Some artists sprinkle politically charged lyrics into their songs every now and then, but few are really up to releasing a completely political album. Ry Cooder has become so dyed-in-the-wool that he has the courage to do it in a year when President Obama takes on Mitt Romney in a hot election. The apt title of the record is Election Special. It is clear after the first song whose side Cooder is on
… as he is talking about Mutt (street dog) Romney. In Brother Is Gone that follows - and musically is also the highlight of the record - The Tea Party is put through the mangle for a while. Each issue tells its own story, related to the elections and the situation in the United States in 2012. Cooder does this in such a way that the entire election campaign is discussed in nine issues. The fact that it also works well musically, can only be praised. (BvdV)more
