Details

Track Listing 1. Oh My God 2. Radio Segment 3. Stay Human (All the Freaky People) 4. Radio Segment 5. Rock the Nation 6. Sometimes 7. Radio Segment 8. Do Ya Love 9. Radio Segment 10. Soulshine 11. Every Single Soul 12. Radio Segment 13. Love'll Set Me Free 14. Thank You 15. Radio Segment 16. We Don't Mind 17. Radio Segment 18. Speaking of Tongues 19. Radio Segment 20. Listener Supported 21. Radio Segment 22. Skin on the Drum
Album Notes Spearhead: Michael Franti (vocals, guitar, programming); Carl Young (vocals, flute, saxophone, keyboards, bass); Dave Shul (guitar); Roberto Quintana (drums, percussion). Additional personnel includes: Zap Mama, Radio (Active), Woody Harrelson, Kiilu Nyasha, Brother Sunshine, Tanya Saw, Nazelah Johnson (vocals); Gordon Ramos (saxophone); Victor Castro (trombone); Ramon Lazo (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); Bob Crawford (keyboards); Al Marshall, Jay Lane (drums); Troy Lampkins (cuts); Caitlin Cornwall, Josh Klor, Mary Harris (background vocals). Recorded at The Sugar Shack, San Francisco, California. On the title track of Spearhead's 2001 record, STAY HUMAN, Michael Franti muses, "We need to heed the words of Dalai Lama/or at least the words of your mama." It's signal enough that the mesh of politics, mysticism, and sweetness Franti's produced since forming Spearhead continues into the 21st century. A teleplay runs through the concept album STAY HUMAN as Franti's groove-oriented, lyrically taut songs are interrupted by bits from a pirate radio station protesting a woman's execution, as an eager governor with a southern drawl cheers it on.
Industry Reviews 6 out of 10 - ...Smoothly welds musical styles: string-infused breezy funk swinging from jazz into pumping gospel-disco....Conspiracy theories have never sounded so catchy... NME (05/05/2001)
4.5 discs out of 5 - ...As today's greatest inheritor of Gil Scott-Heron's artistic legacy, Franti deserves the highest props... Vibe (06/01/2001)
...One of the best politically charged hip-hop albums of the year... JazzTimes (12/01/2001)
6 out of 10 - ...The subject matter may be a bit heavy, but the beats keep it bouncing along... Alternative Press (07/01/2001)
4 stars out of 5 - ...Fluid, lyrical, hip-to-the-beat and viscerally moving soul... Q (06/01/2001)
7 out of 10 - ...He establishes compassion and earns affection....the music per se conveying deep feeling....Franti has favored a retro, flow-through groove, and here his funk adds a decidedly disco flavor... Spin (07/01/2001)
3 out of 5 stars - ...Franti uses the entire span of the record to chip away at a single issue: the folly of the death penalty....there's genuine excitement in hearing him leap nimbly between tart funk and loose organic funk... Rolling Stone (07/05/2001)
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