Details

Field of Interest

American Music

Content Type

Music recording

Duration

59 mins

Recording Engineer

Scott Petito

Format

Audio

Sub Genre

Folk-Rock

Label

Appleseed

Page Count

11

Performer

Tom Pacheco, 1946-

Producer

Scott Petito

Release Date

2002

Review

Tom Pacheco is an artist with something to say. Somewhere between a singer/songwriter and a protest singer, he concerns himself with issues ranging from the brevity of life to the environment. When the album opens with, "Under a plain smothered by shopping malls," many listeners will feel comfortable pegging Pacheco as another left-leaning folksinger with good -- though unrealistic -- intentions. The remainder of the song, however, reads more like a poem, offering a prosaic rendering of the streams, grass, and sun of the plains, combining lyricism with politics. In "If I Could Come Back," the singer wishes for no more than to return as a "summer night," while "What We Left Behind" longs for a simpler way of living, one more connected to community and less connected to the television. Even when Pacheco wears his heart on his liberal sleeve, he adds a poetic touch to his compositions. "Butterfly" immortalizes {%Julia Hill}'s two-year struggle to save old-growth redwoods, while "Heroes" speaks more generally about the need for contemporary champions. Most of these tracks are simply arranged with pianos and guitars offering a gentle underpinning to Pacheco's poignant lyrics. When a track utilizes a noisy drum kit as on "What About Us," it's to emphasize the angry lyric. While political progressives will no doubt be attracted to Pacheco's committed vision, anyone who enjoys good music and expressive lyrics will also want to pick up a copy. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide

Subject

American Music, Music & Performing Arts, American Studies, Rock Music, Rock Music, Música Rock

Keywords and Translated Subjects

Rock Music, Música Rock