''Candyland'' is the second album by the American musician

James McMurtry James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor (''Daisy Miller'', ''Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hours i ...

, released in 1992. McMurtry supported the album by participating in the "In Their Own Words: A Bunch of Songwriters Sittin' Around Singing" tour, with

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and "Whenever You're on My Mind." He i ...

, Don Dixon,

Jules Shear Jules Mark Shear (born March 7, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He wrote the Cyndi Lauper hit single " All Through the Night" and The Bangles' hit "If She Knew What She Wants", and charted a hit as a performer with "Stead ...

, and David Halley.

Production

Produced by Michael Wanchic, the album was recorded in 1990.

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

coproduced one song, and most of his band played on the album.

David Grissom David Grissom is an American guitarist who has played and toured with several of America's leading bands and recording artists. He is best known for his work with John Mellencamp. He has released four solo albums: ''Loud Music'', ''10,000 Feet ...

played lead guitar. ''Candylands release date was pushed back numerous times, due to

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

' doubts about the songs, problems with McMurtry's management company, and Columbia's request that McMurtry record new material. McMurtry wrote all of the songs, mostly in the studio. He did not like to write about his personal life and also found it more difficult to write about pleasant subjects. The title track is about suburbia; McMurtry wrote it because his band thought he needed a song with a faster tempo. "Where's Johnny" is about a faded high school big man on campus. "Safe Side" describes segregated American neighborhoods. In "Hands Like Rain", an old man remembers how a woman helped him get through a rough period in his life.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' 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." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' 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." ''

The Indianapolis Star ''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, when the ''Indianap ...

'' noted that "cynics might justly accuse McMurtry of merely painting by numbers in this 10-song follow-up." ''

The Kitchener-Waterloo Record The ''Waterloo Region Record'' (formerly ''The Record'') is the daily newspaper covering Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, as well as the surrounding area. Since December 1998, the ''Re ...

'' panned "McMurtry's almost directionless voice and often somnolent writing." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' 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."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that "McMurtry offers a deep, personable (if plain) voice and delivery, equally suited to both country and rock."

Track listing

References

{{James McMurtry James McMurtry albums 1992 albums Columbia Records albums