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MP3 Jefferson Pepper - American Evolution II (The White Album)
17 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, COUNTRY: Americana
Details:
Advance Praise for the ''American Evolution'' series:
"10 out of 10." Tim Peacock, Whisperin and Hollerin (Ireland)
"Lyrically, this could be one of the strongest CDs to be released [this year]." Cashbox (US)
"He is without a doubt one of America''s most talented singer-songwriters...Early comparisons to greats such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young were well-founded...That Pepper is an exceptional lyricist is without question...a master storyteller." Malcolm Carter, Pennyblack Music (UK)
"A phenomenally intelligent album..." Jenni Cole, Music OMH (UK)
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For the past several years, Jefferson Pepper has been asking himself “What has happened to my country?” For Pepper, it was a notion that he could not let go. For him, it wasn’t just a rhetorical, abstract question. He wanted answers. He started reading. And writing songs.
Lots of songs.
He spent the winters of 2006 and 2007 holed up in his cedar-sided home studio in the Conewago Mountains of southern Pennsylvania. As the snow piled up outside, he became more and more reclusive, sometimes going for several weeks at a time without leaving the house. For two years he worked feverishly on writing and recording the songs that would be included on his sophomore effort, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2005 debut album ''Christmas in Fallujah''.
Inspired in part by Howard Zinn’s landmark book ''A People’s History of the United States'' and by the Dover Intelligent Design Trial (Kitzmiller vs Dover School Board) which played out in his backyard of Dover, PA, Pepper is releasing an ambitious 50-song, 3-CD series entitled ''American Evolution'' which traces the evolution of culture, society and music, as well as the evolution of the individual in America. Spanning over 500 years of history, he tells the story of America as seen through the eyes of the working people who have made their country great. His America seldom resembles the one he learned about in history class; the official history, written by those for whom the system was designed. Pepper wanted to tell the story of his America from the point of view of those who have seldom had a voice. The golden thread of his narrative is that the exploitation of working people has always been a part of the social fabric of this nation and that war is and always has been an instrument of bringing the many under the domination of the few. Along the way, he tackles some of this country’s sacred cows, such as Columbus Day, economic disparity, the military-industrial complex, religious fundamentalism, Disney World and runaway materialism. Each song addresses another piece of this nation’s history. Beginning with the pre-Columbian era, ''American Evolution'' moves through time to the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil-Rights Era, Vietnam, post-industrial America, to the present and ends by stepping off into the future and where we may be headed.
American Evolution volume 1 covered the time period 1492 to 1940. On Volume 2, Pepper''s songs continue on the timeline of American history, covering 1941 to 1991. (Volume 3 covers 1990 to the present and future.) Musicians include all the players from Volume 1: Scott Fisher, Marshall Deasy, Mike Argento, Jon Shain, Kenny Geist, Thom Bissey, Ray Eicher and Joe Allison. Other special guests include Fats Kaplin (Kane Welch Kaplin, Roy Bookbinder, Pure Prarie League, Kristie Rose), Tim Lorsch (Sam Baker, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Gauthier, Townes Van Zandt, Lucinda Williams, Jason Eady, Allison Moorer, Ray Price, Rodney Crowell), Gene Rabbai (Neil Young, Willie Nelson), Deon Estus (Tina Turner, Sting, Elton John, George Michael), Dave Francis (Maura O''Connell, Pam Tillis), Bryan Owings (Shelby Lynne, Buddy Miller), and Bill Newton (Jon Shain). Additional recording on Volumes 2 and 3 was completed at Bull Creek Productions in Nashville by Tim Lorsch, who co-produced both of Sam Baker''s acclaimed albums; ''Mercy'' and ''Pretty World''.
Volume 2 opens with ''On and On'', the story of a boy who signs up for the draft and fights in the Second World War. ''Civilized Savior'' bemoans President Eisenhower''s military-industrial complex. ''Disposable Me Disposable You'' discusses the new throwaway society of the 1950''s. ''Real Good Time'' takes us back to the early days of rock n roll in Memphis. ''Collection of Angels'' focuses on the lonely life of a widow on her first Christmas alone. ''Break The Chain'' is the story of a boy born into a desperate cycle of poverty and alcoholism. ''Good Morning Mrs. Stine'' is the story of the grumpy old lady next door. ''Ben'' is the story of a childhood friend. ''The Land That I Love'' is an anthem for Vietnam War-era America. ''The Ballad of Betty Wulfrum'' is about a homely girl evolving into a beauty queen. ''Doin'' It Right'' is a song written for Jefferson''s father. ''Crucify'' asks the question: "What if Jesus came back to the earth and lived like an ordinary man?" ''One Percent'' is a warped disco song with unusual instrumentation including pedal steel, which discusses American economic disparity. ''The Crying Land'' is an account of what could have happened as a result of the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant (in reality, just down the road from Jefferson''s home in rural Pennsylvania). ''Coming Down'' has a definite 80''s feel and discusses man''s short-sightedness in developing technology. ''Orphans of Endorphins'' delves into the depths to which people will sink when battling with drug addiction. Another White Line continues on the path of addiction so prevalent in America.
Bio:
The grandson of coal miners and farmers and the son of a factory worker, Pepper has experienced firsthand the challenges of living the American Dream in rural Pennsylvania. He has worked as a stock clerk in a grocery store, a bricklayer and a factory worker. He identified at an early age with working people and the uphill battles they faced. His earliest exposure to music was in the Baptist church where his mother sang in the choir. In school he discovered alternative and punk artists such as Patti Smith, Nirvana and The Clash. It wasn’t until later that he became interested in Country and Folk-Rock artists such as Neil Young, John Prine and Johnny Cash. These artists all left an indelible mark on his song writing.
People who are interested in Bob Dylan Neil Young John Prine should consider this download.
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