Chuck Prophet “Wake The Dead”

From fear to hope, an album of extremes.

Time flies. Chuck Prophet’s new release ‘Wake The Dead’ neatly coincides with Green on Red’s first London show forty years ago. During those intervening decades Prophet has built a deserved reputation for his vivid songwriting that tells stories and paints pictures whether in collaboration or solo. With his blend of so many styles Prophet has been in and out of the recording studios and incessantly on the road, always maintaining his profound originality. Not for nothing does Chuck Prophet embody americana. He is certainly a fave in these AUK parts.

All this came to a shuddering halt two years ago with a stage four lymphoma diagnosis. Fear dominated, as he described with typical candour, “driven into you like a stake”. But there was hope. Though severe, his condition was treatable and after gruelling doses of therapy Prophet is in full remission. In a sense ‘Wake The Dead’ tells that story of extremes. From sickness to health, massive anxiety to relief, from fear to hope. Recuperation meant, unusually for him, Prophet had time on his hands which he put to good use by listening to music. And it was to a particular discovery, Cumbia, that he attributes his full recovery.

“Music is my saviour” he openly admits (don’t we all?) but on a visit to a club in San Francisco’s Mission district Prophet came across ‘Cumbia Night’. His innate curiosity made him stay and soon he was totally captivated by this music originally from Colombia and other parts of Latin America. Its rhythmic vibe fused with all that San Francisco had to offer makes Cumbia the perfect dance music. Prophet hooked up with local band ¿Qiensave? and along with his own Mission Express they were soon playing live. Recording came next and the result is ‘Wake The Dead’. Chuck Prophet is back.

Cumbia may be the major influence but Prophet’s storytelling is no less vibrant. Through his wry humour and laser perception he can fashion some kind of hope from the darkest depths. What is different this time is how ¿Qiensave? add their carefree rhythms. The mix, as Prophet notes from his youth, is similar to how reggae influenced The Clash.

‘Wake The Dead’ is all about letting go as opener and title track testifies. As The Mission Express weave around the swaying tempo of ¿Qiensave? Prophet declares he is, “Gonna wake the dead/ Get ’em on their feet”. Forget trying to control what we cannot and just, “have ourselves a picnic / We might end up on the moon”. Jangling guitars quickly give way to the reggae-like beat for ‘Betty’s Song’, the yearnings of an immigrant child. The Cumbian swirl adds longing to those dreams. Prophet never gives up hope. Aspiration takes a romantic turn in ‘Give The Boy A Kiss’, pure dance floor stuff. A distant accordion gives ‘First Came The Thunder’ a melancholy tinge.

Prophet had help in writing. Alejandro Escovedo co-wrote ‘Sally Was A Cop’ a tragic tale of cartel violence, “Sally was a cop, but now she’s a soldier”. Latin vibe gives way to James DePrato’s guitars. But Prophet never forsakes his catchy melodies. Even at his darkest, and more so given recent events, he offers a bleak view of a corrupt society, ‘In The Shadows (For Elon)’. “Now everybody’s gonna have to pay when he rides his rocket ship away/ You’ll find me in the shadows/ In the shadows I’ll be found”. The edginess of the keyboards and ¿Qiensave? emphasise a deep uncertainty that few of a creative bent would dispute now. Despite that plunge into gloom Prophet pulls back towards optimism by closing the record with the aptly named, ‘It’s a Good Day to Be Alive’. After what he has been through who can deny it is a “Good day to let it all ride”?  The acoustic feel and gentle lap steel are like a huge exhalation.

In most of his solo releases Chuck Prophet manages to surprise, whether it is some particularly graphic character, a wild story or the eclectic musical style of his Mission Express. He has done it again with the world of Cumbia and introduction to the magnificent ¿Qiensave?