Tracy Chapman

Rating

Album: Tracy Chapman
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Talkin' Bout A Revolution	More Info...
2)	Fast Car	More Info...
3)	Across The Lines	More Info...
4)	Behind The Wall	More Info...
5)	Baby Can I Hold You	More Info...
6)	Mountains O' Things	More Info...
7)	She's Got Her Ticket	More Info...
8)	Why?	More Info...
9)	For My Lover	More Info...
10)	If Not Now...	More Info...
11)	For You	More Info...
2)	Fast Car	More Info...	0:05
3)	Across the Lines	More Info...	0:03
4)	Behind the Wall	More Info...	0:02
5)	Baby Can I Hold You	More Info...	0:03
6)	Mountains O' Things	More Info...	0:04
7)	She's Got Her Ticket	More Info...	0:04
8)	Why?	More Info...	0:02
9)	For My Lover	More Info...	0:03
10)	If Not Now...	More Info...	0:03
11)	For You (Feat. Michael Watford) [Moodbangers Mix]	More Info...	0:03

Album: Tracy Chapman
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Talkin' Bout A Revolution	More Info...
2)	Fast Car	More Info...
3)	Across The Lines	More Info...
4)	Behind The Wall	More Info...
5)	Baby Can I Hold You	More Info...
6)	Mountains O' Things	More Info...
7)	She's Got Her Ticket	More Info...
8)	Why?	More Info...
9)	For My Lover	More Info...
10)	If Not Now...	More Info...
11)	For You	More Info...
2)	Fast Car	More Info...	0:05
3)	Across the Lines	More Info...	0:03
4)	Behind the Wall	More Info...	0:02
5)	Baby Can I Hold You	More Info...	0:03
6)	Mountains O' Things	More Info...	0:04
7)	She's Got Her Ticket	More Info...	0:04
8)	Why?	More Info...	0:02
9)	For My Lover	More Info...	0:03
10)	If Not Now...	More Info...	0:03
11)	For You (Feat. Michael Watford) [Moodbangers Mix]	More Info...	0:03

Tracks

1. Talkin''bout The Revolution

2. Fast Car

3. Across The Lines

4. Behind The Wall

5. Baby Can I Hold You

6. Mountains O'things

7. She's Got Her Ticket

8. Why

9. For My Lover

10. If Not Now...

11. For You

Performer Notes

Personnel: Tracy Chapman (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, percussion); Jack Holder (guitar, dobro, electric sitar, hammered dulcimer, Hammond organ); Ed Black (guitar); David LaFlamme (electric violin); Steve Kaplan, Bob Marlette (keyboards); Larry Klein (bass); Denny Fongheiser (drums, percussion); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).
Recorded at Powertrax, Hollywood, California.
Personnel: Tracy Chapman (vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion); Jack Holder (electric guitar, dobro, dulcimer, sitar, piano, organ); Ed Black (steel guitar); David LaFlamme (electric violin); Steve Kaplan (harmonica, keyboards); Bob Marlette (keyboards); Denny Fongheiser (drums, percussion); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Kevin Smith .
Recording information: Powertrax, Hollywood, CA.
Photographer: Matt Mahurin.
Unknown Contributor Roles: David LaFlamme; Denny Fongheiser; Ed Black; Jack Holder; Larry Klein; Paulinho Da Costa; Tracy Chapman; Bob Marlette; Steve Kaplan.
Tracy Chapman exploded out of the Boston folk scene in the late eighties, carrying the acoustic guitar-playing singer/songwriter mantle to a more political and socially conscious level than had recently been achieved. Her deep alto and throttled vocal delivery, combined with attentively scrutinized social scenarios presented in a simple, accessible manner, rocketed Tracy to the top of the charts and into the Grammy record books. Instrumentally crisp and minimal, TRACY CHAPMAN is a compelling statement from the no-holds-barred black singer/songwriter, stealing the focus away from the popular folk mafia.
Chapman expresses a heretofore unmined black, feminist, disenfranchised point of view--from the helpless-but-hopeful underclass of the smash hit "Fast Car," to the defiant politicos of "Talkin' `Bout A Revolution." In regards to other issues, Tracy responds to Suzanne Vega's "Luka" with her own a capella song about domestic violence, "Behind The Wall"; and the percussive "Mountains O' Things" is about material wealth. But TRACY CHAPMAN is not all social politics; there are several rapturously tender love songs included as well.
There are many strong influences to be heard in Tracy's voice, particularly Joan Armatrading (on "Baby Can I Hold You") and Odetta. Infused with those powerful roots, Chapman dramatically changed the commercial stakes of folk music by blending a catchy, acoustic backdrop to her social rhetoric, and delivering her manifestos in a unique, commanding voice that seemed like a beacon in a sea of mediocrity.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (10/31/02, p.136) - Ranked # 28 in Rolling Stone's "Women in Rock: The 50 Essential Albums" - "...[This album] brought some charge back to activist folk rock..."

Rolling Stone (11/89) - 4 Stars - Excellent - Ranked # 10 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80s" survey.

CMJ (1/5/04, p.22) - Ranked #7 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1988"