Candyland is the second album by the American musician James McMurtry, released in 1992.[1][2] McMurtry supported the album by participating in the "In Their Own Words: A Bunch of Songwriters Sittin' Around Singing" tour, with Marshall Crenshaw, Don Dixon, Jules Shear, and David Halley.[3]
Production
Produced by Michael Wanchic, the album was recorded in 1990.[4][5] John Mellencamp coproduced one song, and most of his band played on the album.[6][7] David Grissom played lead guitar.[8] Candyland's release date was pushed back numerous times, due to Columbia Records' doubts about the songs, problems with McMurtry's management company, and Columbia's request that McMurtry record new material.[5] McMurtry wrote all of the songs, mostly in the studio.[9][10] He did not like to write about his personal life and also found it more difficult to write about pleasant subjects.[11] The title track is about suburbia; McMurtry wrote it because his band thought he needed a song with a faster tempo.[12] "Where's Johnny" is about a faded high school big man on campus.[13] "Safe Side" describes segregated American neighborhoods.[14] In "Hands Like Rain", an old man remembers how a woman helped him get through a rough period in his life.[15]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Calgary Herald | B+[9] |
| Chicago Tribune | [7] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [14] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [4] |
Trouser Press opined that "the songs stand out more as hummable tunes," writing that "it's a compelling assortment of small-town tragedies of lost love, lost youth and lost ideals that exposes unpleasant aspects of an America most people would prefer to deny."[17] The New York Times determined that McMurtry's "characters are detached, stranded without frontiers to strive toward; their lives are cluttered with things they're not sure they need."[13] The Boston Globe stated: "His trump card is resignation, and the Americans he profiles can be characterized as closed-minded. Their world, spiritually and financially mediocre, is unchanging."[18]
The Indianapolis Star noted that "cynics might justly accuse McMurtry of merely painting by numbers in this 10-song follow-up."[14] The Kitchener-Waterloo Record panned "McMurtry's almost directionless voice and often somnolent writing."[19] Rolling Stone concluded that, "with his dusty voice and limited range, McMurtry needs to vary his laconic delivery to ensure that his singing doesn't fade to gray after a half-dozen songs."[20]
AllMusic wrote that "McMurtry offers a deep, personable (if plain) voice and delivery, equally suited to both country and rock."[16]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Where's Johnny" | |
| 2. | "Vague Directions" | |
| 3. | "Hands Like Rain" | |
| 4. | "Safe Side" | |
| 5. | "Candyland" | |
| 6. | "Don't Waste Away" | |
| 7. | "Good Life" | |
| 8. | "Save Yourself" | |
| 9. | "Storekeeper" | |
| 10. | "Dusty Pages" |
References
- ^ Johnson, Michael L. (1996). New Westers: The West in Contemporary American Culture. University Press of Kansas. p. 344.
- ^ Christensen, Thor (26 May 1992). "Surly songwriters offer few of their own words". The Milwaukee Journal. p. B6.
- ^ Okamoto, David (22 May 1992). "Songwriters swap music and stories". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. F7.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 450.
- ^ a b McLeese (15 Aug 1991). "Make-or-break time for Austin acts". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 7.
- ^ "Candyland by James McMurtry". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 28. Jul 11, 1992. p. 46.
- ^ a b Kening, Dan (16 July 1992). "Rave Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ Mackie, John (13 Aug 1992). "Late starter's raring to go now". Vancouver Sun. p. C6.
- ^ a b Dunlop, Neil (5 July 1992). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ Harris, Paul A. (23 Aug 1992). "Stories from Another McMurtry". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 3C.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (8 Oct 1992). "Singer likes things 'messy and choppy'". Toronto Star. p. D9.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (2 June 1992). "James McMurtry Keeps His Distance from His Songs". Los Angeles Times. p. F6.
- ^ a b Schoemer, Karen (21 June 1992). "Two Roads Taken, Each Leading to the Heartland". The New York Times. p. A23.
- ^ a b c Hawn, John (3 July 1992). "McMurtry recreates hellish images on his second album". The Indianapolis Star. p. B5.
- ^ "James McMurtry's Unsettling American Stories". Stereo Review. Vol. 57, no. 10. Oct 1992. p. 81.
- ^ a b "Candyland Review by Roch Parisien". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ "James McMurtry". Trouser Press. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ Gilbert, Matthew (12 June 1992). "New generation of FM poets strike the bittersweet chord". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 37.
- ^ Maize, Andy (23 July 1992). "Candyland James McMurtry". The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. p. C17.
- ^ Drozdowski, Ted (Sep 17, 1992). "Candyland by James McMurtry". Rolling Stone. No. 639. p. 94.