Cowboy Classics: Playing Favorites II is the twenty-fourth album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey. It is Murphey's follow-up to his 2001 compilation Playing Favorites and contains rerecorded versions of many of his cowboy songs. Murphey's attraction to the cowboy's way of life is an attempt to preserve his own cultural heritage, breathing new life into classics like "I Ride an Old Paint", "Red River Valley", and "Yellow Rose of Texas". Among the highlights of the album is a stately six-minute version of "Streets of Laredo", arranged for fiddle and piano. In the liner notes, Murphey includes a short note concerning each of the song's origins.
Track listing "I Ride An Old Paint" (Traditional) – 3:36 "Whoopie Ti-Ti-Yo" – 2:26 "The Old Chisholm Trail" – 4:39 "Strawberry Roan" – 4:15 "Red River Valley" – 5:41 "Little Joe the Wrangler" (Thorp) – 4:10 "The Colorado Trail" – 3:42 "Tying Knots In the Devils Tail" – 3:09 "When the Work's All Done This Fall" – 4:15 "The Yellow Rose of Texas" (Traditional) – 2:50 "Utah Carroll" – 3:45 "The Bard of Armagh" / "Streets of Laredo" (Traditional) – 6:58 "I Ride An Old Paint" (reprise) (Traditional) – 1:48
Credits Music Michael Martin Murphey – vocals, acoustic guitar Ryan Murphey – acoustic guitar, nylon strings, producer Pat Flynn – acoustic guitar, nylon strings Chris Leuzinger – acoustic & electric guitars, nylon strings Jonathan Yudkin – mandolin, fiddle David Hoffner – piano Joey Miskulin – accordion Paul Sadler – hammered dulcimer Craig Nelson – upright bass Matt Pierson – upright bass Bobby Blazier – drums Daniel Marvel – drums
Production Keith Compton – engineer Michael Page – art direction John Sheppard – photography William Matthews – cover painting, watercolor art
References
External links Michael Martin Murphey's Official Website