CD - Sheryl Crow - Detours
You know what? This is a good album. It would be a great road trip kind of album, providing you’re driving a hybrid. Has Sheryl Crow always been so obvious about her politics and views on the environment and humanity? In Detours Crow lays the green / humane / peace messages on thick and fast. It isn’t until track seven, the title track, that we get into the more staple rejection / abandonment / freedom love song sort of stuff.
Track one, God Bless This Mess, is Crow’s 9/11 song. It’s all-American, like All I Wanna Do but no mention of car washes or anything else so environmentally unsavoury.
Gasoline is the peak oil/climate change track. It’s typical of some of Crow’s big hits in that she tells a great yarn throughout. This story is set in 2017 about a world with no petrol and ‘bastards down in Washington afraid of popping that greed vein.’ Listen out for the beautiful supporting vocals of Ben Harper in this one.
In Out of Our Heads Crow and a bunch of friends encourage us to lay down our guns and ‘get out of heads and into our hearts’. Then there is Peace Be Upon Us, complete with Arabic verses (with translations not so subtly following).
Shine Over Babylon has that really big Crow rocking sound complete with strong choral chorus. Again, the lyrics are heavy with social commentary. ‘It won’t be long before we all are killers…’ She laments consumerism, poverty and ugly wealth. Love Is Free is another ‘throw your money away and be happy’ track but with a much more upbeat, catchy sound.
Sure, ‘Oh everybody / devil take your money’ is a sweet sentiment but perhaps it’s a touch unpalatable coming from someone who is obviously loaded. Or is it? Detours is packaged in an environmentally-friendly cardboard sleeve and bears contact details for the National Resources Defense Council. Her website is riddled with cancer support group links.
Have you ever been stuck talking with a friend who is suddenly trying to sell Amway or strange jelly vitamins (weird, huh?)? Detours is a bit like that. I’m sure she’s even wearing an organic tee shirt on the cover. While it is inspiring that such a prominent artist has been so forward in bringing important issues to the masses, I hope she hasn’t come on too strong.
Sheryl Crow – Detours is in stores now through Universal Music.
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Christian Taylor
said ages ago