Too Long In The Wasteland by James McMurtry
One of the best albums I have ever heard for driving, listening and singing along. I bought this album on the recommendation of a friend and boy am I glad I did! The lyrics are poignant and yet work. You can tell that he inherited his dad's ( Lonesome Dove author Larry McMurtry) ability to mold and use the English language. But the great thing is that the music is just as good as the lyrics - you'd be singing along even if the words were meaningless. This album was made with John Mellencamp's band - sort of on loan. The music is very solid, but the stories told by the lyrics steal the show. I gave my only copy to a friend (and fellow fan who had worn his cassette out) that was called up to active duty after 9/11 - I knew that he could use the boost more than me. Every McMurtry album has great songs but this one is strong all of the way through! I rate this album 5 stars out of 5. Reviewed on August 14, 2004. This album can be found on Amazon.com here: Too Long...