About 20 years too late!

While musically James McMurtry has talent, the message of his album and especially the hit song "We Can't Make It Here" is outdated and unrealistic. In the song McMurtry laments about shirts being made in Singapore and the problems of outsourcing jobs, among other ridiculous things. It seems he would like to live in the world of the 1950s. While appealing on the surface, it is a waste of time to think like this.

Wonderful surprise

Wonderful surprise. I bought this CD based on one song I heard on the radio, ususally a mistake. I am thoroughly enjoying the whole CD. I will definitly buy more.

Still the Southwestern Boss

James McMurtry comes through again with a musical snapshot of the southwest. While the tone and style of the music itself may be somewhat predictable, (although pleasently so), his lyrics are worthy of print. McMurtry manages to distill issues into distinct stories, sometimes amusing, ("Slew Foot"), sometimes heartbreakingly poignant, ("Holiday"). Listening to this CD is like looking through a scrapbook of the lives of people who work for a living, who struggle to make it in a hard part of the country and who manage to maintain hope and grace while doing so.