Singer-Songwriter James Talley was critically acclaimed but not widely known, he fused blues, country and social commentary into his songs. Some compared him to a mid-70s Woody Guthrie as he sang about "hard times and breadlines." Talley built a studio in exchange for studio time, pressed 1,000 copies of his 1974 album and mailed them to country radio stations. Eventually, he landed a contract with Capitol and released four albums for that label. This is 40th anniversary reissue of Talley's masterful 1976 album Tryin' Like The Devil. Recorded at Jack Clement Studio B in Nashville the album features a great supporting cast including Charlie McCoy - harmonica, Johnny Gimble - fiddle & mandolin, Josh Graves - Dobro and many others.