"Houston has thrown down the gauntlet that all other Texas songwriters will have to aspire to. The music is righteously cool, his lyrics are stellar." — Ray Wylie Hubbard

I first caught up with the music of Houston Marchman early in 2000 after the release of his first full length CD, 1999's Leavin' Dallas. It was the melodies of his songs that first grabbed my attention- a mix of country, polka, conjunto, blues, and what Houston likes to refer to as Texas folk that he on occasion, delivers with the attitude of the best of the heartland roots-rockers (Earle, Mellencamp, Springsteen). Next his smoky, soulful, Texas twang sucked me in, and finally, after listening to the lyrics of his songs, he had me reeled in- hook, line and sinker. Later that year, he released his second album, Tryin' For Home and since discovering Houston Marchman, he's convinced me he's one of the best, yet sadly one of the most overlooked and underrated singer/songwriters, not only in Texas, but anywhere- an opinion that's only grown stronger with each subsequent release.

Houston Marchman sings his own brand of Texas music. He's not of the Texas 'party band' (Pat Green, Cory Morrow, etc.) variety. Although he can raise his own share of hell, his lyrics are too deep for the typical college crowd to appreciate. He's got plenty of songs to burn that can fill up the dancefloor in the best of honky tonks, yet again the lyrics aren't of the garden variety two-steppers and shuffles, they're more complex. But at the same time, his songs aren't typical country-folk based 'quietly-sitting-and-absorbing-the-song' singer/songwriter fare, since most of his songs are more than capable of filling the dancefloor. He creates vivid and honest portraits of everyday life by weaving his stories through simple but poetic lyrics and a musically complex blend of styles in his melodies.

On last year's release Desperate Man, Houston decided to tone down the instruments and move closer to his country-folk roots, putting even more focus on his lyrics that resulted in an outstanding effort of more acoustic-centric, fiddle driven songs with a distinctly western flavor. Blue Cadillac is Houston's newly released follow-up on which he wrote 11 of the album's 14 songs. While the focus remains on the lyrics, Houston pushes things up a few notches with a more plugged in, fuller sound and a greater emphasis on his vocals. Blue Cadillac expands on country-folk with a grittier sound, adds a couple of driving roadhouse honky tonkers and includes several songs with a soulfully country-blues feel.

Blue Cadillac kicks off with a lament of life on the road in the two-stepper, "Not Tonight." Houston delivers the cleverly naughty "Holdin' My Own" as a breezy uptempo cha-cha and provides a humorous table turning twist in the shuffling "It Don't Mean I Don't Love You." Another shuffle, "Divorcees And Corvette Cars" tells the tale of a guy who spent too many years sowing his wild oats and now that he's ready to settle down, to his great dismay, finds that 'all the good ones are gone.' The Bill Carter penned "Roadblock" is a driving roadhouse honky tonker, full of frustration at the obstacles that keep getting in the way of a man trying getting back home to his woman.

"Goodbye To Amarillo" written by Joe Pat Henon, is a soaring ballad that reflects the pain of a love that didn't work out. Houston reprises "Broken Glass" that appeared on Desperate Man and delivers an alternate version. The original had a stripped down fiddle driven arrangement. The Blue Cadillac version is plugged in which results in a fuller sound that lets Houston cut loose with some powerful vocals that really showcases the true strength of the lyrics, making the new version a disc highlight. Another highlight is "Me And My Old Man," with it's stark and haunting melody that tells the poignant tale of a father and son who are both ultimately abandoned by the same woman. "Long Way From Here" is a desolate song of a relationship and a life gone sour and the need to leave it behind and make a fresh start. The title track "Blue Cadillac" looks at small town dreams gone wrong, while "Faye" is an aching, world weary tale of frustration, emptiness and the search for love to fill the void. 

The most surprising song on Blue Cadillac is Houston's cover of Warren Haynes' "Soul Shine" (which was recorded by The Allman Brothers on their Where It All Began album). The song is a soulful gospel influenced blues about finding strength from within through the hard times and Houston really cuts loose and gives an outstanding rendition. There's always one song on every Houston Marchman album that's so powerful, both lyrically and in delivery, it leaves goosebumps in it's wake. That song on Blue Cadillac would be "Everyday," a powerful, bluesy ballad about love and finding forgiveness despite past mistakes. Houston provides some soulful vocals on the country-blues "Soul Full Of Blues," a standout autobiographical song about the difference between people who "sing just for money and fame" and the poets who "ne'er do well" and which side he chooses to be on.

Houston Marchman has indeed decided which side he wants to be on. He was blessed with the gift of being a very talented singer/songwriter and has chosen to focus on writing and performing well crafted songs that will stand the test of time rather than taking the easy road- singing and writing "just for the fame and money." Blue Cadillac shows that Houston remains on track as he's delivered yet another first rate effort.         

Standout Tracks: "Not Tonight," "Goodbye To Amarillo," "Broken Glass," "Me And My Old Man," "Blue Cadillac," "Holdin' My Own," "Faye," "Everyday," "Soul Full Of Blues," "It Don't Mean I Love You"

On The Net: www.houstonmarchman.com www.lonestarmusic.com www.amazon.com  

AnnMarie Harrington TakeCountryBack May 2004