JAMES MICHAEL TAYLOR Red Dirt Diary www.jamesmichaeltaylor.com ............................................................ ............................. When James Michael Taylor finds a topic that interests him, he doesn't just write a song, he records a concept album filled with autobiographical songs that are piercing, startling, occasionally off-putting, rarely commercial and often brilliant. The prolific Taylor has released a dozen of these albums since 2001, and Red Dirt Diary proves his brain remains as fertile and funky as ever. Red Dirt's 14 songs examine his elderly father's life and the changing cultures the old man has experienced in almost a century on Earth. Someone who'd never milked a cow before could probably fill a bucket with ease after listening to the humorous but instructional "Milking It." The advent of instant photography and it's impact on a family is explored with equal parts nostalgia, fun and melancholy in "A Smile," and "A Good Cry," (co-written with Rick Babb) is the most beautiful song I've heard in a while. Taylor seems destined to be the Vincent Van Gogh of Texas folk music - unappreciated until he's dead. But he's alive and well now, writing and recording fascinating morality tales with an inventive ear for production worthy of a true Texas original. Jeff Prince/Spring 2009 Texas Music Magazine ............................................................ ............................................CD REVIEWS - AMERICANA MUSIC TIMES CD FIREPOWER! by Keith Howerton and Steve CirceoJames Michael Taylor - Red Dirt Diary - Brilliant, interesting, homespun stories set to music. The styles are varied with purpose. For example, the opener, "Okie Doky," is a corny country tune about being from Oklahoma, while the next song, "In Dubious Battle," brings to mind the early work of indie weirdos Lol Creme and Kevin Godley, and that flows into "A Good Cry," which is one of the most touchingly tender songs I've ever heard. As the title implies, Diary really is the private tale of a man's life. Pick this album up, if you can find it -- you may have to track JMT down to get a copy. (SC)///////////////////HERE'S a DEAL: You name YOUR FAVORITE jmt SONGS (up to 20) and send me $25. I will make a CD of those songs, label it as your own personal BEST OF and have it back to you via USPS within a few days. My mailing address is 1712 Eagle Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76111. If you don't have $25 send what you can. If you don't have any money but care that much about listening to my music just tell me what you want. Any questions? My phone number is 817 988 0798. My email is
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