James Talley : To Get Back Home
John Denver and Olivia Newton John may have been topping the country charts in the mid-70's, but there were still artists rooted in the authentic country and western tradition of Jimmie Rodgers, Western Swing and Bob Wills. Among them, Oklahoma's James Talley, whose debut Got No Bread, Got No Milk, But We Sure Got A Lot of Love became an immediate critical favorite.
Said Rolling Stone's Chet Flippo:
It's a welcome relief from the twin excesses of super-smooth Nashville pop and the overreachings of progressive country. James Talley is very much in the mainstream of American troubadours.
And from The Village Voice's effusive Robert Christgau :
The most attractive thing about this homespun Western-swing masterpiece--infusing both its sure, unassuming intelligence and its plain and lovely songs--is a mildness reminiscent of the first recorded string bands. Talley's careful conception and production both work to revive a playing-pretty-for-our-friends feel that most folkies would give up their rent-controlled apartments for. Despite its intense rootedness, it's neither defensive nor preachy--just lays down a way of life for all to hear.
The album failed to sell and went out of print until 2005, when Cimarron Records brought it back into circulation for its 30th Anniversary. Go To Talley's website to buy an autographed copy!
Quite simply, these James Talley songs are tremendous, what a find!
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