★★★★★
Now in his 60s, country singer Michael Martin Murphey may be best known for his song hits from the 1970s, "Wildfire" and "Carolina in the Pines," as well as his well-received 1987 album, "River of Time." From Texas, Murphey's also been active with Native American causes and environmental issues. Nearly everything he does celebrates the Golden West...
- rootsmusicreport.com
2011-08-08
★★★★★
Michael Martin Murphey knows a good thing when he hears one. Last year's Buckaroo Blue Grass, an innovative melding of cowboy songs and bluegrass, won raves and a Grammy nomination. This follow-up is almost as engaging. Again he's joined by the best in today's bluegrass world - Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Audie Blaylock, Rob Ickes, and more - for some super picking, and with a couple of exceptions, Murphey's song choices are equally inspired...
- www.austinchronicle.com
2010-02-26
★★★★★
Mixing cowboys and bluegrass might seem like a stretch until you remember that Bill Monroe penned a tune called "Rawhide." Actually, Michael Martin Murphey might be the only one who could pull off this fusion; his cowboy roots, cosmic and otherwise, are legend, and his songwriting skills, as made clear on Buckaroo Blue Grass, remain superior. He revisits "What Am I Doing Hanging Around" (recorded by the Monkees in 1967) and one of his best, "Carolina in the Pines," with renewed purpose...
- www.austinchronicle.com
2009-07-21
★★★★★
Michael Martin Murphey's best album in a decade, Cowboy Songs Four, finds him addressing nearly all
aspects of the Western spirit, from contemporary land and water
issues (''Rangeland Rebel'') to the luck of the draw (''Born to Buck
Bad Luck'') to untamed nature (''Summer Ranges''). He even out-sings
Lyle Lovett on their duet of ''Farther Down the Line.'' Pony up,
saddle pals. B+
- ew.com
2009-06-12
★★★★★
America's Horses, a tribute to the American Quarter Horse (hey, everybody loves something), shows Michael martin Murphey in his usual cosmic-cowboy mode. But besides a spirited duet with Johnny Cash on "Tennessee Stud," Murphey rarely breaks into a gallop. Horse lovers will be happy to graze on this, but do casual riders really need to hear a new version of "Wildfire"?
- ew.com
2009-06-04
★★★★★
Recorded live with The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, Sagebrush Symphony contains a selection of Michael Martin Murphey's most popular songs, as well as several cowboy standards. Although the combination of orchestra and cowboy songs initially seems forced, it works quite well, particularly because Murphy turns in an impassioned performance...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
A "western cowboy" holiday album might seem like a contradiction in terms, but Michael Martin Murphey, in his typical tradition, is able to pull off the unexpected with Cowboy Christmas. Like his other records, Murphey balances traditional songs with originals that manage to capture not just the style, but the very feel of classic cowboy songs and it has a downhome warmth and honesty that is lacking from most Christmas albums, including most country Christmas albums.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
With guests that include Willie Nelson, John Denver, and Charlie Daniels, 1976's Swans Against the Sun is a little different in some respects when compared to rest of Michael Martin Murphey's material. It's not that the music is contrary or eccentric itself, it's the fact that there's a little more juice and fire added to the tracks than usual when compared to the rest of Murphey's albums...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
This live album heavily showcases Murphey's early work with some interesting twists. His "Cosmic Cowboy" turns into a breakdown, while his song "Another Cheap Western" is coupled with The Olympics' 1958 hit, "Wester Movies." Not a particularly memorable album it's still kind of fun.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
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