Red River Drifter

Recording

Red River Drifter was recorded in 2013 at Bumpin' Heads Studio and Omnisound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and Mole End Studio in Franklin, Tennessee.

Critical reception

In his review in Country Standard Time, Robert Wooldridge observed that "the western feel is still prominent, but Murphey also reveals bluegrass, country, pop and jazz influences on a collection of new compositions." Wooldridge continued:

Murphey's reverence for the outdoors remains intact with the up-tempo bluegrass track Peaceful Country, on which son Ryan Murphey shines on mandolin. The ominous bluegrass ballad Mountain Storm compares the volatility of a relationship to that of a storm ... Secret Smile and The Gathering are reminiscent of Murphey's country pop hits ... Elsewhere the bouncy Rolling Sky and wistful Faded Blue have a jazz feel, while the closing tune Unfinished Symphony has a classical touch. Perhaps the strongest track is the bluesy Shake It Off, a catchy duet with Pauline Reese that humorously extols the virtues of perseverance with such observations as 'no food on the table and they're shutting off the cable/Buddy won't you shake it off'.

Wooldridge concluded, "While recent efforts have been largely nostalgic with Murphey's devotion to western music, as well as revisiting some of his own classics such as Wildfire, Geronimo's Cadillac and What Am I Doing Hangin' Round, this contemporary collection nicely augments Murphey's impressive catalog."

Track listing

All songs were written by Michael Martin Murphey, Ryan Murphey, and Pat Flynn, except where noted.

1. "Peaceful Country" – 2:42
2. "Rolling Sky" – 3:27
3. "Secret Smile" – 3:06
4. "Faded Blue" – 3:45
5. "Shake It Off" – 3:53
6. "Hardscrabble Creek" – 4:12
7. "Mountain Storm" (Michael Martin Murphey and Ryan Murphey) – 3:33
8. "The Gathering" – 3:37
9. "New Old Love" – 2:44
10. "Unfinished Symphony" – 3:25

Credits