Tracy Chapman

Way better than expected. I always thought she was a one hit wonder. I was wrong.

Somehow don't think i've ever listened to this end to end. Beautiful and haunting.

Talkin' Bout a Revolution - 5/5 Fast Car - 5/5 Across the Lines - 4.5/5 Behind the Wall - 4/5 Baby Can I Hold You - 4/5 Mountain O' Things - 4/5 She's Got Her Ticket - 4/5 Why? - 4.5/5 For My Lover - 4/5 If Not Now… - 3.5/5 For You - 3.5/5 Sooooo.... someone called this secretary rock? Really? This album out of all things? Talk about missing the point and just being a misogynist. Chapman's about as subtle as a brick thrown through your window with her messaging; a witness to the strife that she, the people she knows, and the people she sees have gone through. I don't think there is a need to be subtle here, if you want to reach a wider audience then you make the subject material as accessible as possible. It's more unfortunate that the things she talks about on here are still relevant today, meaning this album will continue to be relevant as long as the message continues to fall on deaf ears to the people in power that really need to hear it. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car

My parents had this album but I hadn’t listened to it in full for a long time. Talkin’ Bout a Revolution and Baby Can I Hold You prove Tracy Chapman wasn’t a one-hit wonder.

Tracy Chapman is one of the strongest singer-songwriter debuts of its era. It doesn’t rely on virtuosity. It doesn’t need elaborate production. It doesn’t need a giant band. Chapman takes an acoustic guitar and a remarkably expressive voice and writes songs about poverty, love, racism, domestic violence, ambition, consumerism, escape and disappointment without ever making the listener feel like they’re sitting through a lecture. And that is incredibly difficult.

It’s amazing to me that this album was so huge at this time of big hair bands and soft rock. Did she ever do anything else?

Favorite Song: Why? Least Favorite: Mountains O’ Things

Great debut by the Ohio singer-songwriter. Led by the quintessential hit 'Fast Car', the quality of her work remains consistent throughout. It delves into cool ideas but does not really explore them. 8/10 [KEEP]

Rask bil, rolig musikk.

This one is already on regular rotation for me. For obvious reasons "Behind The Wall" and "Fast Car" are hard listens. So, content wise, it can be a challenging listen. Musically this album is like a warm blanket.

Some standout tunes with plenty to say about 80s America

The first four songs are masterpieces. An album of civil discontent that would be highly appropriate today.

bunger

I remember when this album came out. I don’t know why but it struck a chord with me. You know, if you’re going to do one amazing album this is it. Everything is there. Deep lyrics. Catchy hooks. Great production. If you hadn’t guessed I love this album. 5/5

NÅ SNAKKE VI. Ok så æ veit æ nettopp klaga på å få for my folkemusikk, men telles ikke d e så bra. Fast car e nokk en av dem beste sangan nonsinne, og har egt tenkt på at æ bør hør gjennom hele. sykt at hu va typ like gammel som mæ da hu skrev det. herre va ekstremt fint, håpe enda at æ ikke får mer folk imorra. Herre va fint skritt i riktig retning.

You don't see a lot of black folk in terms of modern age folk music. This one also has an afrobeat vibe to it that i like. Kinda new wavey too.

I'd give it a 4.5 - at the time it came out it was VERY relevant a record, I personally think it still is. The songwriting and performance are actually beautiful. It is just: it hasn't aged too well for me, and upon a repeated re-listen it sometimes tends to drag, albeit being not the longest record. That is due to the overpolished production, methinks.

Fucking classic, what a gal

It's definitely not my genre, but I do appreciate her talent

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes Thoughts: - I knew Fast Car is an exellent song, so not surprised the rest of the album is also great. - Some heavy subject matter, so I don't know if it's something I'll come back to often. - Fast Car is still the clear standout to me, but the songwriting is great throughout. Favorite track(s): Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car

Fantastic!

Alright, lacks a bit of punch for me. Too "soft"? Surprise 90s boyband originals in there though which was pleasant. Not something I will come back to

A songwriting masterclass and one of my personal favourites.

A classic of the genre.

No one is better at writing songs about social issues and yet making them feel like pop songs. Plus I love the contralto vocals and the pacing of the album is perfect

I liked it, but not as much as others who adore it. But I have to say the lyrics are compelling and resonate with me in terms of the struggles that women, particularly women of color, face in this shit ass, nepobaby inherited privilege-led society we live in. Ok it's a 4 for me now that I've made such a good argument.

7/10

I just never liked Tracy Chapman so this doesn’t work for me

Beautiful album. Her debut album is a special type of experience. This album just feels warm, y'know? The acoustic arrangement, the heartfelt singing, and that slight feeling of longing all contribute to that vibe. Never really delved into folk rock that much before, but if it's more of this type of sound, I definitely want to hear more of it. I honestly got used to lyrics that layer their message in figurative language, so the writing here was honestly a breath of fresh air. I'm not saying that the lyrics are not poetic, but I think the straightforward writing here is pretty nice. Straightforward lyrics usually make songs a bit less interesting for me, but she makes it work for to the album’s benefit with how she tells it and what she is saying. I also love how she sings together with the lyrics. That might not make sense, but an example is when she sings “whisper” in a whisper. Crazy stuff, I know. One of the themes that I gleaned from this album is social injustice. I mean, the first track is Talkin’ Bout a Revolution. It can’t be any clearer what the song is about. Across the Lines talks about racial segregation and racially motivated violence. The song shows how one act of prejudice can escalate into riots and senseless loss of life. The acapella track, Behind the Wall, just feels so eerie. Having no instrumental accompaniment traps you into listening to the lyrics closely. “Last night I heard the screaming, then a silence that chilled my soul” made me feel sick. Domestic abuse is a serious issue, and this acapella track puts it at the forefront. Mountains O’ Things is a very interesting song. It has a very jungle and tropical sound, while the lyrics critique the toxic reverence for material wealth and show the effects of consumerism and capitalism. Why? is a great protest track, as it asks why the world still revels in injustice and hypocrisy. The way the government is right now in my country, damn, I think this song really captures the bullshit that is happening here. I just want to talk about Fast Car real quick. It is genuinely one of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard. It paints a clear picture of how we don’t always achieve that dream life that we seek. It is the longest song on this album, and it does not drag even one bit. Genuinely some of the best storytelling I’ve heard in a song. When I first heard Fast Car, I thought it was a very pleasant song. I actually thought the vocalist was a guy back then, but as I delved into some Folk Rock, I found out that Tracy Chapman was not, in fact, a guy. With that realization, I came to see that Tracy Chapman has a very unique and beautiful voice. I heard that she has one of the deeper vocal ranges, and damn if that doesn't make this album special. I didn't know that she also made Baby Can I Hold You. I used to listen to that song when I was travelling with my family in the back of the car, and damn, that song really makes me feel nostalgic. The song is just filled with a certain type of sweetness, and it just makes me feel things. Overall, a beautiful album. This album paints a clear picture of what it wants to convey, and I love every bit of it. This album gets better every time I listen to it, and I think Tracy Chapman is a national treasure. Amazing album. Fav track: Fast Car Least fav: Mountain O’ Things

Good, again not quite my style but some bangers

It's a good album. I don't know if I understand all the hype for fast car. Maybe I just had to be there. I do like the song and all the covers. I probably just don't understand the significance of it.

Damn this was unexpectedly great. This is the kind of folk I can get behind. 8/10 Most Excellent

Never liked this when it was released. Have been hearing it a little on the radio lately. Very nice alto voice but not really my style of music.

First listen. Some songs hit hard. Not a fan of the production.

Was familiar only with "Fast Car," which is a touching song about living in post-Reagan America (even if sung by the annoying Chapman). The rest of the album is surprisingly short on songs: starting at about song 3 we're already employing midi pan flutes and sitar and bopping to corny reggae beats. The lyrics never rise above boilerplate political and social commentary and aren't worth pondering. Couple this with its too-of-its-time late-80s production (think Lyle Lovett, 80s Nanci Griffith, etc., both better artists), and you've got a real slog of an album. You'd only need to hear this to try to understand what passed as compelling music to popular audiences in the late 80s, and that's not a fun lesson.

all tracks are classica

I love this album

2 out 3 of us enjoyed it

3.5

Short album Great songs Lots are very familiar Will be adding to regular rotation.

It was an interesting album, I liked some of the songs but not all

I really like the tone and vibe of this album but some of the songs become a tad repetitive. Idk maybe it’s just because I don’t know them that well before.

bardzo przyjemny czuje sie wyluzowana po podwójnym odsluchaniu

i know two songs from here--the first two. obv classics. the american dream? what? "two weeks in a virginia jail / for my lover" this has to be about Loving v virginia, right?

Lyrics were strong, but the solo acoustic sound on other albums that infests this list has worn me out too much to properly enjoy this.

I could’ve assumed it was gonna be an album full of Fast Cars. She’s singing about Cars and Girls. Someone alert The Dictators!

May Tracy Chapman dance on Dylan’s grave

I am the daughter of a Tracy Chapman hater, and I promise I tried to come to this album unbiased, but I found this pretty boring overall. Ballad-heavy, and sure, the lyricism and Chapman's voice are great (as much as my mom would beg to differ), I just don't see myself listening to this voluntarily ever again. I thought the instrumentation was pretty lackluster, and there is seriously nothing I feel like writing home about with this one, sorry. Favorite tracks: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car

Singer-songwriter stuff can easily go either way for me, and Tracy Chapman is instantly on the good side of it. Her voice is pretty amazing and the songs themselves are all good

What a great album. Great songs, message and a fantastic singer.

That album was overplayed for me when it first came out and doesn't resonate with me over time.

Its sweet

one of the best from the 80s.......reduced on acoustic and vocals....pure and so good

not my thing. very lilith faire. a bit one note overall. and i don’t really like how everyone came out of the woodwork who has “always” loved and been the biggest fan in light of its recent resurgence. no you weren’t. you know you weren’t. there wouldn’t need to be a resurgence if all these people had been huge fans.

RATING: 5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Fast Car LOWLIGHT: Why?

Amazing

Some really beautiful stuff. Im sure this was amazing when it came out.

Un peut mid en vrais mais c’est pas le pire truc que j’ai écouter de ma vie

Muy chill para mi gusto

my fast car queen

Crazy good. I never particularly clicked with the big singles when they're all over the radio, in that context I guess it's easy to miss how beautiful they are. This works as a focused album listen with the unique voice in my opinion. It kind of took some of the more political and less commercially friendly tracks to tune me into the whole thing.

It's a shame I'd never listened to this album before--I'll be coming back again and again.

great vocals, meh music

I was worried about this album after the first song as it came across as pretty heavy handed but thought the rest of the album was quite well written, even if it was as more poetry than music in some spots (thought behind the wall was a standout). Fast car is, of course, the highlight. I realized while listening I still don’t really understand the lyrical narrative after hearing the song probably 50 times but something about it evokes a pretty powerful feeling, really a great song.

2.5 Didnt really do anything for me, and Im not going to spend the time to dive into the lyrics or anything like that. I also skipped halfway through fast car, I didnt see that coming

10/15/26. Love Tracy and love this album. Deep, meaningful lyrics backed by gentle and beautiful instrumentation and melodies. A classic for me.

I caught her live at a festival once. Absolutely stellar voice.

Note to myself: Dont you EVER dare to forget about this gem🥹

Excellent, one of the better debut albums and an LP that rewards listening to again and again.

Great album for moody days. 4 out of 5

I knew of fast car but the other songs were good too

Excellent. Beyond the hits, the whole thing holds up. As timeless as the talent here is, I'm pleasantly delighted by how much of an 80s sound also hovers around many of the tracks. She's Got Her Ticket & Mountains O' Things are standouts.

5.5/10

Me encanta este disco

Some pop albums seem to get wildly popular for no apparent reason. I don't get it. It's mildly pleasant and she's got a nice voice, but most of this is unremarkable four-chord dinner-party fluff.

Tracy Chapman has such a unique voice, both the sound of the vocals and message delivered. Many of these messages could be easily seen as being overly earnest, but I think Chapman's direct delivery eases that perception. This album is very well produced. The sound is so clean and simple. I'm guessing this is tougher to accomplish than it seems. Liked Songs Added: Talkin' Bout A Revolution Fast Car Baby Can I Hold You

Nice and listenable. But I got distracted and forgot it was on and it was over before I knew it. I do find some of the more well known songs a little annoying mind, Fast Car particularly the way the words are phrased. Just being picky though.

Compelling & powerful from a singular voice - an amazing debut

Classic late 80's sound. The first two tracks on this album are so clean and hopeful, mixed with such sadness and underlying despair. The further songs are less hopeful and even darker. It can be a challenging listen, but the lyrics are worth taking the time for.

4.5/5

Amazing album - and it just completely tool everyone by surprise. Such great songs and great vocals, and there was nothing like this going on at this time in popular music.

7.4/10

great album, lovely voice, chapman is an icon!

1 - Talkin’ Bout A Revolution - 👍 2 - Fast Car - 👍 3 - Across The Lines - 👏 4 - Behind The Wall - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 5 - Baby Can I Hold You - 👍 6 - Mountain O’ Things - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 7 - She’s Got Her Ticket - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 8 - Why? - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 9 - For My Lover - 👍 10 - If Not Now… - 🤷🏻‍♂️ 11 - For You - 👍 3/5

Oh boy. One of those albums where I look at the other reviews and get scared in going to offend everyone. It's a pleasant listen, Tracy has a very distinctive and rich voice. The music is serviable but not particularly exciting. The meaning behind the words is obviously very important here and whilst I appreciate the sentiment I thought it was a little preachy across all the songs. I did get a little bored, sorry

What an incredible singer/songwriter right? I mean, is there a person that doesn't know who she is or of the amazing songs and stories she tells since this album came out almost 40 years ago? An artist that conveys the struggles of many in her words and does so in such a way that makes us feel good about them. As if to say, "going through this gave me what I needed to create this and I enjoy creating this, so it is all ok! ". An album that give us comfort and hope and a ripper singalong after a few drinks. I personally, deeply, hope people with this magnitude of talent to affect people in the way they do, know of the positive influence and legacy they have in this world.

Both enjoyable and compelling. Easy 5.

Had this album in my CD collection… Good stuff

Fast Car was so good, a must-listen.

So good but so sad

If you want me to think and feel while listening to music, the music has to be interesting. Otherwise it’s just depressing. Not a melody or groove to be found here. Just a reminder that life sucks and is not fair. I appreciate her story and sentiment, but I just want to dance and forget I can’t control any of this. 3 stars

If you asked me if I was a Tracy Chapman fan, I’d probably just say she’s alright. But, alas, I love this album. It has some very nostalgic tracks and paints a narrative of the landscape for society, civil rights and love in the 80s. Put it on your headphones while you lay in bed, or play it while you cook up a storm, or sweep the floors, just let it gently wash over you.

TL;DR: A devastating, wonderful album that doesn't fuck around. BEFORE: I definitely know the singles and I've probably heard the whole thing at some point. There is a certain irony in having an entire weekend to listen to a 36 minute album after knocking out all 3 hours of 69 Love Songs in one day. AFTER: Listened to this with a slight hangover on the train on a rainy morning, which I highly recommend. This is really magic. Just a tight collection of beautiful, emotionally complex songs from a singular voice. While there is the odd moment where the instrumentation and production gets a little eighties, it never detracts from the quality of these tracks. Everyone knows Fast Car and Baby Can I Hold You, but there is plenty of other stuff waiting in here to break your heart. VERDICT: 5/5

Pretty good and a nice break from the terrible streak I've been on

me when i have a fast car 3.36/5

wow, great voice, great lyrics

Meh

Kind of vibe-y but also very same-y.

More range than I thought. Enjoyed this

I love this album so much. Simply produced, great voice, good storytelling. I could listen to Fast Car every day of my life and not grow sick of it