Chuck Prophet – Homemade Blood
By
Jesse E. Mullen
A lifestyle change is difficult no matter the circumstances. But sobriety is an especially difficult transition for those with addiction. Try making this change in the freewheeling world of rock ‘n’ roll, and you can magnify the difficulty tenfold.
Chuck Prophet is an American musician from San Francisco, CA. He has been involved in music since the 1980s when he joined cowpunk stalwarts Green On Red as lead guitarist. But it wasn’t until 1990 when we saw what Prophet was capable of as a singer songwriter.
That year he released his debut solo album Brother Aldo on Fire Records. Because Fire were – and still are – a British label, it sold modestly stateside but attracted critical acclaim. The song “Scarecrow” in particular showed Prophet’s gifts, sounding like Neil Young mixed with San Francisco contemporaries American Music Club and Engine 88.
Prophet followed up with Balinese Dancer in 1993. A more expensive sounding affair – better production, better separation between instruments – it was more of a refinement of the debut than a massive leap forward. Still, it had several strong songs.
The next album was when the problems started. 1995 saw the release of Feast of Hearts. Prophet was altogether unhappy with the production and overall sound of the record. A change was needed to solidify his status as a rock great. So, he quit drinking.
Sobriety has a different effect on different people. Sometimes a person will find religion or acquire a taste for fruity seltzers. But for Chuck Prophet, the change led him to looking inward and finding a new confidence in his abilities. A confidence he lost while making Feast of Hearts.
When Homemade Blood came out in 1997, Chuck Prophet was an artist reborn. He was finally ready to take on the world. The question was, was the world ready for him? And would Homemade Blood take him to new levels of critical and commercial success?
Opener “Credit” features some of Prophet’s most expressive guitarwork to date. The opening riff sounds a bit like “Dirty Blvd.” if it was written by Keith Richards. Once the solo hits, Prophet is on fire, playing a clean country rock solo with fast fingers.
Lyrically the song is a hilarious tale of a man running out of favor with his credit card company. He eventually pushes too far – by taking an expensive vacation he can’t pay for – and is left stranded in Paris.
Credit Kurt Lipschutz – no pun intended – for writing a set of lyrics that are both funny and relatable. The San Francisco poet had been functioning as Prophet’s Robert Hunter since Brother Aldo. But here, the pair were firing on all cylinders, writing songs and words that combined and contrasted perfectly.
“You Been Gone” features excellent wah-wah lap steel from Max Butler. Homemade Blood was Butler’s first stint in Prophet’s backing band – then called The Bible Dusters – but it wouldn’t be his last. Butler would maintain his role as lead guitarist for the next three albums.
He plays the first half of an excellent solo with a heavy digital delay, crossfaded with Prophet’s clean fingerpicking. He would continue to be at Prophet’s side until he retired from touring in 2004. Fortunately, Prophet found the equally gifted James DePrato in 2007.
Credit must also be given to the excellent mix work by Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie. According to Prophet’s website, the famed Boston duo mixed the whole album in just 72 hours. If that is the case, it is truly an amazing feat.
While the album was tracked live – and thus didn’t have many overdubs – it is feasible that mixing sessions would be shorter than an album with extra instruments. Still, it is impressive, judging by how well balanced the sound is. It is easily the best sounding record Prophet had recorded to that point, with ample separation between instruments, and seamless blends between instrumental breaks and verses.
Lyrically the track describes leaving your hometown and returning years later, only to discover that everything has changed. It’s a strong metaphor for growing older, and the fading innocence of youth. At 34, Prophet had to have related to the sentiment. But elsewhere the subject matter was a bit vaguer.
On “Inside Track,” Prophet and Lipschutz show their knack for mixing Dylan-esque imagery with Flying Burrito Brothers-styled country rock. Greg Leisz adds psychedelicized pedal steel to the track, and it’s an absolute banger of a tune. It’s a list song in the style of “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and it’s a thrill to sort through the cryptic language.
Perhaps “New Year’s Day” is the best track on the album. With the holidays usually being a festive subject for songs, Prophet tells a darker story (with Lipschutz’ help). A couple separated by prison walls, with the man moving back in with parents and barely scraping by as a custodian.
When Prophet sings “don’t cry, it’s new year’s day again,” he is singing to himself as much as he is to everyone else. Musically, the song is just as poignant. The great Greg Leisz’s pedal steel adds color to every line. Prophet’s guitar plays flawlessly with a clean digital delay.
But it is Stephanie Finch who is the track’s secret weapon. Her harmonies during the chorus add a glimmer of hope. She gives the track an emotional resonance and a duality it would not otherwise have. An absolutely stunning song, “New Year’s Day” remains a career highpoint.
Chuck Prophet was mostly out of step with contemporary indie. He was more interested in blending his influences – Tom Petty, Lou Reed, Alex Chilton, a plethora of country rock – with the live-in-the-studio rawness of early rock ‘n’ roll. It didn’t sell a lot of records at the time, but it’s a winning formula for career longevity.
Homemade Blood might not have sold a ton of records, but it has aged better than most albums from 1997. Consistent songcraft and musicianship mixed with the brooding darkness of his situation lead Prophet to gold. And it was only the beginning of an artistic winning streak which continues to this day.
Cooking Vinyl/1997
