with another guy. Garth, mentioned in the last song, is featured as a sax player. Saxophone? POCO? I know they don't sound good together- but it works like a charm. The song itself is fabulous, except I can't listen to it too much. I can listen to the rest of the album over and over again, but this song gets tiring. The song is good when played in moderation.
9.)All Alone Together- Another great Cotton song. This one may have the best lyrics of all of the songs. They really work with the music they are played to. Great job.
10.)Tulsa Turnaround- Why, Paul, why? The album was going extremely well until this one. I'm gonna be honest- this song is bad. I don't get the meaning of the song, I don't get the point of adding this song, and frankly it's just a bad ending to a fine album. The words make no sense, and the music is decent- even mediocre compared to the rest of the album. It's very heavy on the bass. I was thinking that a great ending to the album would be a reprise to Slow Poke. The energy from that song would close the album so well. Anyway- don't let this track turn you off. The quality of the album is barely effected by this song- take my word.
This album is POCO's absolute best, end of story. If you are a POCO fan- or even if you're alright with POCO's music- and do not have this album, you must get it. There is no reason not to.

Highlight of Poco's "Middle Ages".......2005-10-16

This may be one of the best Poco albums produced after the departure of founder Richie Furay. Rusty Young's songwriting had really come along by this point, and his title track is one of the definitive country-rock songs. Tim Schmit's "Starin' at the Sky" should have been a #1 single and the album showcases his vocal abilities throughout. Paul Cotten's "Too Many Nights Too Long" is another classic. One novelty about this album is the appearance of former Loggins & Messina sideman Al Garth in sax and violin. Garth was a member of Poco for a very short time and his presence gave this album a dimension that is unique among the Poco library.

Rose of Cimarron stands as one of the best works created during the middle period of Poco's career - after the departure of Furay but before the loss of Schmit. This album really showcases the band as the tight unit that they were with unique contributions from each member. If you want to get into Poco, this is a great place to start.

WHAT A TITLE TRACK.......2005-06-25

Poco were probably the most consistent country rock band and although they never had a magnum opus (although 'A Good Feeling to know'comes pretty close), this is a really solid mid career release.

What can I say about the opening title track which is simply perfection itself: moving, brilliantly produced and with a poignant closing string section and grand piano. Rusty Young (who was so in demand as a steel player - joe walsh' loggins and messina etc) also impresses with his multi-instrumental skills.

Elsewhere the mix is a bit patchy although Stealaway is superb with tight harmonies and Cotton's shimmering guitar. I also really like the flamenco tinged 'Too many nights too long' and the uplifting 'All alone togther'

In many ways this is a less commercial eagles sound, although of course this outfit pre-dated the biggest country rock band by some years.

I am quite new to Poco, but they proved that they still could produce the goods after Pastor Richie Furay left and they remain masters of the genre alongside pure prairie league and the ozark mountain daredevils

Sadly Overlooked.......2005-04-05

"Rose Of Cimarron" is pretty much tied for 1st Place (with "Indian Summer") as my favorite Poco album. In all honesty, I haven't heard this Japanese release, but I do own both an original vinyl LP and a copy of the now out of print CD reissue on the One Way Records label. I personally pretty much refuse to buy any Japanese import CD unless it's absolutely necessary, because I feel that they are obscenely overpriced. In this case, unless you can find one of the very rare One Way releases in the used bins (or a used LP), you have little choice. But this is one case where even the pricey Japanese release would definitely be worth it. This is simply one of the finest albums Poco ever released. Amazingly, I read that it was also Poco's poorest selling release ever. That's pretty hard for me to believe, because this album is outstanding. No real Poco fan should be without it. If it sold poorly, it was surely the victim of poor promotion (or, as has been suggested elsewhere, poor timing), because it certainly can't be blamed on the quality of the music.

The style is classic mid-seventies Poco. In fact, if you are familiar with "Indian Summer", it's really pretty similar in style and feel. If not, think of "Legend" with a little less rock and a little more country. In fact, part of the problem may have been that it was a little too country for those who preferred their Poco with a little more edge. But there's still enough rock to satisfy most fans, the musicianship is top-notch and the songs are great. Heck, it's worth it for the title cut alone. And the storytelling "Too Many Nights Too Long" always puts me right there in the desert-- a man on the run (or is he sitting in a jail cell, dreaming that he's on the run?) who "can never stay here too many nights, too long". "Stealaway" is a great country-rocker, and another favorite. And if the county pickin' "Company's Comin'/Slow Poke" doesn't get yer blood pumpin' and yer foot tappin' then you must be dead. I could go on and on, but hey, you need to hear it for yourself.

I still can't believe that both this album and "Indian Summer" are out of print in the US. Fortunately, there is a British import available of Indian Summer at a much more reasonable price, and all of their fine early albums (for Epic Records) are still available domestically. Sadly, no such alternative exists for "Rose Of Cimarron". But even at this premium price, if you can't find it any other way, take my advice and spring for this one! There is not a bad song in the bunch, and many of them rank among this band's finest. Very, very highly recommended!

Excellent album.......2004-10-15

I have played this album so many times in the past, my original is well worn.

This album gets off to a fine start from the title track. And maintains it.

Nearly as good as Indian Summer, which is the best Poco album I've head.

Average customer rating:

Needs more like 10 stars
confused reviewers
Leon McAuliffe - 5 stars anyway you look at it !
IT DEPENDS

Take It Away the Leon Way!
Leon McAuliffe & His Cimarron Boys
Manufacturer: Jasmine Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Western Swing | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Take It Away Leon
Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band
Crazy Man Crazy
Shame On You
South Texas Swing

ASIN: B00005MAUK
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Tracks:

Leon's Boogie
Boil 'Em Cabbage Down
Mississippi Delta Blues
Fiddle Boogie
Texas Drummer Boy
This Is Southland
In The Mood
Tulsa Straight Ahead
Goin' Home
Sizzlin' Cecil
Downhill Drag
Lover's Leap
Liberty
Beaumont Rag
Night Train
You Gotta Stop Your Runnin' Around
Twin Guitar Special
Catfish
Eatin' Right Out Of Your Hand
One O'Clock Jump
Bear Creek Hop
If It Weren't For A Dream
Blue Skirt Waltz
Boot Heel Drag
Twin Fiddle Rag
Reckon I Love You
Take It Away, Leon

Customer Reviews:

Needs more like 10 stars.......2006-06-03

Western swing suffers from the fact that many people don't accept it for what it is, a unique blend and the product of the unqiue creativity of the thousands of musicians who passed through it. Some folks simply want it to be their idea of "country" music. Others demand that it be full strength Jazz, rock, or either Rhythm and blues. To fully enjoy and appreciate it, we have to realize that it is its own unique combination of these musics, with creativities, and originalities that are purely its own, or that we may now see as part of these other musics but really came into them from Western Swing.

This is a really nice comfortable and enjoyable album. Leon McAuliffe was a serious musician. He knew how to lead a band, and he knew how to make rich developed musical solos and to write great tunes embodying the best aspects of swing music, country music, general pop music, jazz, and rhythm and blues. He hired progressive musicians of skill and taste and ran crack bands of his own from his release from his civilian job as a pilot trainer during WWII until the 1960s.

One thing about Leon, unlike the other great steel players, Leon was never really just a soloist whose emphasis was on the flashiness or skill of his own solos. Even playing in Bob Wills' band, let alone playing in his own bands, Leon was always a band leader. His solos might have been great, but like Duke Ellington, his real instrument was the band as a whole and his ability to temper tunes, organize solos, and shape the interplay to get the most out of the whole group, not just his immaculate and swinging playing. There is no better testament to that than this album.

No I am wrong, I forget that Leon McAuliffe was the leader in the greatest Western Swing recording of all time, "For the Last Time," the final reunion of Bob Wills's most outstanding musicians with Wills, Haggard, Hoyle and Jody Nix, and Tommy Alsup done in the ealry 1970s. To me that album has as much of Leon's own original style as it does Wills'. Wills knew this because when the idea of the recording came up, Wills said the first person he called and wanted as band leader was Leon McAuliffe even though Leon hadn't worked with Wills since WWII.

Leon McAuliffe is an important man in all American music!

This is really Leon's second postwar band. During the War he served with Glenn Miller's great sax soloist Tex Beniche in Tulsa and they played and talked together. Leon was even more enflamed to set up a straight swing band which had a pop-swing repertoire more than a Western repertoire, despite the fact that this was the era of the biggest commercial success of Western Swing when Bob Wills was the biggest selling popular music attraction of any kind out selling the top Swing Bands and vocalists for dances and theater shows. This was the period when a Battle of the Bands between the unfortuante Spade Cooley and Bob Wills on the Venice Peer in LA could pull in 10-15000 people!

The excellence of his swing band is recorded on the other album Take it Away Leon. I was particularly impressed with the hot piano playing of Moe Billington which also appears on this CD. Unfortunately, Leon simply could not make money with the big swing band and cut down to a more classic Western swing unit without all the horns, although he does use one horn or two on some of these cuts.

The sound here is more typical of Western Swing. At the same time it has the particular excellence of Leon's approach to the music. Leon always talked about how from his earliest days he listened primarily to the great horn soloists in the big swing bands. I think he also had a good listen to the way brass and reed sections were voiced in some of the top swing bands. I am no big fan of Glenn Miller, but certainly he was a genius at voicing his horns, and I think Leon was a student of that.

What we get in these recordings is not just the flashiness and speed typical of Western swing performers of that epoch, but an overall strength of the tune itselfs being voiced in a swinging way, not just by Leon McAuliffe, but by the whole band. You never lose the tune in this music to the improvisation. You also never feel as you might listening to the set of swing bands that basically descended from the guitar trio of Cameron Hill, Jimmy Wyble, and Noel Boggs that played for Wills and then Cooley, that the accompaniment or even the solo you are hearing could be on any of a number of songs.

The tune itself always stands out on Leon's recordings, no matter how great the solos, no matter how swingin the music. I think this music is good training for musicians of any kind that involves solos and improvisation to understand how to do it, or as Bob Wills used to say how "Tear it down, but don't you ruin it!"

My favorites on this album include all the big Leon Standards that I have always adored like Twin Guitar Special, Mississippi Delta Blues, Tulsa Straight Ahead, and Take it Away Leon. However, I really like some both the straight swing tunes like Night Train, In the Mood, and above all One O'clock Jump.

Earlier Sony-Columbia had a CD of recordings of Leon with the Cimmeron Boys which included some of these recordings as well as Leon's classic, the first tune Leon recorded with them "The Pan Handle Rag," which is one of my favorite Western instrumentals, one of the few I have never to try on guitar. Does anyone know why that recording does not seem to be available any more?

Last words are that Leon's music is fun, and it is comfortable. It is the kind of music you can have on at a party, and it is the kind of music people who like any kind of music, even folks who don't think they would want to hear Western, country, or Jazz music will love. This is always going to be one of those CDs that is always on the top list of ones you want to play. The only problem is that this is a hard one to get out of the CD player when you think of listening to something else.

confused reviewers.......2004-06-30

Obviously the reviewers who gave this collection less than 5 stars were rating the album for what it wasn't (or could have been) instead of what it IS...some of the hippest, fo'-real Western Swing ever committed to wax. Check out the new Harlequin collection, Take It Away Leon 1946 Big Band Sides & 1947-8 Live and Majestic Recordings for a REALLY amazing selection of rare stuff.

Leon McAuliffe - 5 stars anyway you look at it !.......2004-06-25

The big catch phrase of the day back in the 40s was Bob Wills yelling as he was known to do, "Take it away Leon", and boy could McAuliffe make that steel guitar sing! Most folks don't know that Leon was only 16 when he started playing with the Light Crust DoughBoys (including Bob Wills and the Great Leon Brown). All songs on this CD are outstanding and you will never be able to hear this type of "REAL" Western Swing live anymore. Sure any corner Ginmill between Beaumont and Baltimore has a so called Cowboy Hat western swing band (even some of the present Western Swing Bands pushing out CD after CD with ten or more members butchering what Bob Wills made Famous)that doesn't have a clue. Leon McAuliffe knew what the people liked and played it ! Like Hank Penny he was not there to make record companys happy but instead the people that drove miles across open country and paid for a ticket, thats who he tried to cater to.
If you are a real fan of Western Swing and I don't mean listening to the Dixie Chicks sing "Roly Poly" on a Ray Benson Album then this is for you. I can't understand why a CD this good had to be made overseas, but it was, anyway, buy it. I just got my copy in the mail yesterday from Amazon and my wife and me listened to it half the night, this stuff is the "Real Deal"! "ENJOY"

IT DEPENDS.......2003-09-19

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. THERE ARE ABOUT 10-12 GOOD WESTERN SWING TUNES FEATURING LEON. THERE IS ALSO ABOUT TEN FIDDLE TUNES WITH LITTLE OR NO STEEL. THE FIDDLE TUNES ARE WELL DONE BUT MORE APPROPIRATE FOR A SQUARE DANCE ALBUM. I ATTENDED A NUMBER OF LEONS DANCES OVER THE YEARS AND PURCHASED MOST OF HIS ALBUMS AND SINGLES. THE SWING TUNES IN THIS CD ARE A GOOD START, BUT HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL REISSUE MORE WESTERH SWING THE LEON WAY.

Average customer rating:

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Universal/Polygram
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000677J4
Release Date: 2002-07-01

Tracks:

Here I Am (End Title)
I Will Always Return
You Can't Take Me
Get off My Back
Brothers Under the Sun
Don't Let Go
This Is Where I Belong
Here I Am
Sound the Bugle
Run Free - Sarah McLachlan
Homeland (Main Title)
Rain
Long Road Back
Nothing I've Ever Known
I Will Always Return (Finale)

Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love

Average customer rating:

Portrait of Artist as a Young Man

Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love
James Talley
Manufacturer: Cimarron Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Devil You Know
Blackjack Choir/Ain't It Somethin'
Nashville City Blues
Touchstones
Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan

ASIN: B000CIXDYU
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

W. Lee O'Daniel and the Light Crust Dough Boys
Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love
Red River Memory
Give Him Another Bottle
Calico Gypsy
To Get Back Home
Gig Taters in the Sandy Land
No Opener Needed
Blue Eyed Ruth and My Sunday Suit
Mehan, Oklahoma
Daddy's Song
Take Me to the Country
Red River Reprise

Tracks:

1975 Interview

Customer Reviews:

Portrait of Artist as a Young Man.......2006-07-06

The 30th anniversary release of singer/songwriter James Talley's "Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Whole Lot of Love" is far more than a nostalgic event - though it is certainly that. This release provides a whole new generation access to a truly important piece of art.

For old fans of James Talley, this collection of songs (aka "album") needs no commentary from me. I offer these thoughts to those who may not know of Talley's art, or have discovered it long after the release of this album in 1976.

First, it is well that we note the era. It was at this time that singer/song writers like Jimmy Buffett, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson and many others were breaking the bonds and traditions of Nashville C&W, exploring new forms, both in their poetry and music. The album "No Bread" is as fine an example of this experimentation by a serious artist as any available.

The range of styles and influences packed into this collection of 11 original works spans much of the possible. From the country blues influenced Mehan, Oklahoma, to the pure Nashville country of "No Opener Needed", the country swing of "W. Lee O'Daniel", classic western of Red River Memory" or melancholy ballad style so well represented by "Take Me to the Country", Talley demonstrates an intuitive feel that allows him to explore new combinations of form that would provide a foundation for his art - and that of many other performers - for 30 years to come.

Talley is a poet of the first water. He describes himself as a teller of stories and I think that is an apt characterization. Each of these poems-set-to-music tell a story and each story is a slice of life as experienced by darn near everyone who works for a living.

In this album, Talley is clearly interested in history and roots. The opening song, "W. Lee O' Daniels and the Light Crust Dough Boys" provides a clear window on a time gone by when the musical influences of western and jazz collided in the dance halls and emporiums of the depression era. Then there is "Give Him Another Bottle", an up tempo depiction of a man whose way of life was dying before his eyes as the era of the steam locomotive came to an end. In true Talley form, with a sincere appreciation of what the life of working women and men is like, we are called on to be understanding of this man's plight and give him another bottle to help easy his mind.

In several of these songs Talley shows his artistic insight as he explores things passing, like the trains, rural life and the ways of an earlier, seemingly simpler age. Of course, this was a topic of much interest to his peers of the time. As Talley was writing "Give Him Another Bottle" Jimmy Buffett was writing about the passing of trains in his and Jerry Jeff Walker's "Railroad Lady" and Guy Clark was thinking about the passing of the steam engine as he wrote "Texas - 1947".

Looking back across the 30 years, considering this work by a young and exceptionally talented artist (whose art has continued to grow and mature with the passing of those years), I am struck by the durability of lyrics and music. Only one tune on this album, actually one of my favorites because of the classic double entandre in the title and refrain "No Opener Needed", requires knowledge of the time in which it was written - the advent of the first "Pop Top" beers cans when the advertisement "No Opener Needed" was printed on each can of brew. That kind of durability only emerges from a talent with deep roots and genuine compassion for the human condition as experienced by working folks.

James Talley is such an artist.

Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home

Average customer rating:

Sings better than Woody
A VOICE FOR EVERYBODY
A real lump to the throat
A disappointment
The greatness of Guthrie in a greatness of Talley

Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home
James Talley
Manufacturer: Cimarron Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Nashville City Blues
Touchstones
Journey
West
All the Roadrunning

ASIN: B000034DJ0
Release Date: 1999-12-27

Tracks:

Belle Starr
Dust Pneumonia Blues
East Texas Red
Do-Re-Mi
Deportee
Vigilante Man
I Ain't Got No Home
Roll On Columbia
Ladies Auxiliary
Gypsy Davy
Red Wing
Pretty Boy Floyd
Talkin Dust Bowl
More Pretty Gals Than One/Poor Boy
Dust Bowl Refugee
Pastures of Plenty
Oklahoma Hills
So Long, It's Been Good to Know You
Sinking of the Reuben James, The
This Land Is Your Land

Album Description

A personal tribute to the songs of Woody Guthrie by Oklahoma born singer-songwriter James Talley. The band members on the Woody Guthrie album are: John Griffin - Acoustic bass; Richard Hardy - Mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and vocals; John Potrykus - Dobro, second guitar, steel guitar, and vocals; Tim Stroh - Recording and remix engineer (Stepbridge Studios, Santa Fe); James Talley - Acoustic guitar and lead vocals; Gregg Thomas - Drums and vocals; Thomas Blues Uhde - Harmonica.

Customer Reviews:

Sings better than Woody.......2006-08-11

Woody was the poet and genius-the genuine article. Talley understands the music and he sings better than Woody. I feel very much the same way about Cisco Houston who had a great voice and a feel for the music that made Woody's music even better. Talley is the real thing, too, and this is a very good recording. If you love the music you will love this recording.

A VOICE FOR EVERYBODY.......2000-08-24

Woody Guthrie was without a doubt the Godfather of Folk (alongside of Ledbelly, who was also a top contender for the title). This collection of songs will play every possible emotion, from the rousing "This Land is Your Land" to very sad "Pastures of Plenty" and "Deportee." (those two always did bring a lump to the throat -- they are very moving folk ballads).

Woody Guthrie is the voice for everybody, the voice for all issues whether the issue is freedom, fairness in the unions (I thought of Lech Walesa and his successful goal to secure a democratic government in Poland and in the Polish Labor Unions during the 1989-1990 period whenever I heard these rousing freedom songs)or a tragic disaster, like "Reuben James." Guthrie was and remains topical to this day. His songs can be applied to just about any given case or scenario. From the 1930s labor unions to the current union workers' rights in Poland, Woody Guthrie could be counted on to provide the right song. From racial discrimination issues past and current, there is a relevant Woody Guthrie song.

The real gift of Woody Guthrie (he died in 1967) is unity. He has unified generations with his messages and he also called for unity during his life time.

This is such an outstanding collection. It is something to listen to and treasure.

A real lump to the throat.......2000-06-09

Listening to Talley's honest, straight-up, cleanly played, expressive versions of some Guthrie classics brings a real lump to the throat. A worthy tribute to one of the greats. Guthrie's music was a direct product of his times and experiences. Talley reminds us of what we've lost in gaining our present day world where music is now a "product" rather than a cry for freedom, and also what it cost in the lives of the dust bowl refugees, the migrant fruit-picker deportees, the sailors of WW11, the builders of the Grand Coulee Dam, and those who really did have no home in this world any more. Listen to his version of "Pretty Boy Floyd", and hear him - with a perfectly chosen backing of acoustic instruments traditionally picked - carefully transform a simple story into something special.

A disappointment.......2000-02-24

If you are familiar with Woody Guthrie's performances of his own songs, listen to any of the available tracks here and compare Talley's well-intentioned work with Guthrie's -- or with performances by such singers as Pete Seeger. Sadly, Talley's performances are stunningly tuneless. I bought the CD because of a rave review in The New York Times. I now suspect that, unless the reviewer was tone-deaf, he had never heard Guthrie.

The greatness of Guthrie in a greatness of Talley.......2000-02-21

I know James Talley by great songs like "I Can't Surrender" and "Working Girl", but nothing knocked me out more than listening to his latest album of Woody Guthrie's songs. It's the most brilliant tribute album of Woody's songs ever and a very subtile, great work of Talley, the work that succeeds to be his best work and probably one of the best albums of the year. I enjoyed the whole album very much, but the three songs that left me completely stunned were "Deportee", "I Ain't Got No Home" and "Dust Bowl Refugee" which is my favorite songs of Woody Guthrie. This album is highly recommended and, sure as hell, you'll enjoy it!

Average customer rating:

Like being there
The sound quality is no reason to flame this disc.
The Poor Quality of This Recording Needs to Be Emphasized
It's pure pleasure to hear Patsy Cline in a live environment
Patsy was great

Live at the Cimarron Ballroom
Patsy Cline
Manufacturer: Mca Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Nashville Sound | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Traditional Country | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music

Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Rockabilly | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Live at the Opry
Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still - The Anthology
The Patsy Cline Collection
50 Golden Greats: The Complete Early Years
Always ... Patsy Cline: Live At The Ryman Auditorium (1995 Original Nashville Cast)

ASIN: B000005KR6
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Come On In
A Poor Man's Roses
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
Patsy Dialog
I Fall To Pieces
Lovesick Blues
Patsy Dialog
Shake, Rattle And Roll
There He Goes
San Antonio Rose (Intermission)
Patsy Talks About Car Accident
Stupid Cupid
I Fall To Pieces
If I Could See The World Through The Eyes Of A Child
Walking After Midnight
Foolin' Round
When My Dreamboat Comes Home
Patsy/Announcer Ending

Amazon.com essential recording

In 1961 Patsy Cline performed at the Cimarron Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, backed by a hot Western-swing band led by steel guitar great Leon McAuliffe. Although Cline had just come out of the hospital following a serious automobile accident, you wouldn't know that from listening to her voice on this tape of the performance, unearthed in 1997. Although the tape has a few glitches, both Cline and the band come through loud and clear on a program that ranges from her hits to Western-swing standards and even a couple of rock & roll covers. The between-tunes banter offers an intriguing insight into Cline's brassy, big-hearted personality. --Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

Like being there.......2005-03-14

If, like me, you are ALREADY a big fan of Patsy Cline, what this CD will give you is a sense of what she was like as a performer. Not as a singer on the starched, staged Grand Ole Opry; not as a recording artist in the studio, but as an entertainer. You hear what her fans of the day bought a ticket to hear. Yes, the audio quality is inferior (it was 1961, after all) but if you want to get to know a side of Patsy Cline that you won't hear on her "Greatest Hits" this is a must-have. As most other fans, I only wish more locked up, live PC material would become available.

The sound quality is no reason to flame this disc........2004-07-10

It's a reason to dock a star from what would otherwise be a slam-dunk five-star disc. If you like Patsy, treat yourself. If don't like Patsy, you should.

The Poor Quality of This Recording Needs to Be Emphasized.......2003-11-02

This should not be anyone's first Patsy Cline album. Or even second or third. It's perhaps only for the connoisseur who's heard lots of recordings of all of her work and desperately needs something different.

Yes, sure, she's great, but this CD often sounds like an AM radio not quite tuned to the right frequency. It may be historically significant, a rare live recording, etc. but there have to be more pleasant ways to listen to Patsy Cline's renditions of country classics.

It's pure pleasure to hear Patsy Cline in a live environment.......2003-10-05

It's pure pleasure to hear Patsy Cline in a live environment. Her amazing voice and gregarious personality come through like gangbusters on this disc. While some tracks have problems (feedback etc.) overall I found this to be very listenable and most enjoyable. Cline was a tremendous vocalist and on this disc, it is all the more apparent since its her first show after her car accident. A rollicking show and a must for any Cline fan. I'm quite happy with this disc.

Patsy was great.......2002-04-23

I only wish more of Patsy Cline in concert would surface she really put her heart and soul into her singing.I love this CD so much I am on my second copy because the first one wore out

Average customer rating:

An Excellent Album From A Very Underrated Artist!!!
Songs that grow on you, and quickly, too...
songs for the American life

Touchstones
James Talley
Manufacturer: Cimarron Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Nashville City Blues
Journey
Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home
Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love
Blackjack Choir/Ain't It Somethin'

ASIN: B0000630CP
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Tryin' Like The Devil
Sometimes I Think About Suzanne
Calico Gypsy
Bluesman
W. Lee O'Daniel And The Light Crust Dough Boys
Not Even When It's Over
Forty Hours
Deep Country Blues
Are They Gonna Make Us Outlaws Again?
Richland, Washington
Nothin' But The Blues
Up From Georgia
To Get Back Home
What Will There Be For The Children?
When The Fiddler Packs His Case
Give My Love To Marie

Amazon.com

Merle Haggard has at times been known as the Poet of the Common Man, but the title could just as easily apply to James Talley. A fine Nashville-based singer-songwriter with a gift for writing stirring portraits of working-class heroes, Talley has kicked around for years without getting the big break he deserves. In the 1970s he recorded four highly regarded albums for Capitol, none of which are currently in print. For the exquisitely beautiful Touchstones, Talley has culled 16 of his favorite songs from those albums and rerecorded them with a crack band of Texans, including guitarist Tommy Detamore (who coproduced) and fiddler Bobby Flores, both of whom worked with the late Doug Sahm. In a simple voice that sounds a bit like Tom T. Hall's, Talley sings about everyday people just barely getting by, like the "pot-bellied truckers drinkin' coffee / With a redheaded waitress named Louise" in "Tryin' Like the Devil," or the dying "black lung miner from East Tennessee" in "Give My Love to Marie." The gorgeous "Sometimes I Think About Suzanne" finds Talley reminiscing about a lost love--and wondering what might have been. Never mind that the album's 16 songs are all at least 25 years old--they're timeless. --David Hill

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Album From A Very Underrated Artist!!!.......2005-10-14

I often get the feeling that the greatest musicians in this world are never fully given the credit and the recognition that they deserve. In a way it is like the true unknown genuis' of the world who make your "average Mensa Card carrying Geek look like Bozo The Clown" as Stephen King once wrote. I don't usually have much time for country music. They seems to be full of songs about "Good Lovin' Gone Bad and the Mean Repo man done drove away mah pickup truck and my dawg he done died and ma wife is having an affair with mah best friend and the whiskey jug is mah new best friend" and similar themes. James Talley is the exception to this country mould. He writes from the heart and soul and his songs are about Working Class men with no pretensions just trying to make a living the best way they know how. The mournful ballad "Give My Love To Marie" is a haunting song about a miner suffering from Black Lung Disease. I suggest you buy this album and you will discover a rare talent.

Songs that grow on you, and quickly, too..........2003-07-28

I found this CD at a bargain price and took a chance, having heard OF James Talley but never having heard him sing. The first time through it, I thought "the voice is nice, the accompaniment great, and the songs are pleasant without being special." What I meant was, none of these re-recorded 1970's compositions jumped off the disc and into my brain instantly, the way previously unfamiliar songs by Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Gordon Lightfoot, Kris Kristofferson, even John Denver might have. Heck, none of the songs on here quite reach the very best of Townes van Zandt or Guy Clark, for that matter. But they do grow on you. By the third or fourth listen, one is more and more impressed with the scope of these 16 high-quality selections. The tempos are varied, the subject matter, too, and the performer's point of view is always interesting. I agree with an earlier reviewer that "Richland, Washington", one of the shortest songs on the disc, is wonderfully stated. Also fine is the one James calls "Are They Gonna Make Us Outlaws Again?" Overall, this is a nice hour of competent, confident folk/country/blues performances. While it is my first Talley CD, no way will it be my last.

songs for the American life.......2002-04-23

James Talley's music comes out of his roots in the Southwest, part of a musical culture that, seemingly effortlessly, generated an organic blend of blues, folk, honkytonk, and big-city swing. Talley sounds like the natural heir to Bob Wills, Woody Guthrie, Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Merle Haggard, without really sounding like any of them -- though if Guthrie had written it, the gorgeous, cryptic "Richland, Washington" would be judged among his masterpieces.

Through his uncondescending sympathies with the struggles of working people, Talley's songs often have an at least implicit political subtext, without ever devolving into preachy protest anthems or "progressive" sloganeering. This is music for grown-ups living in the real world, which is to say that you can't be there without getting your heart, and maybe even your nose, broken. Like all great artists, Talley's hand is as sure as his eye is sharp and his ear is keen. His characters are recognizable human beings, not Popular Front cartoons. If Talley has no easy answers for them, he can celebrate their endurance. The people, yes, but without tears.

Even when the subject is a familiar one, such as a rodeo rider ("Calico Gypsy") or a bluesman ("Bluesman"), Talley never falls into cliches. In their evocations of vanishing American worlds, "Gypsy" and "Bluesman" bring to mind songs that set their respective gold standards, namely Ian Tyson's "Old Cheyenne" and Bob Dylan's "Blind Willie McTell." I cannot give voice to higher praise than that. Songs like "Deep Country Blues" and "Give My Love to Marie," for all their inherent darkness, rise to a kind of luminous, transcendant beauty few songwriters can hope to touch.

The songs' power owes a debt to the magnificent Texas country band Talley assembled for these sessions. Everything comes together, and what emerges is, as the old spiritual would put it, music from the true vine. These are American songs, earth songs, life songs. Touchstones will stay with you for a long, long while.

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review