Michael Hurley (December 20, 1941 – April 1, 2025) was an American folk singer-songwriter who was a part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene of the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to playing a wide variety of instruments, Hurley was also a cartoonist and a painter. Hurley's music has been described as "outsider folk". Hurley was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on December 20, 1941, and grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He began playing and writing songs at the age of 13. He recorded his first album, First Songs at the age of 22. He also lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Ohio, Florida, and most recently in Oregon. Hurley self-published at least three magazines. The Underground Monthly, The Outcry, and The Morning Tea. He also created several comic books featuring Jocko and Boone, Greenbriar Kornbread, and Mama Molasses, among other characters. Hurley liked to call himself Elwood Snock, Doc Snock, Snockman, The Snock, or Snock. Hurley did much of the artwork for his own albums. Two oft-featured cartoon werewolves, Jocko and Boone, were something of a theme across Hurley's musical career, even appearing in their own comics. Both are based on dogs that Hurley's family owned when he was a child. Hurley had three children with his former wife, Marjorie, whom he called "Pasta", two sons, Jordan and Colorado, and a daughter, Daffodil. He had a son, Rollin, with a girlfriend, Kim, and a daughter, Wilder Mountain Honey, with another girlfriend, Bethany. Hurley died on April 1, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, while being rushed to the hospital after stopping breathing. He was 83. Hurley was being driven home after returning from playing a show the previous day in Asheville, North Carolina, and also played two shows on March 28 and 29 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Laid back folk album by Michael Hurley. Some of the songs (“Hog Of The Forsaken", "The Time Is Right") are re-recordings of own material from way back. With age his voice is getting weaker and the songs sound more fragile, but that is rather a charm than a problem.
HELL YEAH! never thought I’d see a Michael Hurley album on this site! this is so fucking cool! not my favorite album of his if I’m being honest, that would probably go to Armchair Boogie, with Ling Journey being a close second but I still can’t put into words how happy this and literally every other song of his makes me - one of the greatest musicians of his generation who passed away not too long ago this album, like all others, are too good to give a rating to, tho I guess the full five stars will have to suffice - thank you Michael Hurley, for everything you’ve made <3
This is my sort of lane, good musicianship without taking the whole thing too seriously. Folksy Americana by someone it world clearly be fun to have a beer with. Listened originally as a Friday wrapping up the work day, then put back on to cook Saturday morning breakfast and was great for both
I enjoyed this well enough, although it's a stretch to say I needed to hear it before I die. Earthy, affable and low-key. For a fairly short album though, it wore thin with me somewhere around the mid-point. Fave Songs: I Stole the Right to Live, Valley of Tears, It Must Be Gelatine, The Time is Right, Hog of the Forsaken
I found myself wanting to skip to the next song on every track. Occasionally the folksy, bluegrassy music was ok, but the vocals were usually my breaking point. I read about Michael Hurley, and wondered if his voice in his younger days in the Greenwich folk scene in the 60s and 70s might be better. It seems it was, but he also sometimes exaggerated the vocals in a silly and annoying way. It's also all a very fake Southern accent from a guy from Jersey, and almost feels like its mocking some of the time. This may be my least favorite of the user albums thus far.
Fun! Very Dan Reeder adjacent.
SO UGLY 😭😭😭WHYY CAN ONLY SEE IDA SUCK COCK Banger record tho 4
Since this was listed as outsider folk, I was expecting something very different than what I got. Some very pleasant folksy music. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Slight no.
I really love this. 4 stars.
Fine, I guess
Back-porch folk is the perfect description for this one. It’s warm, loose, and easy to listen to, but not something that really does more than that. I can see how Michael Hurley’s charm would shine on a small stage somewhere in the grass, but as an album it drifts by without leaving much behind. Nice to have on, but not something I’d come back to.
Rating: 6/10
Excellent instrumentation and gorgeous singing ruined by silly, out of place lyrics
I'm sorry, this is nails on a chalkboard to me. I'm sure he was a charming sweet old man, clearly witty, and I'm sorry to hear of his recent passing. If you love this album you are probably a decent human being. But not my cup of tea.
This was an alright album with some very odd songs lyrically. Somewhat of a Tom Waits sound with the deeper folk sound. This was pretty passable but Going Steady and Hoot Owls really brought the album down a bit. It was fine before that and then I couldn’t enjoy the remaining album. 4.5/10
Folk album with some weird and questionable songs on it. Did not like it very much
Not a bad album, just not my thing.
Some of these lyrics raised a random eyebrow but this was otherwise pretty flat and boring
There was a critical lack of solo male vocalists playing guitar on the 1001 so thank you for addressing this gap (◔_◔)
Not my cup of tea at all
Pleasant enough but not an album I will return to probably
Just not my thing at all. I only give one star if I think that the album is one that I could never listen to again. This is one of those. Sorry to whoever listed it.