Prophet started his wild ride back in 1984, when Green on Red, the seminal
purveyors of American Rock-Roots, plucked him out of Berkeley, CA and threw him
in the van for an eight-year ride, and the recording of as many albums. Since
then Prophet has recorded nine amazing solo albums and toured and recorded with
the likes of Lucinda Williams, Aimee Mann, Cake, and Jonathan Richman, not to
mention production credits for Warren Zevon, Alejandro Escovedo and Kelly
Willis. Ryan Adams, Solomon Burke and Heart have recorded his songs, along with
a host of others.
Prophet has never been one to rest on his laurels and ride it out. For his ninth
solo album "ˇLet Freedom Ring!", Chuck reached out to some musicians and talked
them into going down to Mexico City, the biggest city in the world (pop. 25
million). Recorded at Estudio 19, a state-of-the-art studio (well, circa 1958
state-of-the-art anyway) with Greg Leisz (Beck, Wilco, Emmylou Harris)
co-producing. Within three days of arriving swine flu broke out and the
indignity of having to wear blue surgical masks just to fit in.
Over the course of the next eight days, the band set about recording "ˇLet
Freedom Ring!", enduring a poorly timed blackout, shakedowns by the Policia, and
a 6.4 earthquake mid-take - Mexico City might only be a few hours away by plane
but it might as well have been on the other side of the moon. But whilst mayhem
ensued, the band buckled down to the task in hand, all set up together in a
tight little bamboo lined room with the amps cranked. Chuck played his Fender
Squire, Kelly Stoltz on backing vocals, Rusty Miller (Jason Lyte’s band) played
bass while Drummer Ernest 'Boom' Carter turned his sticks into kindling. Carter
played on Springsteen’s “Born To Run” - he promptly quit the E Street Band after
they spent 6 months recording it. The results can be heard from the Clash
inspired opener to the power pop of "Let Freedom Ring" and the Eddie Cochran
infused "Good Time Crowd".
Features:
• 180g Vinyl
Musicians:
Chuck Prophet, guitar, vocals
Tom Ayres, guitar
Greg Leisz, guitar
Sara Watkins, fiddle
Rusty Miller, bass
Kevin T. White, bass
Ernest "Boom" Carter, drums
Selections:
1. Sonny Liston's Blues
2. What Can A Mother Do
3. Where The Hell Is Henry?
4. Let Freedom Ring!
5. You And Me Baby (Holdin On)
6. American Man
7. Barley Exist
8. Hot Talk
9. Love Won't Keep Us Apart
10. Good Time Crowd
11. Leave The Window Open
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