Just Us Kids

Just Us Kids
Studio album by James McMurtry
Released	April 15, 2008
Recorded	2008, Wire Recording, Austin, TX
Genre	Country
Length	59:28
Label	Lightning Rod Records
Producer	James McMurtry
James McMurtry chronology
Childish Things (2005) Just Us Kids (2008) Live in Europe (2009)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	82/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
American Songwriter	[3]
The Austin Chronicle	[4]
Blender	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	A− [6]
Mojo
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)	A− [7]
PopMatters	8/10 [8]
Q
Tom Hull	A– [9]

Just Us Kids is an album by singer-songwriter James McMurtry. It was nominated at the 2008 Americana Music Association for Album of the Year, Song of the Year ("Cheney's Toy") and earned McMurtry a nomination for Artist of the Year. ^{[10] [11]}

Track listing

All songs written by James McMurtry unless otherwise noted.

1. "Bayou Tortous" – 4:52
2. "Just Us Kids" – 5:10
3. "God Bless America (Pat MacDonald Must Die)" – 5:03
4. "Cheney's Toy" – 5:51
5. "Freeway View" – 3:40
6. "Hurricane Party" – 5:58
7. "Ruby and Carlos" – 6:38
8. "Brief Intermission" (McMurtry, Daren Hess, Ronnie Johnson) – 2:53
9. "Fire Line Road" (McMurtry, Tim Holt) – 5:32
10. "The Governor" – 5:53
11. "Ruins of the Realm" – 4:27
12. "You'd A' Thought (Leonard Cohen Must Die)" – 5:17

Personnel

• James McMurtry: lead vocal, guitars, mandoguitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer,
• Ronnie Johnson: 4 string and 8 string bass guitars, vocals,
• Daren Hess: drums, percussion, tympany, whistle
• Ian McLagan: organ, piano
• Harmoni Kelly: vocals
• Brian Standefer: cello
• Chris Maresh: bass viol
• Jon Dee Graham: lap steel
• Pat MacDonald: harmonicas, vocals,
• Ephraim Owens: trumpet
• Charlie Richards: guitar, lap steel
• Lee Scott: vocals
• John Nelson: percussion
• Curtis McMurtry: baritone saxophone
• C.C. Adcock: guitar

References

1. "Reviews for Just Us Kids by James McMurtry". Metacritic . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
2. AllMusic review
3. Hight, Jewly. "JAMES MCMURTRY > Just Us Kids". American Songwriter . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
4. Oko, Dan (April 11, 2008). "James McMurtry - Just Us Kids (Lightning Rod)". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
5. Eddy, Chuck (April 15, 2008). "James McMurty - Just Us Kids". Blender . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
6. Entertainment Weekly review
7. "Robert Christgau review". Archived from the original on July 12, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
8. PopMatters review
9. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: James McMurtry". Tom Hull – on the Web . Retrieved May 5, 2025.
10. "Artists: James McMurtry". Lightning Rod Records. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
11. "Americana Music Award Nominees 2008". About.com. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2010.

External links

• James McMurtry – information regarding James McMurtry and The Heartless Bastards.