Greg Graffin – Cold As The Clay CD
Tracklist:
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Run
2. Omie Wise
3. Cold as the Clay
4. Little Sadie
5. Highway
6. Rebel’s Goodbye
7. Talk about Suffering
8. Willie Moore
9. California Cotton Fields
10. The Watchmaker’s Dial
11. One More Hill
In many ways Cold as the Clay is a highly unconventional record. First of all it combines traditional American old-time music with original rock compositions. Secondly it’s offered up by Greg Graffin, an artist best known for his work with Bad Religion as one of the most successful and prolific punk rock performers in the world. Lastly, it was recorded and mixed in accordance with the raw integrity of it’s origins in only eight days, with a group of talented musicians who had never played together before, utilizing inspired live takes and not much else in the way of studio contrivances. Happily, the results are as gratifying artistically as they are unconventional conceptually. In the liner notes Greg put it this way:
“We set out create a record that would honor the legacy of American music, and it is my hope that we were able to capture a lasting musical moment. I wanted to show how my work with Bad Religion was informed by other, seemingly disparate and unconventional genres of music that at first glance may appear to have nothing to do with punk. My hope is that this project will live to pass along the tradition of American songwriting to others long after I am buried and cold as the clay.”
- Guest appearances by Jolie Holland and backing music by The Weakerthans.
- Produced by Brett Gurewitz.
“This is even more interesting when one thinks about how much folk music has obviously inspired Graffin, and consequently, Bad Religion as well — not to mention every band subsequently influenced by their music. There’s really nothing better than stripping such a potent singer as Graffin down to his roots. And when the folky result is as engaging as it is comforting, well, Cold as the Clay shouldn’t be missed.”- All Music Guide
