Tracy Chapman

Powerful in an understated and accessible way. Many will know the classics “Fast, Baby, Talkin’” but there are no skippers in this record. Across the Lines is a favorite beyond those well known singles.

Utter perfection. Unfortunately, if it came out today it would be just as applicable. Favs- Fast Car, She's Got Her Ticket, Talkin' Bout a Revolution

Beautiful when it came out. Still beautiful but more so after years of life.

Holy shit man...

*1988. *Powerful. *Tracy’s voice is enough to make this a 5/5 album. *Started strong with talking bout a revolution and fast car. *The a cappella song was only something Tracy could pull off. RATING - 8/10

Great album. Her voice is so distinguishable!

actually a vibe i loved and i already recognized the album and it was just lovely to get ready to

Icon. This is so cohesive as an album experience.

Great album!

This is a pretty perfect album. Apart from the two big hits that open up the set, there's some great melodies, lyrics and songwriting. Lots of variation in styles as well, and very relatable stories in the lyrics. Definitely deserves its place, and I think it will stand as an all time classic.

Wonderful album full of strong song writing and nice vocals. Enjoyed every track and will come back to it.

Simply an amazing album. With so much Soul in it. Tracy voice is so great, and she might be one of the greatest song writter of all time. I have never listen to it, but did know fast car and baby can i hold you. But theres so much more that speak about being a black person. And special in the mordwn day of America this album means a lot still

Remember well when this came out. Such a great new voice beautifully and poignantly written, very memorable melodies. I'll will listen again but will score this with top marks! Brilliant talent

A stellar debut.

I love Tracy Chapman, and her music just blows me away.

she ate and left no crumbs and not only that, she washed the plate afterwards and put it back in the cupboard and no one has even remotely come close to eating off of that plate since

she deserved so much more. this album is gold.

What a wonderful kind of handmade music.

Sublime artist whose words (sadly) still ring true as I listen to them in 2025. Tracy Chapman's voice immediately transports me to my childhood, and all the thoughts and feelings I had hearing songs like 'Fast Car' and 'Baby Can I Hold You'. Songs that feel like opening a time capsule. She's one of the greatest songwriters of our generation. And to think this was her debut album...

Fast car is the bomb

Powerful folk

I was actually annoyed when this album art popped up on the generator, as I've heard Fast Car so many times that it's an automatic skip for me. The album opener eased me in, with a tune that I know and like and wouldn't actually have been able to attribute to Tracy Chapman. I let go of my Fast Car prejudice and was able to listen with an open mind, and to remember how I'd felt about the song when it was new to me, and to love it all over again. And the rest of the album was brand new to me, and such a joy and privilege to hear. Everything about this album felt so feminine, so soft and gentle while addressing so much that is awful and wrong. Aside from the important issues it raises regarding civil rights, violence against women and children, greed and poverty, it also leaves space for the small matters of the human heart. It is sad and sweet and sobering. As someone who usually appreciates lyrics more than audio, this was a perfect first album for the 1001. I'm grateful to have been able to listen to it.

Quality album, fast car is an all time great, nothing jarring or annoying 4.7

This debut album is an excellent album showcasing the talents of this artist. It was a refreshing LP to break on to the scene at the time of it's release. Has a hit single and the other songs are well written sung and arranged.

Favorite Track: Fast Car

An enjoyable listen!

Just such a beautiful and heartfelt work. Also never realized the social commentary that was here ( I was only aware of Fast Car before). Seems like not much has changed.

It's really common for political songs to age well because they're about the American government not changing anything. This album aged really well because the American government never changes anything. It's 2025 and this album is more relevant than it was in 1988, from every single point the album makes. You'd think that some part of this album would've aged in 37 years, but nothing has. Not the instrumentals, not the lyricism, not anything. Behind the Wall is especially relevant today with how awful the pigs that call themselves "peace officers" treat assault victims, Talkin' Bout a Revolution is especially relevant because that revolution still hasn't happened, and this whole album is especially relevant because rampant fascism and equally rampant indifference keep it relevant. This is one of the best records of the 80s, not just for the music itself, but for the fact that the people at the top inadvertently keep it relevant by continuing to treat people beneath them like shit. Past my ranting, this album is also amazing musically. Tracy Chapman has an amazing and amazingly unique voice that's nothing but pleasant to hear for the whole album. Her songwriting is great even when it isn't incredibly political, like in For My Lover. This album comes to mind when I think "Albums you should listen to before you die."

I’ve never listened to the entirety of this, but assumed I would like - and like it I very, very much did. It is absolutely beautiful, from start to finish. Evocative lyrics that tackle issues like racial divide, racism, and domestic violence that - sadly - are as relevant today as they were in 1988. The album features tracks from a multitude of genres including country, reggae, and the beautiful acoustic sound that I automatically associate with Tracy Chapman. Aside from the “hits” that I already knew and loved, standouts for me were “Mountains O’ Things” and “She’s Got Her Ticket”, but all of the tracks were so good that the album got a (very rare for me) second play.

Great album front to back

This is the hundred ninety eighth album I’m rating. Every Tracy Chapman song I’ve listened to has been pretty good. Adding to my Playlist - Talkin’ Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Across the Lines, Behind the Wall, Baby Can I Hold You, Mountains O’ Things, She’s Got Her Ticket, Why?, For my Lover, If Not Now…, and For You. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 11/11 songs. Some of the gayest folk ever.

Weeping and wailing and rending my garments

teetering between a 4 and a 5. Should maybe be a 5. I am going to push it to a 5

did-not-listen PSYCH! 🤪 Our Trace is neither a chap nor a man but my goodness does she have a lot to say. What a beautiful yet chilling album. The accapella track Behind the Wall is really arresting. You would hope that an 80s album with commentary on domestic violence and racism wouldn't resonate so much today. Alas.  Who am I to give this album anything less than 5 stars.

TC by TC has been my favourite album of this process so far. fast car was the only song I was aware of going in but clearly someone should’ve done a better job of telling me how good the rest of this album is. Disappointed with family, friends the school system and the universe for not telling me about this sooner and may never trust them again but at least I’ve got TC to get me through this difficult time

Love the album!

A really wonderful Album.

Exemplary entry in the singer-songwriter category. I’d heard Fast Car like everyone else on this planet, but was unprepared for the raw emotion of the rest. Excellent.

Honestly somewhat shocking how subversive some of the lyrics on this album are. Fast Car sucked up all the attention, and then you miss a lot of things like "Don't ya know? / They're talking about a revolution / It sounds like a whisper / Poor people gonna rise up / And get their share." Tell me, why do the babies starve? When there's enough food to feed the world Why when there are so many of us Are there people still alone? Why are the missiles called Peacekeepers When they're aimed to kill? Why is a woman still not safe When she's in her home?

Forgot how good this album is. Deceptively simple songs with great delivery.

It's not just the classics that still hold up all these years later, but the tracks I'd not heard before. Silky smooth vocals

Oh my what an album. Haven’t heard this in over 20 years and still know every word.

One of a kind. Phenomenal album.

At first I had speculation because I was not into a what I thought was a blues or jazz artist. Then I was going to work one morning I heard Fast Cars. Deep meaningful and sad voice came out of the radio. To me she was the artist of that year. Now world known, but some places cannot figure where to put in the music genre.

Loved this album from the first time I heard. Captured the heart and soul of those who struggle and reminded me of a Steinbeck novel. Fast Cars is the crowd pleaser but there are multiple great songs captured on this one. Was happy to see Luke Combs recognized and brought Fast Cars back to life.

I've been listening to this since the 80s. What a powerful, personal, political, perfect folk album. I hope to listen to it a hundred times again.

Beautiful from start to finish. Big love for Tracy. I have all her albums, this is only the 1st of many that are FANTSTIC from start to finish. Seeing her in concert was a musical highlight and a privilege, just thinking about it gets me teary!

Devastatingly beautiful debut album from Ms. Chapman. Her delivery is so raw, poignant, and power.... We still have so much work to do.

this makes me want to kill myself in the best way

Banger after banger. NGL I had no idea this was from the 80's. It was one of the top played CDs in my Mom's car when I was little.

Absolutely fantastic album that is still so relevant today. Hup the altos as well, a true authentic representation

I was lucky enough to get this album when I had a long drive ahead - I listened to it twice. It was awesome

One of my favorite records. I listen to this one on vinyl from time to time.

Loved it then, love it now. This came out at a time when the women singer/song writer genre had a huge resurgence. Indigo Girls, Michelle Shocked, Suzanne Vega all had hits around the same era. Tracy, in my opinion, is the best of them.

Wonderful

Best of the best

"Fast Car" is a fantastic song, but it's far from the only one on this album. The bass tone on "Across the Lines" reminded me of the bass on Peter Gabriel's "Mercy Street"; turns out both were by Larry Klein. Chapman's voice is top notch.

This was quality. Just really instant when listening to it, production was great. Fantastic songwriting.

This album could’ve been 20 fast cars and it still would get a five from me. Incredible project!

Classic. Devastating. Inspiring. What else is there to say, maybe perfect.

Absolutnie przepyszne

Killer debut by Tracy Chapman, perfect for the 1001 Mist Hear List with messages on human suffering, downtrodden females, and social injustice. You can feel that she sings from the heart, and likely personal experience. L = (5.0*s) could listen to this over and over, and I have. J = (4.1*s) still holds up, sad and sadly still talking about that revolution…

an exhilarating experience. truly a perfect album.

Still a relevant album and really her seminal work, it has been nice to see that Tracy is getting more recognition in recent years. Love that it was reissued on vinyl this year which I will pick up at some point. I love Tracy's voice it has a strength and fragility to it and it hasn't diminished over the years. Stand out tracks: - Talkin' Bout a Revolution - Fast Car - Across the Lines - Behind the Wall - Baby Can I Hold You Tonight - She's Got Her Ticket - Why? - For My Lover - For You

YEAAAAAAAAAAS i love Tracy so dearly

Such a good album and every song poignant.

Franchement j’ai passé une super moment

A no contest 5. Great album

Easy 5 this what an album

Tracy Chapman's voice and music is incredible, haunting, powerful and hugely impactful for teenage me when I first heard this album! I still remember the day my high school friend loaned me this album (which she had stolen from her mum's girlfriend!), and I still love it nearly 30 years on. I'm forever blown away by the sadness, anger and beauty of her lyrics. I've added For You to the 1001 playlist, but Behind the Wall is actually the most powerful track

7 times replay.

One of my favorite albums of all time, but it has been a long while since I listened to it. ★★★★★

Such a damn good album

Very good 5/5

Magisk album. Så ægte og intens en skildring af livet på bunden.

Beautiful album Very meaningful lyrics First 5/5

Outstanding

If I ever have heard this whole album, it's been a long long time so I think other than Fast Car this is going to be a new one for me. God damn. This woman can write some words. I wasn't really ready for this today. This is a beautiful and sad record. I mean I kind of knew what I was getting into having heard Fast Car so many times but this whole album is just brilliant songwriting. A rating is really hard for this one, another example of why this needs to be out of 10 instead of 5. This would be a good 9. 5/5 it is.

Great discovery at the time. Still love the album. Same league as Joan Armatrading.

Such a classic!!!

Classy. Beautifully conceived, written and delivered. Stunning debut.

A classic. Very nice. Listen again.

PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK

Powerful and heartbreaking. What an amazing album.

i like it!! summer’s vibes,

Adore Tracy Chapman on a molecular level

Legendary

Beautiful, at it's best when really pared back.

Easily one of the best singer-songwriter records I’ve come across on this entire list. I enjoyed every song and I was particularly impressed with the balance of the personal and the political. Heartfelt, urgent, soulful. I have no issues with this album, and I’ll be coming back to it for sure. Must-listen #149.

5/5. Tracy Chapman! Actually an album I’ve bought. Love her voice, love her songs and intensity. “Fast Car” is one of the best songs ever and I loved the duet she did at the Grammys a few years back. Classic.

Did not listen to this yesterday. However, this is one of my favorite albums of all time.

What a beautiful record. What a beautiful voice. I’ve genuinely only ever heard “Fast Car” from this album before, I am starting to regret that fact. I don’t believe there’s any bad songs on this record, and the style is so dynamic and engaging. This is one of those records that demands your attention without ever feeling overbearing or aggressive. Tracy Chapman’s voice is just so stunning, her vocal style is soft and smooth, but there’s this occasional vibrato that packs a real emotional punch. It’s funny that an album can be so chock full of political and social commentary without ever coming off as preachy or obnoxious. That seems to be a rare talent. I really enjoyed listening to this album, and I’ll likely listen to it again. 4.5*

Wow... what a fantastic album. I was familiar with "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason", which are both immaculate records, but had never listened to a full album from Tracy Chapman. Her self-titled debut is full of substance beyond her most popular single and absolutely does not disappoint. To begin, the merits of her voice alone are worth highlighting. In the two singles mentioned above, Chapman works in a beautiful, rich contralto that is probably her "signature" sound, but on this album there is quite a bit of range. It's beautifully soft and airy on "Across the Lines" and "Baby Can I Hold You". Overall the breadth from tenderness to power in her vocals on this album are really impressive and wonderful to listen to. Something else I loved about this album is that it balances, in my opinion very successfully, the personal and the societal. It feels like a protest album at its heart but is interspersed with beautiful love songs, often tinged with at least a bit of sadness. It's a balance that I think makes the album feel more sincere, makes it less one-note for the listener, and lightens the mood a bit compared to an album that's all songs about war and poverty and racial injustice and domestic violence and other terrible things. Some songs like "Behind the Wall" and "For My Lover", and to some extent "Fast Car", mix the two themes a bit to great effect. This is the best new album I've gotten from the list in a while and will be in heavy rotation for the next couple weeks. Excited to listen to more of her albums. Playlist pick: I want to go with "Mountains O' Things", "For My Lover", or "For You", but it simply has to be "Fast Car".

Pure, authentic, heartbreaking at times

i want to hurt the op of the "secretary rock" rating. it's a modern revival of the folksy political commentary of the anti-vietnam war era. let the woman be softspoken in expressing her discontent goddamn it. behind the wall hits like a ton of bricks with just the vocals and no instrumental. i think if i had a million dollars by the barenaked ladies is a cheapo rip off of mountains o things lol. she was a college student dreaming of social and political change with a guitar and a dream, and i love her for it.

Perfect

this is not the type of music i like but tracy does an incredible job making it a compelling listen.

incredible album!!

I've heard most of these songs as either covers or on the radio in the wild. I feel like I had whiplash with some of the more somber songs but it was much needed. Its EXCELLENT and everyone should definitely take a listen to this album at least once.

lesbian excellence. such strong songwriting and a voice unlike any other

Great

Nydelig album med sterke låter og fantastisk formidling.

Listened to it twice. Lyrically it is superb, and tight, no wasted words.

It's Tracy Fuckin' Chapman

Aqesome

This was a really smooth album to listen to, enjoyed it a lot.

I had my worries going into this album. None of them were any concerns that the music would be bad, but just... Well, it's a folk singer-songwriter album that addresses social and political causes. Typically, I haven't had too much luck with those — and of course it always comes down to the lyrics. They're usually always just a bit too flowery and dense for my tastes... And, heck, my general understanding. I know these words all **something**, but heck if I can figure it out. I'm no poetry major, y'know? And I don't come to music to decipher poetry anyway. Which, yeah, is a problem I've faced with every folk singer-songwriter album I've come across, but with this one specifically... Well, it felt like not getting it, and thereby not having anything to say about it, would've just felt wrong. Like I was actively doing the album a disservice by not getting it. And, y'know, it's not like I **have** to "get" every album I hear, nor do I even hold that much reverence for Tracy Chapman beyond "being that woman with the really good song Luke Combs covered." But this just feels to me like one of those big, important albums of all time, y'know? Like I **have** to get it, or else... Y'know. It's just my luck, then, that this album isn't that hard to understand. There's no big, deep cut literary references I wouldn't get unless I was an actual English scholar. No, it's all very direct and to the point. Of course there's some embellishments here and there, but it's not like these are Dylan lyrics, y'know? And to the imaginary people in my head would say they're simple as a result — hey, sometimes it's just nice to have messages and themes stated clearly and directly. Especially if you're AuDHD like me. And let's be clear here: how directly understandable these lyrics are is **why** this album is as good and acclaimed as it is. I don't think "Fast Car" would be as world-renowned as it is if its lyrics were all flowery and complicated. Or, heck, "Talkin' Bout A Revolution" wouldn't be as... Well, in 2025 it's pretty tragic, given that we're nearly 40 years away from this album and it still hasn't happened. But seriously, it's a great thing that you don't need a college thesis in order to "get" any of the songs on this album. That's fantastic. And y'know what else is fantastic? Tracy Chapman doesn't have the greatest voice in the world, but for this kind of "truth to power" material, oh, it hits so well. "Behind The Wall" is the specific highlight here, since it features only her voice, and it carries so well for the, like, quietly harrowing story it tells. Goodness. Then there's the instrumentation that's usually behind her voice. With most singer-songwriter folk albums — and I realize, I'm generalizing about them — I don't expect much variety. Either it's a big "singular acoustic guitar" party, or if there are more instruments on the track, they're usually pretty repetitive to keep all of the focus on the lyrics. And I'm not gonna act like that doesn't pop up on this album at all ("Fast Car" had its repeating riff between lyric chunks), there's still way more variety here than I'd normally figure. Hell, I never would've expected "Mountain O' Things" to have this kind of... Island thing going on with it? That's the biggest swing this album takes, but for real, if you played me a buncha random snippets of songs, I'd be able to tell them apart. I can't say that about most folk singer-songwriter albums. So yeah. It's just as good as I'd assumed it was. Like... Dang, y'know? Honestly one of, if maybe not the best, folk singer-songwriter albums I've heard so far. And, yeah, it **is** because it's uncomplicated to my mind, but after as many of these things as my group has gotten in these last 500 albums... It's just nice, y'know.

Not including Fast Car, this is already a pretty damn good selection of folk tracks. But that track just make the album a complete package. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 10. This is our group’s 500th album, and I truly cannot think of a better one to get. Obviously, some level of personal bias would have adored to get, say, “Thriller” or “Songs in the Key of Life”, but this feels like the perfect album at the perfect time, and I’m so, so very grateful that the randomizer has dropped this one to be the big halfway mark. Going in, I knew it was the one with “Fast Car”, and that’s really about it. Tracy Chapman’s entire legacy is made by that song alone. Very rarely can you call something a “perfect track”, but if there ever was one, “Fast Car” is that. It’s transcendentally good. With that said, the rest of the album is absolutely spectacular. As far as my ability to write anything that can do any of these songs the justice they deserve, I don't think I can do it at an individual level. Frankly, you could probably write an entire essay about each track on this album, and it would be a fascinating read. I do, however, have broad strokes – I think the social messaging present throughout this album consists of some of the most sadly prescient lyrics I’ve ever heard, made all the worse by the fact that we haven’t really done a damn thing about it for 37 years. Perhaps it’s those political undertones that leave me somewhat wordless, as I think Tracy Chapman presents them here in such a clear & digestible way – these are really easy to understand, & these are songs that were so desperately needed in 1988 that it makes this album’s popularity just as easy to understand. It also makes the current state of everything in 2025 all the more baffling, as we’ve strayed far, far beyond the empathy and hope this album tries to portray, even in its most grieving moments. As far as the instrumentation goes, I have positive comparisons; lots of R.E.M.-esque soundscapes, hints of Matchbox 20, Bob Marley, and oddly, Peter Gabriel, especially on “Mountains o’ Things”. I think these are perfect types of soft soundscapes to let the lyricism shine through, perhaps at its brightest on a purely acapella track like “Behind the Wall”, or the brilliantly defiant closer that is “For You”. It’s the exact sort of style that I tend to gravitate towards for heavier albums like this, and I love every track’s instrumentation here because of it (though perhaps there could’ve been just a hint more to “She’s Got Her Ticket”). Those are my broad strokes though, and my broad strokes aren’t able to paint the picture this album so clearly lays out. I can’t do it justice; you just have to listen to it for yourself. I’ll grant this, as a sort of concedement – I do think if you listen to this without giving the lyrics their due, then this will not hit in the same way. Hell, if you listen to this without the right amount of empathy, it’ll feel like empty platitudes for worst-case scenarios, but that’s the sort of defeatism that this album tries to push back against. That’s literally the entire point of “Fast Car”. At the very worst, I think this album has the floor of a 4, and I can totally understand why. As far as my tastes goes, it has truly everything that I could want in an album, and I’m at a 10 for that very reason. It’s 36 minutes of socially conscious brilliance, and I truly can’t believe I haven’t given Tracy Chapman the full extent of her flowers until now. It really is the perfect way to mark the halfway point. I can’t wait to get some awful bullshit tomorrow.

# Album Name: Tracy Chapman # Artist: Tracy Chapman # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Great album. Thoroughly enjoyed TC's voice and acoustic driven soul. Theres several big songs on this as well. But importantly, the album is sprinkled with good content. Low 5 for me. # Top Tunes: Revolution / fast car / across the lines / behind the wall / baby can i hold you / why # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Lempparit: Fast Car, Baby Can I Hold You

Whoa this was so good

En klassiker. Minns så väl när den kom. Den golvade oss då i slutet av 80-talet. Och den är fortfarande relevant nu nästan 40 år senare. Femma!

Haven’t heard this in a very long time. What a great album. Heartfelt songs all the way through. Nice that she’s being “rediscovered “ now by a new audience.

Wow this was powerful. The righteous indignation resonated with me, and the music itself complimented her lyrics well. Some of these songs hit like a gut punch. I now feel the strong urge to listen to everything she’s ever written, and if that doesn’t get an album a 5 idk what could.

Just impeccable

This is pure gold. The song writing, the composition, the lyrics, the vocals. I love all of it. Some songs are hard to listen to, others are dreamy and vibrant. More than anything, Tracy paints a picture with her music. It’s easy to get lost in her storytelling and totally sucked in. It’s like reading a novel.

One of the reviews called this secretary music FFS! Have you even listened to the lyrics? Stone cold 5 star classic with not a single bad song and only 36 minutes long! This is how you make an album.

Beautiful.

Beautiful vocals, beautiful lyrics and an all round beautiful album.

I have come to truly appreciate this more than I ever expected

Unbelievable. Fast Car is the obvious hit, but every song is delightful. Depressing album lyrically but powerful and diverse sonically — has everything from a capella

Talkin’ Bout a Revolution For My Lover

Loooved this, can't wait to listen to it again.

Amazing album. All of the songs on this album deserve as much recognition as Fast Car. A unique blend of genres, with some raw, cutting lyrics. Chapman’s delivery is everything. Stand outs: Tallin’ Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Behind the Wall, Mountains O’Things, Baby Can I Hold You, Why?, If Not Now…, For You. Pretty much the whole album, what can I say, it’s that good

Timeless

A song like Fast Car due to it’s commercial success has seen and continues to experience a lot of air play. Which in some cases with similarly regularly heard songs become forgettable because of hearing them so frequently. However Fast Car is always a day stopper for me, this songs delivers pain, hardship and hope all wrapped up in one song- excellent. The whole album is packed with emotion, troubles, love, & protest in a very powerful way. Lyrics almost 40 years old now, still (sadly) very relevant & musically it’s aged relatively well. I’d say it’s a 5 folks!

The pain The agony Dripping from The songs Instrumentally brilliant Brilliantly instrumental

pleasant music - brilliant voice - wow

90/100. Stunning songwriting with tracks that carry beautiful meanings, addressing inequality in the world. For a debut album, this was absolutely mind-blowing.

Love, war, and truth

Really liked it!! Such a nice, calming yet still very deep album.

Absolutely first rate. Fast Car was highly overplayed in my opinion, but the album is fantastic. And with time, Fast Car has come back to be the hit it always was. Don't skip a track.

Poignant

The unbelievable voice of Tracy Chapman! God, she's so good. I remember singing along to Fast Car as a child, as if I had any understanding of hardship. As an adult, the sadness mixed with hope, is so much more poignant. If only we really could get in a fast car and have a feeling like we belong. This is a short, tight album at only 36 minutes. Behind the Wall was a surprise - haunting. Baby, Can I Hold You was a meh spot - but considering the play count on Spotify, I'm the only one who thinks this.

Tracy Chapman is a once in a lifetime voice, by every definition, and Fast Car is one of the best songs of all time. I'm failing to find the words I want right now, but she inspires me so much, and this is a hell of an album from a hell of an artist.

A glorious protest record from the 90s. It’s a shame that it’s still relevant.

Another banger, two in a row!

The Good: Album named after the artist… again The Bad: Nothing really… The Ugly: I am not going to say it… Like most people of my generation, we heard Fast Car first, and then we probably heard one more tune of the album, and then we forgot about Tracy… Paint me pleased and happy when I listened to this album from start to finish… Though I don’t like songs that are too political, Tracy just get’s away with it. The songs, as many have pointed out in their ratings, have stood the test of time… and even regretfully, it seems that Tracy was not able to make much of an impact on how society treats its citizens… Personally, I feel bad that I never really paid attention to Tracy her work, and I am glad that this is, rightfully so, on this list, as it will now be part of my 5* list for sure! Go on Tracy, tell me about the revolution!

Amazing album! Powerful lyrics, easy listening, nice variety of melodies.

Such an easy 5 for me

Excellent, if a bit short. Lovely vocal work and instrumentals. 'Fast Car' is such a great and easily my fave!

Absolutely sublime, what a special, individual and great voice. I know of fast car but never gave the full album the attention it deserves. 8.5/10

fast car is so peak. idk how i've never heard it before, it literally has a billion streams this might be my favorite singer songwriter album, i love the songwriting on this so much. great album, idk how i've never heard of her. Side a is crazy good, side b is a bit weaker

Good shit. Hit pretty hard.

Beautiful album, no skippable songs.

wow, pretty powerful

This is a spell-binding piece of art. Her voice, clarion calls for justice, and that guitar. Hard to believe she was just 23, there’s so much wisdom here.

Super album Great voice. Awesome music. And lyrics that have good meaning and insight into the world.

Love this one. Fast Car, Behind the Wall…so beautiful with such sad themes. I’d forgotten what a great album this is.

Beautiful melodies and moving storytelling.

This is an unequivocal 5 star album. Great song writing, great singing, great instrumentation, great recording and production.

solid album! so simple in instrumentation but so complex in lyrics and voice. tracy is awesome.

Favourite: Behind the wall or Why

What an incredible voice, and what powerful songs.

"Fast Car" is obviously an all time song, but the rest of the album is also quiet beautiful and emotionally striking.

Excellent

Several songs are as good as Fast Car. I usually only like folk music from before 1980 but this is a very solid album and wildly mature and intense for such a young girl (late teens/early 20s) I felt lucky that my life has been so sheltered (and yes charmed) as I'm about the age she was when this album came out and I have thankfully never felt many of the things she experienced /felt & turned into powerful, generation defining songs. I will buy this album maybe on RST next month and I know it will sit nicely next to my Bob Dylan & Joni Mitchell albums. It's that good.

I knew Fast Car, first listen besides that though. I once again find myself waffling between a 4 and a 5 because while the production is a little dated and cheesy sounding now, the message is unfortunately still just as relevant as ever and beautifully expressed for the most part. Fast Car being absolute fire is the tie breaker I think.

SO good

I’m honestly quite sad that I haven’t listened to this one before. Reminded me a bit of Blue and Graceland. Some things I liked: - Tasteful production. The producer added enough to complement her singing and guitar, without overdoing it. - Chapman’s voice is beautiful and warm-sounding. - The lyrics feel warm and inviting, but then devastating at the same time. Favorite Track: Behind the Wall

I want Chapman to release another political album. While so little has changed since 1988, it would be fascinating to hear what she thinks and creates in 2025.

I appreciate the acapella in the album. I don't usually like it, but Chapman pulls it off very well. Mountain O Things sounds almost tropical, it reminds me of TT. The lyrics of "Why?" really got me reflecting, made me emotional almost. The message is so important. The commentary on love, on life, all with such peaceful instrumentals. Nothing like it.

Got me crying in the cubicle on a Monday morning! Not many can do it like Tracy!

Beautiful album loved this

It's been too long since I've listened to this album. And that's probably because every time I listen to it my heart breaks. There is so much emotion and truth in every song, and sadly, all the problems she sings about are still with us, magnified. Fast Car is outstanding as is Talkin' Bout A Revolution, Why? and For My Lover; and I forgot how chilling (and unfortunately, accurate) Behind the Wall is.

Another Billion plays song in "Fast Car". A Great voice, great album, and I really enjoyed it.

Beautiful album what genre is this lol

Perfect album. Perfect songs. She is an amazing storyteller. This is like a movie. Don't go into this album if you are looking for a lighthearted romp...this is a heavy drama.

Thank you, algorithm. This is exactly what I needed after last week's debacle. Excellent album that has something to say and makes you feel something.

I thought this album was going to be very easy to get through with it only being 35 minutes long. It was not as Tracy’s message in this album will sit with me a long while. This really is not my vibe, as it’s too sad for me to want to repeat this very often. But the powerful songwriting, and the relevance of the albums subject material even today makes this higher than my preferred listening experience.

Love her style.

Never listened to the full album before but its all just as good as Fast car. It’s like one big story about everything she observes, making big systemic injustice feel personal and personal matters feel large and important.

Brilliant solo album

This is the beauty of this project. My perception of female singer-songwriters from this era hasn't always been the most informed and, therefore, not always the most kind. There's a certain crunchiness I, accurately or not, ascribe to performers like Chapman. Lilith Faire types. Performers that, while talented, insist upon themselves and their art. That can be annoying. This was, of course, an outdated, sexist and juvenile opinion, one formed in my younger years and never reexamined or challenged. And that is where the beauty of this project comes into play. I would probably have never picked up this album if not for this project. I never would have reexamined my opinions of Tracy Chapman or even given her work a fair shot. And yet now I have. And goddamn. The entire thing is a completely understated sharing of one person's life experiences. It's understated because to her, this is life. It's what she's experienced and what she's been through. It's her norm. It's remarkable to us, the listener, because it isn't normal for us. Or maybe it is and we see ourselves in it. I personally can't say that I see myself in her work, but that's what makes it remarkable. It's a beautiful, painful, genuine look into a life that I could otherwise only struggle to relate to. It's an understated masterpiece of an album that conveys so much while asking very little of its listener. It doesn't take you on a sonic journey. It doesn't try to wow you or impress by overwhelming your senses or blowing you away with its production. The album, and Chapman, simply want you to listen. That's it. Just listen to her stories. She isn't the best vocalist ever, and the production is mostly scaled down enough that it's in no way ever distracting. And that's intentional. Because you just need to listen. I can't say enough about this. It's an easy five stars. I have such a newfound respect for Tracy Chapman, and I regret that I ever had anything else but that for her. Standout Tracks: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Behind the Wall, Mountains O' Things, Why?, For You

I really liked this one. She has a beautiful voice and several of the songs were quite touching. It's rare that someone's voice is so clear I can actually make out the lyrics without having to focus too hard. Fast Car is an all-timer too. 4.5 but rounding up because I'm like dat. Understanding.

Soooooo good!!!!!!

i genuinely cannot stop winning this is ridiculous

Very good, very soulful

Tracy Chapman is a treasure! I love love loved this album!

SELF TITLED!!! 7 more stars are needed!

Beautiful and powerful. Ela tem todas as palavras e o gogó pra enviar a mensagem certa. Um triunfo em composição e interpretação correta pra acompanhar.

5/5 Tracy Chapman's low-key but precise vocals over delicate guitar suit her songwriting perfectly, whether telling a beautiful story or delivering a passionate message. The second side beginning with more traditional pop production actually takes a bit of her fire. However, each song is tightly structured and has its own melodic credit and vibe. It is an exceptionally good album. Talkin' Bout a Revolution 5/5 Fast Car 5/5 Across the Lines 5/5 (FAV) Behind the Wall 5/5 Baby Can I Hold You 5/5 Mountains O' Things 4.5/5 (LEAST FAV) She's Got Her Ticket 4.5/5 Why? 5/5 For My Lover 5/5 If Not Now... 5/5 For You 5/5

If you look up “yearning” in the dictionary you should see the cover of this record. What a powerful combination of voice and message.

23 year old Tracy Chapman sings with the power, maturity and wisdom of a woman who’s lived a full life already.

Would listen to again! Really love her voice and style.

very classy, very soulful. nothing else to say, just perfect

Strong start. First 5 songs all remind me of my childhood. Back half requires more listening but still, very good vibes.

diese einfachheit der instrumentalisierung kombiniert mit engagierten texten - dieses album ist auch nach 30 jahren noch immer hörenswert. mir gefällt der opener Talkin‘ Bout A Revolution, aber auch Why? und alle „leisen“ und feinen Songs.

Ein grossartiges Album und richtiger Klassiker. Ist eine Freude wieder mal zu hören.

I didn’t really appreciate Tracy Chapman at the time when this released. I was young and it never clicked. As I’ve gotten older, this album has continued to grow on me. A lot of the themes on her songs are still relevant today.

I forgot how absolutely amazing I think this album is. Fast Car is a classic, but the whole first half of the album contains only amazing tracks. Important masterpiece.

Loved how raw and emotional it was. I knew "Fast Cars" but otherwise had never heard of this singer before. Pretty glad I got to change that. Amazing album.

beautiful voice

Incredible voice. Breaks my heart because topics she sings about didn't change.

Have loved Tracy Chapman since the first time I heard her song Fast Car on the radio. Guessing back in 1988. She is a an amazing storyteller. Vivid and emotional. That song was a perfect blend of message and music. Her album is filled with excellent tracks. Baby Can I Hold You is another well know and great song. She also has a lot tracks asking us to look at and rethink our acceptance social injustice. These are lesser known, since they didn't as easily suit radio play. Across the Lines; Behind the Wall; Why; and Mountains O'Things were the ones in this category that most affected me. She also has a few tracks examining a need to love and be with the one we love even if it is at a sacrifice. If it was at all inspired by her own life, made me both admire the depths of her commitment for love, and also want to be a friend to her back then to try to tell her "oh no girl, this is so not healthy". 🥺

Wonderful heartfelt folk album.

What a perfect album

Incredible songs, all very sad

9/10

Her voice and guitar are pure honey. This album is legendary for a reason.

Tracy's voice is beautiful, this is a great album.

I have this on vinyl and I think the rest of it is overshadowed by Fast Car. It’s great through- start to finish

War lange Zeit eines meiner Lieblingsalben, immer noch gut!

Absolute class 1000%

🎧Fantastic record. I’ve loved Fast Cars for many years, can’t believe it’s taken me this long to listen to the rest of the album.

What a gifted musician and song writer. I enjoyed this album a lot. Great vocals and finger picking on the guitar. The arrangements were very simple and perfectly executed.

Day354 - baby can i hold you us my favorite tracy chapman song and the hold album still feels fresh 36 years later

one of the easiest 5's I've ever had to give out. Grew up with this album, every time I listen its a like a warm hug, also getting to experience songs that I completely forgot about. Chapman is a fantastic performer and song writer. You could easily just put Fast Car here and get great ratings but there is so much more. Sorry for gushing.

Really honest songwriting and a beautiful soulful voice. I only really knew Fast Car off this album but was blown away by the rest of the songs. Definitely joining my vinyl collection

Such a special album. The world could use more Tracy Chapman. The lyrics are spellbinding, the melodies are memorable, and the instrumentation is simple yet just... the perfect vehicle to deliver the lyrics. As close to a perfect album as I've heard.

YES

12/17/2024 :,)

Nice, her fast car is great. I like her album a lot! Giving it a 5 cause I'd happily listen again.

Classic

Smooth listen. All quality if that is the mood.

Awesome... This kinda save my life some 36 years ago Beautifully produced album and killer musicians, got it on vinyl since than

i have no idea why nobody told tracy chapman slapped this hard. she rly knows how to hit wtf

Loved this one!! Takes me back to old school Tracy Chapman listening. Fast Car is a classic and I enjoyed rediscovering it.

A great chill album even tho the things she was saying was not very chill

Fantastic record

when i was living at home in the suburbs during lockdown i was obsessed w the car as a metaphor for the illusion of freedom— how, growing up in the suburbs, there’s not much else to do bedsides drive around. you COULD go anywhere, but you end up driving around in circles, ending up where you started every time. anyway fast car is one of the greatest songs ever written tracy chapman forever.

During the recent resurgence of Fast Car, I thought it was overrated. On a fresh listen, that is a damn good song. I didn’t pay too much attention to its lyrics before, but she can really paint a picture with her words, in this song and others. Love the style overall, but there’s a decent amount of variety as well. Loved Mountains O’ Things, She’s Got Her Ticket, and many others.

Que voZ

Vittu vad bra den är!

The topics covered in this album are sadly still as relevant today as when it was written. Love the music.

folk/Americana/protest magnificence

I could listen on repeat

Iconic

Do you like the rewrite of Fast Car? Well, Tracy Chapman released the original! I love the original, and I love the new one as well! I love Chapman's music, and her range as well! I hope that you'll be able to listen to this album sometime! I highly recommend this album!

Loved it!

This is a stunning and heartbreaking album of folk songs. Many of them tell stories of the working class and racial inequality in America. Others focus on broken relationships where the characters battle loneliness and disappointment. All of them are sung with deep compassion by Tracy Chapman, whose powerful voice is an emotional force. The opening sequence of songs is incredible. The rallying cry of "Talkin' About a Revolution" is a great opener, leading into the bittersweet storytelling on "Fast Car." "Across the Lines" is an impassioned song about race relations. And "Behind the Wall" is just devastating. I hear the influence of classic folk artists on this song (I'm thinking of Joan Baez, who I was introduced to from this list). The a capella delivery stops your tracks. There are a lot of other styles on this album too, like the sparkling power ballad "Baby Can I Hold You," the reggae-tinged "She's Got Her Ticket" and the country twang on "For My Lover." "Mountains O' Things" was another highlight for me. Great lyrics about how the American dream is focused on collecting stuff we don't need. Incredible album.

All the hits. The non singles are a bit flat

Timeless classic.

Wow. This album's great. I feel like I haven't gotten as many albums from women within the past few months as I should. Sure, I did get Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, and Beyoncé in the past month, but then you have to go back nearly two months to find the Dolly Parton album I got before those ones. Needless to say, Tracy Chapman's debut album serves as a nice source of variety that I've needed from this generator as of lately. Let's talk about the album now. As stated earlier, I think it's absolutely wonderful. Everything about this album just works. Tracy Chapman's singing is nice. I really like it. She really gets to shine on songs like "Behind the Wall," which only has her voice in it. Of course, most songs on this album aren't just singing. The other 10 songs all have instruments in them too. Fortunately, they're also great! The sound is generally fairly soft, with a heavy focus on acoustic guitar. There are moments where other instruments show up though. I really like both styles. The writing is arguably the highlight of this album. There are some absolutely amazing songs on here. The highlight, of course, is "Fast Car." What a song. That song alone justifies this album being on the list. Other songs like the opener, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution," and "Across The Lines" do a great job at focusing on social issues in an interesting way. Other songs like "Baby Can I Hold You" and "For My Lover" are just very solid love songs. This album's great. There are definitely albums I like more, but the impact of this album and the quality of its music are more than enough to justify this album's legacy. Light 5/5.

Wow, didn't expect this, honestly. This is definitely 5 for me this generator really suprised me.

This is a stone cold classic. The melodies are timeless and the vocal is so emotive it cant be beat. Unless you pay attention to the lyrics in which case they may be. The stories told are heartbreaking and the unfulfilled optimism 30 years on tells its own story.

I listened to this a lot as a teenager and am very familiar with it, although I haven’t heard it for ages. For me it has stood up well, there is just something about the melancholy lyrics and the sound that always resonated and still seems to, going by the 2bn steams on Spotify. I have this down as an all time classic

Now this is a classic. The recent remake of fast Car brought a lot of people back to Tracy Chapman, and deservedly so.

I remember buying this album when I was a younger man and how much it spoke to me despite any similarity to my life experience. By the end I was saddened by how much these tracks still speak to me, only things have gotten much worse decades later. This album was not just of its time, but seemingly for all times.

One of my top favorite albums of all time! Such an amazing soul and activist!

Just fantastic. Tracy is a amazing human and musician. Just a great album by such an important figure in late 80s and early 90s folk. One of the greatest debut albums of all time!

From the familiar voicings of Fast Car to the unexpected acapella of Behind The Wall. This entire album transcends time. The political insights of Why? remain a point of discussion in modern times. And it’s Fucking Tracy Chapman. This album rocks, but softly and beautifully.

vital and true. her voice is so smooth. i especially liked the songs that went a little outside of the typical singer-songwriter acoustic guitar + basic percussion formulation with the more syncopated (??!?!) drums. fav tracks: fast car [duh]; baby can i hold you; mountains o’ things; why?; for my lover

WOWWWW that was so beautiful. i am not someone that typically pays attention to lyrics but i was very moved by the lyricism of this album, particularly Behind the Wall, Across the Lines, and Baby Can I Hold You. The political themes are unfortunately pretty timeless and universally applicable, and the music itself doesn't sound dated or trite -- it feels really fresh and different than anything else I've listened to -- so I see why this album is considered such a classic.

Yeah, Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” is great … but it’s only a reminder of how urgent and transcendent the original was and is … from a 23-year-old college grad who’d been playing open mics and college radio in Boston. My dad had three tapes in his car when I was a kid: this album, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and U2’s “Joshua Tree.” They are all desert island albums, something you could live on for the rest of your life.

This is a great album. The storytelling is top notch, and it sounds as if nothing has changed in 36 years...

Tracy Chapman's music hurts my heart in the best way.

You can't really fault this album. It was something completely different when it came out, and it snowballed to the point that everyone seemed to have a copy and listen to it almost constantly. It didn't matter what your usual choice of music was, you had a copy of this album. Several standout tracks, not one weak track.

Christ her voice is so beautiful. Glad to finally be made to sit down and listen to more from her than Fast Car - that being the second track feels so bold and so understated in her brilliance. I gotta do more things more, man.

One of greatest song writers ever and a voice that transforms those works into something beyond

Phenomenal writing and pleasant listening. Lyrics are still so real and important 36 years later.

First time hearing Tracy Chapman, very unique voice. Songs didn’t age a bit. Fast car alone puts it on top for a 5. Favorite track: Fast car other picks: talking about a revolution, behind the wall(only voice with bo instrumentation), baby can i hold you, mountain of things.

Never saved so many songs off the same album, love it

Tracy Chapman's blend of folk resonates with me.

Really good from start to finish.

Absolutely incredible album. Powerful lyrics, a beautiful unique voice, and a perfect light guitar that backs up and compliments her voice so well. This is a gem!

Evocative powerful and an anthropologist

5/5. A beautiful and sad album of important messages and quiet songs of longing and heartache. There is love throughout but scarce enough to remind you of the bleakness of the world. Optimism is a message trying to break through each song but it always ends in disappointment at the police, society, yourself. She has a very accessible voice and each song provides enough diversity that doesn't sound like a plain acoustic pop album. Best Song: Fast Car, Baby Can I Hold You, Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution

Fantastic album discussing generational poverty and life in the inner city.

Tracy Chapman is simply one of the best to ever do it. This album is heartbreaking, thought provoking, eternally socially relevant, and just damn good

Great singer songwriter with a short but sweet album with some great themes. 10/10

Masterpiece of masterpieces

I'm so excited for this!! Talkin' Bout a Revolution - incredible. What a beautiful voice. The noise cancelling headphones are really doing this justice. You better run run run run run run run run ! Fast Car - yes yes yes yes Across the Lines - I didn't know this one before now. I like it. A softer song (production wise, not lyrics) than the other two Behind the Wall - is this a cappella? beautifullll voice - hard hitting lyrics Baby Can I Hold You - this is beautiful Mountains O' Things - I don't know why I wasn't expecting lyrics like this. she's incredible She's Got Her Ticket - not my favourite on the album, but still enjoying it Why? - same as the above, but it's a very good tune For My Lover - god her voice is beautiful If Not Now... - this feels hopeful, I like it For You - I want Tracy Chapman to be in love with ME! This was lovely Might listen to this album again immediately I liked it that much. thanks Tracy love you

Goddamn, what a voice, both in the sonic sense and in the literary sense.

I can get wary about political songs. Not usually because of the politics, but because it's difficult to make political prescriptions into song lyrics without them being impossibly clunky or without them flattening into a lack of specificity. Sometimes, on a micro level, I feel like Tracy Chapman can brush up against the latter. But on a macro level this is an album full of stories of characters pushed to the margins, suffering from domestic violence, addiction, poverty, all wanting something greater. As an album length statement, it's hard to get more resonant than that.

Beautiful and timeless. Could be one of the best folk albums of all time with one of the best folk songs of all time on it.

Incredible album from an incredible singer-songwriter!

yeah this is a classic

Pre-listening thoughts: FINALLY A WOMAN!! And Tracy Chapman at that! This is such an exciting album. Tracy is such a brilliant storyteller and I am so very excited to not only listen to an album by a woman but a queer woman of color. Post/during listening thoughts: I’ve already heard the first two tracks of this album. I love Tracy’s voice. The folk-rock genre blend on this record is flawless and keeps energy flowing while also keeping the sound down to earth and intimate. Some of the production does lean very 80s though. Theres something about the way that Tracy places emphasis on certain syllables and places words within the rhythm that I’m awful at describing but is very pleasant to listen to. Not a bad track on this album. These issues are still super prevalent today, a timeless record but at what cost? 9.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: yes and everyone should Fav tracks: Fast Car, Across the Lines, Baby Can I Hold You, She’s Got Her Ticket, If Not Now… Least fav tracks:

very powerful, behind the wall es una canción a acapella que no necesita music for how powerful it is. Increible proyect, very vulnerable and personal. 10/10

Really great folk album. Vocals and guitar well done. Fast Car got tons of airplay when it was released but this is my first listen to the whole album

5 - Yeah this was stunning. Really powerful and beautiful at the same time

an album i've heard countless times, an artist that i did and do regard as my all-time favorite, a collection of songs i could never get enough of. the easiest 5 so far.

Singer-songwriter, folk rock. Beautifully melancholic and passionate, very political. What an amazing experience. Love her vocals and the instrumentals fit perfectly. Especially loved the vocal only song. Very special album Strong 4.5/5

I really don’t love that cover of fast car making it’s rounds, but I did love this album!

Just so simple and heartbreaking

I was blown away by the production first time I listened to this on LP. Really powerful album, Tracy Chapman really sounds like she means every word she says. The first tracks are the best part of the album, but it only falls off a tiny bit at the end.

I love this album. It is one of my favourites of all time and I was excited for it to pop up!

So pleasant, so peaceful. So right for my dinner prep.

You already know! 5.

Tracy Chapman is a national icon. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Fast cars!!

Beautiful album. Only minor issue is it suffers from feeling a tiny bit dated.

It is a rare talent indeed for someone to write a song that can dominate MTV in the late 80s, become a mega hit for a mediocre pop country singer over 30 years later, and yet still be filled with power and sincerity. The rest of the album is equally strong, and I’m ashamed to admit it took this long in my life to hear it in its entirety.

Yeah, this is a 5* album. Especially impressive given that it's her debut.

This is beautiful, deep, meaningful and wonderful. Beyond being a work of art, she feels so intimate and genuine. She is sharing her innermost thoughts and feelings and we are blessed to hear them from her in such an amazingly perfect way.

This album is fantastic. She is an amazing writer and her voice is truly one of a kind. Love the social and racial messages too.

<3

very good :)

10!

Great album, great songs, great singer with a unique voice. And lots of good memories listening to these songs

I reaallly wish this was longer. Loved it <3 5/5

Loved this. So beautiful. THIS is how you structure an album. There's no places to skip, not that you'd want to. It's social realism in music form which is so important - political music should always focus on personal impacts and it's sad really how little has changed.

This is an untouchable classic. The whole record is great but imagine having a song as good as Fast Car. That's once in a lifetime shit.

Fantastic album

I didn't expect to but I had to give this a 5 It's song after song that are meaningful and beautiful at the same time. Just so good

Devenue star planétaire suite au désistement de Stevie Wonder pour le concert de la libération de Nelson Mandela, j'avais de mémoire pas accroché plus que cela le disque au moment de sa sortie. 35 ans après, cette écoute, dans le cadre de mon projet et je l'avoue fort plaisante à l'oreille. Conclusion, avec son folk engagé, le premier album de Tracy Chapman n'a pas vieilli en 35 ans. Ce qui est souvent la marque des grands albums. Un album intemporel comme le sont les thèmes abordés au travers des 11 titres. Une belle note de 4/5 pour un album que je réécouterai peut-être un jour dans 35 ans 😀

An emotional powerhouse. Come for Fast Car, stay for everything else on this album.

10/10, genuinely great album — although I gotta be honest, I don’t think Fast Car is the best song here, but that should just go to show how consistently good the album is