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...

I don't remember where I was when JFK got shot, I was an infant. I don't remember where I was when we landed on the moon, I wasn't alive when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and although I do remember President Reagan getting shot at, I can't tell you what I was doing at the time. I do however, remember what I was doing when I heard Fast Car, Tracy Chapman's breakthrough single, from her self-titled debut of 1988. I was sitting in my living room, talking to my mother. The TV was tuned to MTV, as I was very into it then, and always wanted to catch some of my favorites whenever I could. During a...

A few of my thoughts when "Fast Car" became a hit: 1. Is this a man or a woman? 2. I like this song! All my friends do as well! And all we ever listen to is Motley Crue, Poison, Bon Jovi, and all those other awesome guys with cool hair! Looking back now, I believe those memories speak volumes about what is so good about Tracy Chapman's music. Her songs cross racial, social, and gender lines. Hardly any of her lyrics openly refer to the fact that she's a she, and her voice doesn't give it away either. Anyone can sing along and feel the music is really about them. She also addresses important...

If you like Passionate music with that soulful sound You will love Tracy Chapman Preface ************************************* I first heard of Tracy Chapman in the late eighties when I was in High School when Fast Car was being played all over the radio, I adopted this song as my theme song later on when I realized that I was living it. I bought the tape back then and listened to it over and over again. Tracy is an artist that I can never get tired of listening to. Her songs are all passionate and are centered around issues that we face as a society. ************************************* The.