Kat Angel Wow! Through your words, I heard my mother, my father, my sisters and brother, my grandma and grandpa, myself talking to my husband, my best friend. I suppose we are all that predictable in time and in retrospect. You made me think and travel through time.

Kat Angel James Michael Taylor great song. I love the melody and the words

Joseph Brunelle Haunting Sentimental heart on the sleeve and knot in the pine

Belinda Stephens - Lovely, James. Who are you singing about? James Michael Taylor Belinda Stephens Specifically, Peggy. But we all have the voices of our parents and children and other loved ones that we live with.

David Young Wow! Beautiful song! One of your best.

Leslie Young Evocative song.

John R. Thielges I think you bring poetry to grief; in an unique way. "Help" and hickory sticks. Thank you.

Raechel Frice James Michael Taylor the story telling aspect of your songs/lyrics remind me of John Denver. This is meant as a compliment.

Paul Smith James Michael Taylor I freaking love your music.

Randy Brown I think everyone was hesitant to encourage the final solution. I love the melody and the sadness of the lyrics.

Dene Colwill You are truly one of the greatest song writers of this decade. Right there with Paul Simon and Gordon Lightfoot in my opinion. All I can say off that sadness and anger is still strong pray to God for peace as only he holds the way to you being able to let b it go. You can't change other people or events that have happened, but you can learn to forgive and change how YOU react to them. If you ever feel nobody cares or will listen, call me. I'll find time and make the time to meet with you or listen over the phone. Don't let depression or anger beat you down for too long old friend. Like Reply2h Active James Michael Taylor I write songs to explain my situation to myself. Considering it all I might just be the happiest person I know.

Lazarus Knight Sometimes you post a song with a link that brings up an album. I don't always listen to the full album because of the rush of life. But I'm trying to remember one of the very recent ones ... I think it (the song)_ was called "Sometime". It is so beautifully poetic and the feeling is passed along so gracefully. It is truly an expression of sweet sorrow, or more accurately, a sweet expression of the numbing pain of loss. It is the thing that my story songs just don't quite do. Lazarus Knight

Your imagery, as always, is superb, Jim: poignant and compelling. Comparing the lasting effects of a broken relationship to a ghost town made me feel close to tears.

Brian Gagnon I fought this feeling by staying angry. 30+ years later, I'm still angry.

Tim Tandy The mood of this song reminds me of John Denver's "Perhaps Love." He explained that he wrote it when he was no longer in a relationship but that, while there was sorrow and pain, there was also the beautiful memory of love to see him through. You've captured the bittersweetness -so different from melancholy - of the best haiku poems.

Tim Tandy Whew.............

Haunting. A different take on driving a dark desert highway, cool wind in your hair....Tim Tandy

Jere Reiser Beautiful and Haunting. It is not we, who summon ghosts from the past. Rather it is we who haunt our past. It's like going back to the present. In some instances, I suffer from being the perpetrator and can't avoid picking at the scab. But that's just me.

Ken Gaines Well, my friend, I'm glad you haven't ridden that bullet yet. Meanwhile, I miss swapping songs with you.

I dig it - Raechel Frice

Bruce Balmer I like the parallel sixths in the backing vocals.

Tim Tandy Hickory Stix has always captivated me. Dang, I gotta start getting out to open mics again. Might even get the chance to sing that high harmony on the "oohs!"

Rose Jeffus - I agree. (with Lane. "I declare this album your #1 compilation."

Watermelon Wind is a good one too. Really inspiring images Lazarus Knight

Yes, it is obvious to anyone who actually listens to follow the story. The killer line ... the picture that finishes breaking what's left of the listener's heart is "but Jimmy bought the yearbook, and he hold it now and then". Lazarus Knight

brush up on "Lest night I said goodbye to Rose" I know that's not exactly the title, but I think many people would like that song like I do. Lazareth Knight

Oh Jimmy rings of a certain kind of pain that you've captured perfectly. Lazarath Knight.

Lane Beauvais By the power invested in me, I declare this album your #1 compilation.

I was talking about the Wight Hotel, directly across the street from The White Elephant. The things you mention were going on when The Beer Garden 1st took over that rat hole between the Elephant and the steak house.

Tim Tandy This one really grabs me, Jim. I enjoy the "play like" aspect of the Stockyards District today, but I KNOW what was real and what wasn't. When I grew up in East Fort Worth in the 50's thru the 70's, the Stockyards were a working affair. Everyone downwind got the dust and rancid odors that were a mixture of cattle manure, blood and guts, and rendered fat. Get up close, and you added in the panicked sounds of cattle going up the ramps to slaughter. The buildings along E and W Exchange were mostly delapidated flop-houses, and I recall there were usually destitute men in soiled undershirts leaning out the upstairs windows smoking cigarettes and taking it all in. When the slaughterhouses shut down and the development folks took over, they neatly "packed up" the ambience of the historical "Hell's Half Acre" - gambling halls, saloons, cheap hotels, bordello's and the site of gunfights such as the famous Luke Short/Jim Courtright affair - which had been razed in the 60's and replaced with the Water Gardens and Convention Center as an act of "urban renewal", and "relocated" them to the Stockyards. I really don't object to all of it, but just wish they were a bit more open about what's shit and what's Shinola, ya know? All the tourists crowd E Exhange at the appointed hour and hoot and holler and excitedly REAL Wild West every day when the "cattle drive" occurs. Oh, well, as Bruce Willis' character in "Die Hard" liked to say, "Yippi-ki-yay, MF!"

Sad, and that was 11 years ago. How does it feel now ... like more of the same? It seems to me like your not just accepted but held in high esteem at the places where I've seen you perform. Lazarus Knight

Terry Rasor I remember those daze Michael, y’all were awesome and I’m glad and proud to have known you all and have you at my Raz On The Braz festival so many years ago! Love ya my friend!

Roland Brown Sorry to hear about Barbara. Texas Water was as good as you say. I’m thinking about adding “I’ll Be Glad to Let You Love Me” to our band’s set list.

Joe Brunelle - I like this, Jim

Lazarus Knight That's a really good song. It resonates with truth.

Tim Tandy Brilliantly haunting! Like a character in a Hank Williams song, you're telling a poignant, sad story, but NOT seeking pity.

"Wow, beautiful." Ken McIntyre

I like that a lot. Its a fresh perspective. Lazareth Knight

Gwyn -Verrrrry nice! PS: I listened to the "shorts" you sent me while sitting in the car waiting for Greg to pick up some groceries. I think you have invented a new artform with these shorts: Haiku Songs! I really loved them. I laughed a lot, and that's a compliment!

Laurie Callinan ...beautiful heartbreaking song.