James Talley - Got No Bread, No Milk, No Money, But We Sure Got A Lot of Love

Pure, perfect Americana from the "dawn" of the idea of Americana as its own genre, a 30th Anniversary re-issue that's genuine, timeless, and terrific. There's no need to think of this as "old" music, or consider it was originally recorded in the mid-70's - it's good. Enjoy it. Savor it. Love it. Americana has been around for some 80 years, but some of these guys perfected it around this time, and James Talley was there to help show ‘em how.

Occasionally I get introduced to someone I should have known for years. It's always a surprise and a great delight to find music that's new to me that's this good; that it came out in 1975 annoys me slightly simply because I never heard it before, and I should have. A performer this influential on all the other music I love should have come to my attention sooner.

Like the others who came from this time, such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Graham Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, etc., etc., James Talley is a vibrant, unique, and incredible voice. This is music that needs to be heard, just like other obscure "country- rock/Americana" albums from the mid-70's, like Michael Martin Murphy's "Cosmic Cowboy" and the trio of albums put out by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band. Talley's music is vibrant, full of life and gusto, rich and real. From the heart music, it's both humorous and touching, performed with Talley's strong vocals and played with consummate skill by a collection of terrific musicians (including John Hiatt on guitar).

But it's just the start of what has been a long and amazing career. Talley has taken on various jobs, but his music has been appreciated by millions. He's had songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, and Moby, to name a very few. He's performed at the White House. His life has been fascinating, and he illustrates only a bit of it in his autobiographical essay. All in all, this is plainly a fine album.