Search - Michael Martin Murphey :: Cowboy Songs

The revival of cowboy music began here

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cowboy songs existed before country music and became popular with a wider public in the thirties and forties because of their use in western movies. Marty Robbins and others continued to record them, but they gradually faded into obscurity. With this album, Michael revived the old songs and renewed public interest in them.The set opens with the brilliant Cowboy logic, a song about the way cowboys think and ends with Happy trails, a Roy Rogers classic. In between, there are many cowboy classics, including Tumbling tumbleweeds, The old Chisholm trail, Home on the range, Yellow rose of Texas, Red river valley, Streets of Laredo, Bury me not on the lone prairie and Goodbye old paint.Michael contributes three of his own songs, What I am I doing here, Let the cowboy dance and Where do cowboys go when they die ? all of a high quality. He also covers Cowboy pride, a song written by Ian Tyson, a Canadian singer who has also demonstrated his love of cowboy music by recording several albums of western songs.If you already enjoy cowboy songs, you will love this. If you are new to the music, this is the best place to start. The two follow-up albums ? Cowboy songs II (A Cowboy Christmas) and Cowboy songs III (another collection similar to this) maintain the standard, while another of Michael?s albums, Horse legends, may also interest you, though most of the songs are unconnected with cowboys. Cowboy music fans wishing to explore further should investigate Ian Tyson?s music."

What a terrific performance of cowboy songs!

Wilfredo C. Derequito | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | 02/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cowboys on horseback is generally not a part of the Philippine cultural landscape, past or present. But one does not have to be a cowboy blazing the trails to appreciate Michael Martin Murphey's music.Cowboy Songs is one of those albums where the listener is hard pressed to pick a particular favorite due to the simple fact that all the selections here are just so good. The all-star musicianship is simply great, the instruments sounding clear and crisp in full stereo.Michael gives justice to such cowboy standards like 'Home On The Range', 'Red River Valley', 'Streets Of Laredo', 'Tumbling Tumbleweeds' and 'Yellow Rose Of Texas'. Though much covered by many earlier artists before him - i.e. Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson, just to name a few - these songs are in good hands, Michael Martin Murphey's.One can't help but laugh at the crooked and down-to-earth reasoning in 'Cowboy Logic' and the funny but truthful reality in 'Where Do Cowboys Go When They Die/Reincarnation' (Do I really end up as a 'fertilizer' when I die instead of finding myself in heaven!) At the same time, one can't help but be moved by 'When The Work's All Done This Fall', a tale of a young cowboy longing to go home to see his mother who did not live to see his wish come true when he was trampled to death by a stampeding herd one lightning-filled night.I am tempted to say my piece about each of the selections but that's going too far! Let me just say that this compilation of cowboy songs is too good to be true, a smorgasbord of fantastic sounds that will surely tickle the ears even of the most sophisticated listener.Come, let's hit the road and ride along with Michael Martin Murphey!"

Nostalgia plus

J. Kelly | Salem, OR United States | 04/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first discovered this collection in about 1991, as a result of an Austin City Limits show where Murphey did his Wild West show, I thought I'd rediscovered my childhood. With the exception of several "modern" cowboy songs such as Ian Tyson's "Cowboy Pride", Murph's "Let the Cowboy Dance", and his hit recording of "Cowboy Logic", these are mostly traditional cowboy songs with roots to the 19th century. Featured are great productions of "The Old Chisholm Trail", "The Streets of Laredo", "Texas Rangers", "Goodbye Old Paint", "Red River Valley", and about 11 other tunes that almost all of us from my generation learned and sang in elementary school.Anyone looking only for traditional cowboy songs may be better served by picking Don Edwards' "Saddle Songs" collection or Murphey's own "Cowboy Classics: Playing Favorites 2", also currently available. However, this CD belongs in everyone's collection as the basis for building a "western" music cumulation around. The Sons of the San Joaquin, Don Edwards, Red Steagall, Tammy Wynette and Suzy Boguss share vocals on this CD and are joined by Joey Miskulin's extremely tasteful contributions on the accordian, or "stomach Steinway".All in all, a marvelous recording. Buy it!"