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10.0
45759
10.0 |
State
Social comment once again becomes high art, in the finest American tradition
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9.0
45256
9.0 |
PopMatters
A political broadside aimed at the hostile takeover of America by Wall Street traders and greedy corporate raiders, it’s guaranteed to please anyone inclined to give it a sympathetic listen
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9.0
45093
9.0 |
Uncut
An impassioned screed against the dumbing down of America
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8.0
45700
8.0 |
The Observer
A lot of people recoil from overtly political songs. Ry Cooder doesn't care
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8.0
45292
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Protest music delivered with a patriot's gifts – the American-roots beauty and expert fire in Ry Cooder's playing – and long memory
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8.0
45064
8.0 |
The Arts Desk
Musically it’s not brilliant but, by the time the listener reaches [the end], Cooder’s well-directed fury, observational smarts and passionate upset at the state of his country have done their work
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8.0
45083
8.0 |
Mojo
Ry exuberantly dusts his broom, mixes his licks and shouts the news across an old-school 39 minutes of album time. Print edition only
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8.0
45126
8.0 |
The Irish Times
It’s vintage stuff, Cooder’s singing and guitar-playing consistently striking home. It’s agitprop, but it is also good, very good
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8.0
45174
8.0 |
The Independent
Cooder employs demotic, populist forms – notably variations of the blues – to carry his broadsides
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8.0
45176
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Cooder in overt political mode, the filthy liberal – a short, sharp dose of the spirit of Woody Guthrie, minimalistically recorded on mandolin, guitar and bass with his son at the drums
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7.9
45467
7.9 |
The AU Review
It’s an album that is both compelling and entertaining, with plenty of interesting genre diversions to keep your attention
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7.0
45512
7.0 |
Daily Telegraph
His most political record yet
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7.0
45110
7.0 |
BBC
The scathing humour of Going to Tampa is timeless and the thunderous Guantanamo, the sort of song Springsteen must wish he’d written
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7.0
45223
7.0 |
All Music
It serves two purposes: one is that it is the most organic record he's issued in almost two decades; and, more importantly, it restores topical protest music to a bona fide place in American cultural life
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7.0
46164
7.0 |
Tone Deaf
An incredible collection of beautifully performed protest songs
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4.0
45085
4.0 |
Q
The fine lyrics have to fight against some weary-sounding arrangements. Print edition only
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4.0
45065
4.0 |
Slant Magazine
Though Cooder's clearly singing and playing from his bleeding heart on Election Special, the results make one wish that he'd pass both his mic and his guitar back to his brain
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4.0
45063
4.0 |
musicOMH
It’s a nine-song album, a campaign badge and a bumper sticker. But it’s not going to win many votes
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