Album Review : Claude “Butch” Morgan : Talk About

Jul 31, 2010 Album Reviews
Posted by Adam

Here is another review of someone who I was previously unfamiliar with. Morgan has been around for quite some time playing with just about everyone on the Texas music scene at some point. He has released a number of albums that after hearing this one I will be acquiring.

Talk About was produced by one of my favorite songwriters, Jonathan Byrd. Morgan decided to bring in someone that he respected to help him put together an album for him. Together they picked through a bunch of songs that Morgan had lying around and came up with what you hear on this one.

Morgan has a great sense of humor and that shows in his songwriter, with songs like “Shoes” and “Man in the Mirror”. He has a very unique storytelling style of delivering his lyrics that makes you feel like you know him and that he is right in front of you singing the songs when listening to the album.

“Man in the Mirror” is my favorite tune on the record. Morgan recounts looking at himself getting older through a mirror with some amusing references to standing in his underwear and cowboy hat and the graying of his hair.

Another great song on the album is the title track. “Talk About” is an upbeat folky song that invokes thoughts of Cat Stevens in his heyday. “I’ve never really had much to say, I never let that get in the way, I can move my mouth a mile a minute, even with my boot in it” , sings Morgan.

Standing aside from the general good vibe of most of the album is the foreboding, “Sad Cafe” a song about where you go when you’ve lost your love or your way. I love the feel of this song, cold coffee and stares lingering in a place no one wants to be but eventually ends up in.

Byrd and Morgan have put together a great album here. One that really showcases Morgan’s songwriting abilities and does not muddy up the songs with unnecessary sounds. Morgan seems to mostly play in the Texas area, but he does make it out and about sometimes and I am hoping a stop in Ohio is in his future because I have a feeling that the show would be endlessly entertaining.

You can find Morgan on Facebook and his homepage and I would suggest doing so.

Tags: album review, cat stevens, claude "butch" morgan, jonathan byrd