Tracy Chapman
New Beginning,  Elektra, CD 61850-2, 1995 (64:31)

 A new beginning for love and earth

Tracy Chapman in many ways today represents our collective conscience. From her opening composition, "Heaven’s Here on Earth," with it’s optimistic tone about love and life, Tracy provides us with direction:

We are born inside the gates with the power to create life/ And to take it away/ The world is our temple/ The world is our church/ Heaven’s here on earth/ If we have faith in humankind/ And unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding/ This could be heaven here on earth.

A combination of songs about love and longing, unrequited love, and love of the earth make up her  New Beginning release. In this 1995 album, Tracy has affirmed her place as a strong and confident singer songwriter. It’s evident in all of her compositions, most of which were written in 1994. "Give Me One Reason," the exception, was given the most air time and became a popular single, though it was written back in 1986 when Tracy was still getting established.

In "The Rape of the World," a beautiful yet mournful ballad, she asks us to speak out about our environmental exploits on the mother of us all: "If you look you’ll see it with your own eyes/ If you listen you will hear her cries/ If you care you will stand and testify/ And stop the rape of the world." More than in her earlier releases, Tracy is urging for environmental activism in these apathetic times.

Tracy is backed by a solid group of musicians, which adds great depth to her rich and soothing voice. It is the tone of her voice that perhaps makes her message so easy to hear. Tracy Chapman is a welcome and needed voice of reason for the ’90s.– Mark Craemer

performers

Tracy Chapman, vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, organ; Andy Stoller, bass and tamboura; Rock Deadrick, drums and percussion; Adam Levy, electric guitar; Glenys Rogers, percussion. Additional musicians: Lili Haydn, violin; Cameron Stone, cello; Eric Rigler, Scottish small-pipes and whistle; Phil Shenale, keyboards; Scott Roewe, didjeridu; John Thomas, piano.

production

Recorded at The Site in San Rafael, CA. 1995. Produced by Don Gehman and Tracy Chapman.

song titles

Heaven’s Here on Earth • New Beginning • Smoke and Ashes • Cold Feet • At This Point in My Life • The Promise • The Rape of the World • Tell it Like it is • Give Me One Reason • Remember the Tinman • I’m Ready