Chuck Prophet’s latest excursion into psychedelic Americana will indeed ‘Wake The Dead‘ with its infusion of Cumbia.
A harrowing diagnosis of lymphoma brought Chuck Prophet‘s career to a standstill in 2022, but after 6 months of intensive chemotherapy, he is back with a vengeance, writing, recording, and performing. His latest release, Wake The Dead, is a collaboration with a Salinas, California group of brothers known as ¿Qiensave? (Quien-Sa-Be). The result is not only a musically exuberant approach to Prophet’s mordant songwriting, but it’s his best work in years. Not since Let Freedom Ring!, and the follow-up Temple Beautiful, has the flavour of Prophet’s songs been so appetizing.
Chuck has offered up his take on the Latin-based band playing what has come to be known as Cumbian music: “Cumbia is romance, food, family, music, dancing, either alone in the shadows, or with your partner. The music can make you cry, but it’s all tears of joy, and it’s wonderful.”
From the opening salvo of the title track to the closing number, the Cumbian touches on Prophet’s psychedelic rock prove infectious. Cowbell, accordion, distorted guitar, heavy bass, brass instruments and the trademark lyrical humour combine in music that could and should accompany dancing, as well as the ingestion of great food and mind-altering substances. Killer vibes abound in all of these tunes.
Prophet’s longstanding collaboration on lyrics with the somewhat strange, somewhat Beat poet Kurt Lipschutz has produced dozens of memorable songs over the years, recorded by dozens of artists, among them the Escovedo brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Solomon Burke, Kim Carnes, and Bun E. Carlos. Wry, ironic, deadpan humour characterizes most of the lyrical output, but they are also capable great tenderness. “Leave the Window Open”, from Let Freedom Ring! was singled out by this writer as one of the great love songs of the past decade. On the current release, the closing number, “It’s A Good Day To Be Alive”, evidently a reflection of Chuck’s own survival from cancer, exudes similar tenderness and magic.
All in all, Chuck Prophet operates at the highest level of popular music; his work is a great marriage of melody and meaning, in a psychedelic-alt-rock format purposely orchestrated to Wake The Dead. Highly recommended.
