Tracy Chapman - Chapman, Tracy (CD 1988)

Having been on a recent mission to sort out the piles of records I seem to have amassed, I came across a copy of Tracy Chapman s self-titled debut album sneakily hiding away. Now that I ve been able to get reacquainted with it, I can say I m very happy to have found the elusive disc it s a great example of late-eighties songwriting, and how genuine and heartfelt music could still get released in an environment dominated by synthesisers and cheap gimmicks.

Musically, Tracy Chapman plants itself in ground between the singer-songwriter and folk genres. Tracy s acoustic guitar forms the instrumental core of each track, and she manages to wring a reasonable number of styles out of it, playing with an accomplished proficiency. She s backed by a number of studio musicians, all of whom play well, alternately adding sparse rawness and polished sheens. Best of all, despite the fact that this record was released in 1988, it doesn t sound like it, eschewing synthesisers for organic guitars, bass and drums, and keeping a smattering of keyboards at minimal levels. The rhythm sections occasionally sound dated, but it s definitely not in a bombastic or explosive way. Rather, the production values mark the record as one released in the eighties, but with its sights firmly set on the warm intimacy of 1970s singer-songwriter releases, with smooth, clean sounds and every instrumental element sounding like it was meant to be present.

Aside from highlighting her guitar skills with their stripped arrangements, the songs also display the best of Tracy s voice, which is a treat to listen to, especially on the chilling a cappella Behind The Wall . Her vocals utilise a lower register than a lot of female artists, which does occasionally lend them a slightly androgynous flavour. However, its richness and ability to combine both extensive power and realistic emotion should be your real focus point instead of fancy frills, you re getting honest and genuine realism. The same philosophy applies to the lyrics, which are mostly levelled at aspects of social politics, with one or two love songs thrown in for good measure. I ve heard this album dubbed a touchstone for political correctness , but such a label really misconstrues its storytelling. Certainly, the weighty (and worthy) worlds of racial oppression, poverty and domestic violence are all touched upon, but this is no overdone manifesto with the exception of the all-too obvious Why? , these songs are just honest retellings of events that real or not, sound like they could have happened yesterday.

The opener Talkin About A Revolution is a good example of this, predicting an imminent social shift as The poor people gonna rise up/And take what s theirs . So many artists would bomb spectacularly on a piece like this, but it works here because of its musical simplicity acoustic guitar, solid yet unobtrusive baseline, and heavy beat that adds an urgent rapidity on the bridge. The vocals are smooth and controlled, emotional without being histrionic or overwrought, and the combination of these factors lends the song an unfaltering sense of truth the spirit of the heartfelt protest song lives on. Across The Lines is equally powerful, with a steady beat underpinning a tale of racial abuse and a resulting riot, and how such prejudice kill[s] the dream of America . It s almost weird to note these songs are also catchy, with such a matter seeming almost frivolous here, but I guess your message is amplified in power if the melody is well-though out and memorable. Very good work.

The most distinctive and recognisable song here is probably Fast Car , which was a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It s a five-minute microcosm of all of Tracy Chapman s strengths, with its relaxed yet insistent guitar signature and wonderfully multi-faceted narrative. The lyrics paint the compelling story of a couple that flee from poverty with a dream of making it in the city, only for the cycle they ran from to ensnare them once more. Each verse tells the tale at a different point in time, from the initial night of escape through to the incredibly sad finale where the protagonist realises that nothing she wished for came to fruition. It s emotive and beautifully written, and probably the best thing here.

Two other songs explore the nature of poverty and the desire to escape, but in a sharper tone. Mountains O Things details the dreams of someone who has nothing, with some excellent barbs at the obscenely wealthy individuals who look down on those whose sole misfortune was having mountains of nothing at birth . The acidic lyrics are contrasted well against a jiggling guitar and a beat that draws heavily on calypso rhythms, the components working incredibly well together. She s Got Her Ticket works similarly, with a slightly funkier feel and a languid, sliding baseline framing its central narrative.

The album s love songs are less potent than the social commentary, but are still engrossing and emotionally real, from the tenderness of the hit Baby Can I Hold You? through to the relaxed shuffle of If Not Now , which gives a pleasant surprise in the form of a subtle acoustic piano, adding gentle accents to the lilting guitar and Cuban-flavoured percussion. I also really enjoy For My Lover , which has one of the hookiest melodies on the record amidst a story of a woman who loves the wrong man too much. Every day I m psychoanalysed for my lover [ ]/They dope me up and I tell them lies , the lyrics ponder, before concluding with the question of Is this love worth the sacrifices I make? It s left up to the listener to finish things off, and the degree of ambiguity in the outcome is an intriguing proposition. The closing song For You is much more certain in its charming declaration of love, and acts as a sweet and uplifting ending to a record that is relentlessly sad in places.

Overall, I think that Tracy Chapman is an excellent debut release, which sets a modest goal and achieves it strongly. There s the right amount of message and melody mixed in with the clean and well-played instrumentation, and the lyrical narratives are compelling and real with all these factors making the album highly recommendable. A high 4 stars.