Search - James Mcmurtry :: It Had to Happen

The best album from a great songwriter

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 04/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If radio had any imagination, James McMurtry would be a superstar. Folk rock simply does not get any better than this. "It had to happen," his fourth album, is also his best. Not a bad song, but the tracks that really stand out are "No More Buffalo," "Twelve O'Clock Whistle," and "Jaws of Life," which are all lengthy tributes to Americana. Also of note is the fine cover of Kinky Friedman's "Wild Man from Borneo," showing once again that James has a sense of humor. If you buy one McMurtry album, this should be the one."

Texas Troubador Tells It As It Is....

Lane | Seattle,Washington | 01/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"James Mcmurtry can paint a better picture with words than that of every artist in the Louvre put together. He sees the world through the eyes of a man that has been around much longer than he has. To not mention every song on this CD is a travesty but any McMurtry fan will know evry song is right on lyrically and musically. "12 O'Clock Whistle" is a wonderful song about small town Texas and the everyday "goings-on" that are uneventful and so intensly poetic. "Peter Pan" will take you back through childhood and put a grin on your face through the whole song. James is as solid on stage as he is on his CD's. He writes as well as Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. He could possibly be the greatest songwriter of this new millenium. He's hit his stride. Ladies and Gentlemen, the horse is out of the gates and he's not looking back. Put your bets down. He's no longshot as is no CD you are considering buying by this truly talented artist."

An Obscure Gem

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some years ago, I chanced to hear James McMurtry perform at a small club near where I live. He was promoting his first album which had received accolades in the alternative press, and though the crowd was very thin, he played as if he were playing for thousands.
I bought that album on cassette and still have it, but I hadn't thought much about him until recently when a friend to whom I had introduced McMurtry's music brought out a stack of his newer CDs for me to hear.
Among those was It Had To Happen. When I first put it on, I was pleased but not overwhelmed. McMurtry's unmistakeable voice and style were there to be sure, but no song initially stood out. Then, as I listened more closely, it began to grow on me.
McMurtry is nothing if not sardonic and that is a quality I admire in a songwriter. Dylan has it, Nick Cave has it, and its clear that McMurtry has it too. You gotta love story songs like 12 O'clock Whistle, the sneering Sixty Acres, and the wistful No More Buffalo. But to my ears, the best song on the album is the lyrically and musically powerful Be With Me. McMurtry's bitter, sardonic delivery is just stunning and makes it a song I could play over and over again.
There are a few weak spots that detract from a higher rating, notably the too frequent repetition of the title of the otherwise well-written Jaws of Life and the inclusion of Kinky Friedman's Wild Man From Borneo. Despite that, I highly recommend buying this obscure gem by a singer/songwriter who deserves more fame than he has."