Chuck Prophet – “What Can A Mother Do?”
Posted on | January 5, 2010 | No Comments
1. Chuck Prophet is not a country singer, doesn’t claim to be. In fact, his new record, Let Freedom Ring!, is more of a tribute to the birth of rock and roll than anything, with its shades of Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. However, it doesn’t necessarily take a country singer to sing a country song, as he proves on the second track, “What Can A Mother Do?”. Prophet has called these “political songs for non-political people”, and his gentle treatment of loss here strikes a chord. This is not a song about people from the country, but a song for people from America’s rural areas, which gives it all the qualification it needs.
2. Chuck recorded Let Freedom Ring! in Mexico City with Greg Leisz (who produced Dave Alvin’s King of California) at the helm. He sought help from original E Street drummer Ernest “Boom” Carter and, on this song, ex-Nickel Creek fiddler Sara Watkins. Her lilting vocals and swooning fiddle give its shuffling rhythm a nice drawl. Prophet speaks of an “only child”, who was “born to run” (pun intended, as drummer Carter gave that song its signature heft). “Unwanted in seventeen states”, the child wanders around the country while Prophet wonders about her parents, whose baby is “never coming home”. He moves on to tell the story of a youngest child, who scrapped for everything he could get growing up. By the time he enlisted, Prophet notes, he was “three times a dad”. The chorus implies his death, and Prophet’s subtle mention of his occupation makes clear his feelings on war.
3. Prophet finishes by noting the presence of “Jesus on the billboard” and how we have pounded our fists at the sky in vain, asking for some relief from this world. Finishing with the now loaded chorus, he shrugs his shoulders, and the song enjoys one last bit of music before fading away. This is not an overtly political song, as Chuck shows that the parents of runaways and fallen soldiers go through the same thing. Loss is one thing that makes us human, and this simple jaunt carries that simple message, with just enough sugar to make it go down easy.
Chuck Prophet – What Can A Mother Do?
Top 20 of 2009: #20-11
Posted on | December 30, 2009 | 2 Comments
Here is some of the music that struck me in 2009. In case you missed it, read the manifesto for this site. It might help you understand where I am coming from. If you didn’t see the Bird List, now might be a good time to check it out.
#20: Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women
Dave continues a great late-career run. Come to think of it, his “run” has never stopped, or really even slowed. Read a single review.
Reverent enough to know when to leave the song alone, but restless enough to know when to shake things up.
There is country music that is funny outside of “She Left Me For Jesus”. Most of it is here.
Mining that Canadiana sound, BoH comes up with something fresh. Good songs and great voices. Read a single review.
This should probably be filed under “educational” rather than “country”. Read a single review.
Wry humor and stripped down execution from the Great White North. Read a single review.
A beautiful sounding record, with great songs to back it up. Possibly his most consistent. Read the original review.
This sounds old, worn in, and gorgeous. I don’t think people are used to quality of this level anymore.
#12: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
His departure didn’t kill the Drive-By Truckers, but gave us double the output. DBT also put out a rarities record, and Isbell had the best song (”TVA”) on it. Read the original review.
One thing you can say about Robert Keen is that he always sounds like he is having fun. Read the original review.
Works Progress Administration – “You Will Always Have My Love”
Posted on | December 14, 2009 | 1 Comment
1. To call Works Progress Administration a supergroup might be an understatement. Led by Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket), Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett, Jerry Douglas Band) and Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, they have a phenomenal amount of talent just in their frontline. Backed by Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher from Elvis Costello’s band, and pedal steel player Greg Leisz (who produced Dave Alvin’s King of California), WPA is deeper than most NBA teams. However, a large amount of talent does not necessarily make a great record. Luckily, they have Rick Rubin sideman Jim Scott at the helm, and his ability to direct musical traffic shines on the first single from their self-titled album “You Will Always Have My Love”.
2. Though Phillips’ forgiving words are no slouch, the undeniable star of the song is the indelible opening riff, first announced by Bulla and Sara Watkins’ twin fiddles, then echoed by Leisz and Tench in the second go-round. Jim Scott makes the four instruments share a run of notes is a testament to his skill, though Phillips’ lyrics bolster the nostalgic feeling. Building the metaphor of a burning house, Phillips admittedly takes half of the credit for its’ demise. The chorus, however, is reassuring, with Phillips peeling back the layers of tears and scars to reveal his continuing, if not active support and affection. Though the chorus is immediate and meaningful, it serves almost as a pre-chorus to the re-entry of the main theme. He continues to forgive his old partner of wrongdoings since their split, stopping just short of asking for reconciliation.
3. Some may argue that this doesn’t quite fit into the country genre — though whatever Phillips lacks in vocal twang, his band makes up for in spades with the twin fiddles (a dying art), pedal steel, and strong songwriting. Without all the instrumentation, the song would still demand respect, which is the reason this works. With such a stellar cast of players, a good song gets taken to another level. By doing that, WPA exceeds the sum of its parts, which contain more talent than most bands have to offer as a whole.
Works Progress Administration – You Will Always Have My Love
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