Martyn Joseph has been dropping covers alongside the strength of his own songs during gigs for years. Mostly he chooses politically provocative preaches and thus there is no surprise to see Dylan's Chimes Of Freedom, Leonard Cohen's Anthem and Bruce Cockburn's Call It Democracy. Larry Norman's American Novel sounds fresher than ever thirty years on and Joseph adds Aids and Iraq to the lyric. Springsteen, Sting and U2 tell you that he is a forty something singer but these are timeless songs done without fanciness or veneer. Passionate performance is Joseph's trademark and the spittle of righteous anger should have adorned the cover. Perhaps the only criticism is the breadth of subject matter. A state of the union address in song.
Similar sounding releases
2000Jason HarrodLiving in Skin
1998Pierce PettisEverything Matters
2002Randy StonehillEdge of The World
2001Peter & Valerie OlivaHistory
2003Glen PhillipsLive at Largo
2000Richard ShindellSomewhere Near PatersonMore from Martyn Joseph
1998Tangled Souls
2002Don't Talk About Love
2005Deep Blue
2003Whoever It Was That Brought Me Here Will Have to Take Me Home
2000The Shirley Sessions
1999Far From Silent