Click on MP3 next to song to hear audio sample.
A rundown of the album’s tracks:Red Neck, Blue Collar – Certainly a song in the Woody Guthrie tradition but more than relevant these days as the gap between the super rich and everybody else widens.
Canebrake – Bob paints a picture of a swampy outing that evokes flora and dense fauna one would find in the wilds of his native West Tennessee. Notes Bob of the contribution of Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars who guest on the track, “They really added to that feeling of the song.. you can almost hear the steam rising from the track.”
Judas Iscariot – This one came to Bob in his sleep after contemplating a copy of DaVinci’s “Last Supper” in a somewhat altered state. Literally, he dreamt up this talking blues-style narrative describing the events leading up the crucifixion of Judas Iscariot’s “Gypsy sidekick.”
Coming Into Glen Rock – The heroic truck driver in this story faces a decision when his brakes fail: save yourself or save the kids in the road. He makes the right choice as Bob pays homage to the legacy of Red Sovine and Dave Dudley. He claims the scenario described in the song actually took place in Glen Rock, PA, his wife’s home town, back in the early 1950s.
Holy Ground – An old timey, hillbilly song that’s reflective of the tradition of Appalachian mountain music. Who says they don’t make ‘em like they used to? Bob Frank certainly does.
One Big Family –This one was written for an Oakland City Employees’ union rally; it explores the disparity between the working and ruling classes and the hypocrisy that surrounds the myth of economic equality. It asks the question “Why does their ass ride first class while I’m barely staying afloat?”
Out On The Prairie – A beautifully descriptive cowboy song that Bob wrote back in the late 60’s. “I’d drink a lot of wine, imagine something and write a song.” He imagined something very beautiful, it seems.
Pledge of Allegiance – Bob’s wonderfully thoughtful rumination on the lip service paid to “God” in the pledge of allegiance.
Little Ol’ Cabin Home – Wherein Bob ponders life in the rural South and evinces a deep appreciation for that way of life.
Incident at the Laundromat – Bob’s “down and out” days are revisited in this narrative which describes an encounter with a sorrowful wine-o.
Monroe, Louisiana Pipeliners’ Brawl – Bob certainly knows whereof he speaks/sings in this one. He worked on a gas pipeline in West Point, Mississippi years ago. Nobody has a greater appreciation of salt-of-the earth types than Bob and this one has them slugging it out with great gusto.
