Monday, January 11, 2010

James McMurtry - Gonna Be Here A While (2002)



James McMurtry
Gonna Be Here A While
Rams Head Tavern, Annapolis, MD
October 22, 2002

This is a REMASTERED version of my original offering.  I have added some equalization and compression to get what is in my opinion a better sounding recording.
Gear:
Sony MZ-R900 MD
AT-933 Mics (Cardioid Elements)
Sound Professionals SP-SPSB-1 Battery Box

Mastering:
Sound Studio 3 on a MacBook
FLAC Conversion with Max 0.91


CD 1:
1. Melinda
2. St. Mary Of The Woods
3. Fuller Brush Man
4. Poor Lost Soul
5. Sixty Acres
6. Every Little Bit Counts
7. Racel's Song
8. Choctaw Bingo
9. Red Dress
10. Out Here In The Middle

CD 2:
1. Lobo Town
2. Kathleen (Catholicism Made Easier)*
3. Levelland
4. Paris
5. Safe Side
6. I'm Not From Here
7. Shining Eyes
8. Rex's Blues
9. Dry River
10. Wild Man From Borneo
11. Too Long In The Wasteland

* Randy Newman cover

Total Time: 127 minutes

Notes:
Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry, known for his hard-edged character sketches, comes from a literary family; his father, novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, gave James his first guitar at age seven, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it. McMurtry began performing his own songs while a student at the University of Arizona and continued to do so after returning home and taking a job as a bartender. When it transpired that a film script McMurtry's father had written was being directed by John Mellencamp, who was also its star, McMurtry's demo tape was passed along, and Mellencamp was duly impressed, serving as co-producer on McMurtry's 1989 debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland. McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the film (Falling from Grace), working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a one-off supergroup called Buzzin' Cousins. McMurtry has continued to record, releasing albums in 1992 and 1995. Walk Between the Raindrops followed in 1998. 2002 saw the release of Saint Mary of the Woods, his last for the Sugar Hill label.

This concert recording comes shortly after the release of St. Mary of The Woods.  Near the beginning of the show James tells a pretty humorous story about one of his previous shows at the Rams Head.  Being an audience recording, it does have it's flaws - but I think it captures the show pretty well.  Sorry about the occasional camera noise as I was shooting photos during the recording (both the cover and back photo are mine).  If you ever make it to the Rams Head for a show - I recommend an ice cold Helles Lager with your meal (or without)!

TypeGradeLengthArtwork
AudienceA-127 minIncluded

MP3 Version - 320kbps
https://www.mediafire.com/?hpkoo008vdlqje1
After listening to the recording, please come back and rate it as to the quality of the recording. The grades listed above are my personal opinion only.


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4 comments:

Whelkstar said...

This is glorious. Live McMurtry is hard to come by and usually poor quality stealth. This captures and liberates the energy of JM and the Heartles Bastards. Muchly appreciated.

Richard (whelkstar)

Anonymous said...

Is there any chance of this being reposted? I'm a huge JM fan and would love to hear this!
-Leo

Anonymous said...

I second what Leo said.

- Doug

g said...

Love to get a chance to, as you ask, rate this recoding - but have to ask you to please repost the show.
Thanks, in any event, for sharing your music!
g

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