Album Reviews

Arlo Guthrie is a registered Republican (though of the ultra-rare libertarian/progressive strain). That leaves Ry Cooder to carry on his dad's uncompromising protest song tradition and he does so with musical and lyrical conviction on this album aimed at the upcoming election that's no more likely to date than has "This Land is Your Land."

You're not likely to enjoy Ry's left wing love fest if you cheered the results of the first presidential debate, but if you didn't, you'll find some consolation here on tunes like "Mutt Romney Blues," "Guantanamo," (sounds like a song Warren Zevon could have written) and "Going to Tampa" told from the chipper perspective of an eager convention goer ("I'll give all my money if Sarah Palin calls me honey And shakes the peaches on my tree").

Even if you're a political conservative you can appreciate this album as long as you ignore the words and concentrate on Ry's slithery slide playing and his soulful delivery.

On "Cold Cold Feeling" Ry imagines what it might be like being president "If you never been President you don't know how it feels, These stray dog Republicans always snappin' at my heels."

Ry's joined by son Joachim on drums and the two of them take on voter suppression, "state's rights," oil spills, Wall Street, the Treyvon Martin case (obliquely), the unlearned lessons of Vietnam, the assault on reproductive rights and just about every cause sacred to "lefties" young and old. Others should proceed with extreme caution

The sonics are decent as long as you don't expect Jazz, because this is strictly a relatively low budget, affair but done with Ry's usual good audio taste.

Listen to "Kool-Aid"— a song about the people who inexplicably vote against their own self-interest—and you'll hear a powerful song that transcends the election time frame. This album stands both as a historical time capsule and just a damn good time. After the recent debate you may be in need of one. Or you're still savoring the one you just had, in which case this album's probably not for you!

BTW: the packaging is deluxe, the record was pressed at PALLAS and you get the album on a CD. Ry may be singing about the 99 but he's giving you a musical and physical presentation befitting the 1%.