You all know by now my penchant for owning the physical disc.  Even when times are hard.  I’d love to tell you it’s because my high morals won’t allow me to copy OPD’s (other people’s discs) but, well, I just really like to peel off the wrappers and pop out the pretty inserts and stuff. 

And, I do like to cuss the postal system when it’s late, cuss the state of our society because there are no independent music stores – you know, get myself a little worked up.  Then, when I finally get my hands on the actual item, I run my fingers over the lyrics booklet, read the dedication and thank yous and all before I listen from track one to the very end.

From the moment I sussed out the info that Steve Earle was releasing "Townes", I knew I’d have to have that one.  It’s a forever keeper.  And, Guy Clark’s "Sometimes the Song Writes You" was getting multiple rave reviews before I’d ever heard of it, so I internet-ordered that.  Kris Kristofferson’s "Closer to the Bone" kept me camped out by the mailbox for a while.  Well worth the frostbite, though. 

Guy’s song "The Guitar" gets my vote for song of the year.  I’ve played it for everyone I know.  I ordered the double-disc-deal of Kristofferson.  I knew I’d beat myself up if I didn’t and sure enough, the live bonus disc was a delightful trip through an Ireland concert and Silver Tongued Devil tripped me all the way back to the seventies.  And Kris commented (I love to hear him talk) that his very young son had told him that was NOT a good song.  "Why?"  "You’re just blaming your problems on somebody else!"  Brilliant kid!  Yes, that IS what the 70′s were all about!

Digress?  No, details are important.  Ask Simone Felice.  Keep an eye on those Felice boys.  I think they’re up to something.  Check out The Duke and The King’s "Nothing Gold Can Stay."  Then find the backstory on that.  Simone was one sad mofo when he wrote some of these songs.  The other Felice Brothers put out "Yonder is the Clock" this year.  I like every album they’ve released and this one was no exception.  It’s fantastic.  I picked up a copy for a friend.  If you miss the opportunity to see this band live, you might die with an incomplete musical education.  Kinda like the live George Thorogood show, only not.  Not at all.  Just go see them.  Then all the songs make sense.

Hey, that Roseanne Cash chick is serious!  What a voice!  “The List” is a gently put together album of oldies that her daddy said should be saved.  She saved them.  Really nicely.  And, her harmony singers are no slouches, either.

Ah, what else?  Them Truckers!  On Austin City Limits!  What about that, huh?  And the release of The Fine Print was a delight.  Finally!  Beautiful!  And Wes Freed’s artwork rocks.  Read the reviews of The Fine Print on this site and a hundred others and you won’t find anything but praise for this perfectly lined-up collection of DBT songs old and new – funny (Mrs. Klaus’ Kimono-Patterson) and sad (Uncle Frank-Cooley) and touching (Thank God for the TVA-Jason Isbell). 

And speaking of which, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s self-titled, self-artworked CD/Album deal at the first of this year was a super standard-setter for all that followed.  What a pretty piece of work this is! 

2009 also brought the previously threatened Murdering Oscar by Patterson Hood..  He puts his all into all he does and does it with a devilish, literate sweetness that you just don’t accidently acquire.  Nobody had to teach Patterson how to don the rock star attitude.  He throws himself into the songs like real rock is his to save and his alone.  He’s up on that stage championing his cause more nights of the year than not and still knocks you upside the head with one brilliant song after another that he somehow finds time to scribble between his entertaining updates on the websites (alabamaasswhuppin.com and ninebullets.org) and all the worthy causes he supports..  (see Nuci’s Space).

Okay, what else?  The Gourds "Haymaker!.  And don’t miss Ryan Bingham’s Roadhouse Sun or anything that Gordy Quist and his Band of Heathens put out.  Oh, yeah, and Todd Snider’s new "Excitement Plan".  He should really be our national ambassador of good sense.  Him and McMurtry.

Y’all keep rockin’ on for another year.  I hear Deer Tick’s puttin’ out something good.  And Slobberbone is apt to make an appearance….somewhere…
I’m going to put on this new Drive By Truckers on Austin City Limits in 2009 CD and tell myself "it’s good to be alive", even though the economy sucks and we’re all eating Ramen way too often.  

The fact that he has never really been a political songwriter probably contributes to all the fuss.  If Steve Earle had written “Can’t Make It Here,” it may have passed without much notice, but McMurtry has built a reputation for writing thoughtful lyrics that focus on plain old humans and human issues.  True to form, “Can’t Make It Here” catalogues the current political atmosphere’s human toll in true McMurtry fashion.

But all the hubris and hand wringing overlooks the fact that “Childish Things,” on the whole, is James McMurtry at the top of his game.

The album kicks off with “See The Elephant,” a song that captures the spirit of child-like wonder and comes pretty close to being a hooky pop song with the piano, fiddle, and muted brass arrangement.

The title cut recalls John Prine and displays some deft writing, both musically and lyrically.  He scores big with the albums two covers as well.

For those who find his voice too droning, the duet with Joe Ely provides some nice contrast on an upbeat, rollicking version of the old bluegrass standard “Slewfoot.”  And aside from “Can’t Make It Here,” the album’s other real highlight is a pull-out-the-stops, rocking send-up of Peter Case’s “The Old Part of Town”.  He takes the bouncy, acoustic tune and cranks up the beat, adds some tough guitar licks, and the result is as good as anything on his previous studio release, “Saint Mary of the Woods.”

Other songs of note are “Memorial Day,” “Six Year Drought,” and the excellent closer, “Holiday,” which features my favorite succinct line from the album: “ . . . some hat’s on the radio, singing his song . . .”

Subtle and derisive, without being too snarky, he reduces the current state of pop country music to its essence: some hat on the radio.

McMurtry is no hat act.  He takes the stage in a rumpled t-shirt and well worn jeans and plays with a snarling intensity that keeps the audience hanging on the words.

His touring band, The Heartless Bastards, are a basic three piece, with Ronnie Johnson on bass and Darren Hess on drums; on “Childish Things,” they fill in the gaps with an array of instrumentation without ever distracting from the real feature, the songs themselves.

Like a lot of great singer-songwriters, James McMurtry’s monochromatic voice has always been an acquired taste.  Think Lou Reed or Warren Zevon without the vocal range.  Admittedly some of his earlier work could be pretty monotonous and lyrically clumsy, but, with recent fare, he’s displayed keener melodic sensibility and his guitar work is noticeably improved.

His best previous record, "St. Mary’s of the Woods," is a pretty tough act to follow.  If he hasn’t equaled it with “Childish Things, then he’s come pretty damn close.  At the same time, he’s added his name to the distinguished roster of pop music dissidents with style.