Michael Murphey-Wild Swans Against The Sky

Original

Another one I remember listeing to when I lived at home. Don’t remember where I got this one, perhaps at the record store on Penny Hill which was near my parents house. I must have played this more than his Geronimo’s Cadillac record because I knew every song on it,at least on side one. The title track is a song with John Denver adding vocals. “Renegade” is his most Rocking song with John Denver,Charlie Daniels,and Willie and Tracey Nelson(no relation) providing backing vocals. John McEuen ,of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band plays various string instruments on many of the songs. There is a cover of the Hank Williams song “Mansion On The Hill” sung by Murphey and Denver. “Dancing In The Moonlight” is a Celtic sounding song set to a Traditional melody. I was able to see Michael Murphey at one of the Merlefests I went to at the Hillside stage, one of the six or seven stages there. The piano introduction to “Wildfire” is part of a classical composition written in the 1800’s. They brought a young girl up to the piano to play more of the composition,apparently a difficult piece to play. Say what you will about the song,It’s pretty sappy,but when she got to the notes that introduce the song I got some chill bumps. The rest of the people there must have felt the same because after the song was over he got a long standing ovation. Hard to do when you are sitting on a steep hill.

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