Tracy Chapman

[jw@math.mit.edu]

   FOR SALE: one Tracy Chapman CD, $12 o.b.o. Excellent condition,
             only played once.

   This woman, while doubtless a very nice person if you get to know
her, is certainly the most overrated debut artist of 1988.  Bowing to
the pressure of glowing reviews, and the strongest word of mouth I can
remember hearing (and my memory stretches back way past Sinead
O'Connor, even as far back as Suzanne Vega), I marched off to purchase
the album. A short review:

Chapman is not afraid to tackle difficult and controversial subjects:
she comes down squarely against racism, materialism, spouse abuse
and other long-established tenets of straight society. Indeed, she
gives each of these an introductory-level treatment on the album,
with such searching lyrics as:

             Don't you know / they're talkin' about a revolution

Underscored by her haunting voice, which sounds even more experienced
and world-weary than her 24 years, the banality of these lines almost
disappears. Consider one of the more poetic, metaphor-laden tracks,
the hit "Fast Car":

             You got a fast car /
             I want a ticket to anywhere /
             Maybe we can make a deal /
             Maybe together we can get somewhere

It's all there -- the terrifyingly skillful sense of verse, the
broad knowledge of life, the profound judgments, the almost
unbearable sense of reality. (*)
   Let's not forget the music, which while recorded in a state-of-the-art
digital studio sounds just as though the microphone had been set up
in Harvard Square last Saturday night. Among Chapman's daring
forays into instrumentation, perhaps the most successful experiment
is "Mountains O' Things," written for electric guitar, keyboards and
percussion. "For You," played on acoustic guitar, and "Behind the Wall"
which is sung a capella, are near contenders, however.
   Sorry, I don't see what the fuss is all about. Can someone
enlighten me, please?

                                       Julian

(*) While I wish I had written that sentence, I ought to credit
    Richard (?) Rexroth, who wrote it first. I found it stunningly
    appropriate in its new context.

The offer to sell the CD is serious.