James McMurtry - Live In Aught-Three

James McMurtry growls out his passionate songs on Live In Aught-Three with an emotional power that comes across like an iron-fisted punch to the gut. It's real, it's raw, and it's terse, but oh, man, is it good.

McMurtry's intelligent, stark lyrics have been compared to Robert Earl Keen's poetry - to the point where, at the end of the song Levelland, McMurtry comments to his audience, 'contrary to popular opinion, Robert Earl Keen did NOT write that song, I did' but he says it with good humour.

Invoking crisp, clear melodies to bring substance to his extraordinarily visual songs, McMurtry and his band smoke the stage live. Their appreciative audience is very much in evidence, enjoying the sounds with whoops and applause which are not produced out nor muted away.

The 77 minutes running time on the CD is practically all the space a standard disc can hold, but in true showman fashion, McMurtry does leave you wanting more. ~ About.com

• Saint Mary Of The Woods
• Fraulein O
• Red Dress
• No More Buffalo
• 60 Acres
• Rachel's Song
• Out Here In The Middle
• Choctaw Bingo
• Lights Of Cheyenne
• Levelland
• Max's Theorem
• I'm Not From Here
• Too Long In The Wasteland
• Rex's Blues