1. Crossroads 
2. Bridges 
3. Freedom Now 
4. Material World 
5. Be Careful Of My Heart 
6. Subcity 
7. Born To Fight 
8. A Hundred Years 
9. This Time 
10. All That You Have Is Your Soul

Personnel
    Tracy Chapman - acoustic guitar, harmonica, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals, 12 string guitar
    Charlie Bisharat - violin, viola, electric violin, pizzicato violin
    Peggie Blu - background vocals
    Marc Cohn - piano
    Paulinho Da Costa - tambourine
    Carolyn Dennis - background vocals
    Denny Fongheiser - drums
    Bobbye Hall - percussion, conga
    Jack Holder - banjo, piano
    Larry Klein - bass
    Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar - electric guitar
    Russ Kunkel - drums
    Jim Lacefield - cello
    Tim Landers - bass
    Steve Lindley - electric piano
    Bob Marlette - keyboard
    Frank Marocco - accordion
    Sheila Minard - background vocals
    Scarlet Rivera - violin
    Roz Seay - background vocals
    G.E. Smith - acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar
    William D. "Smitty" Smith - organ
    John X. Volaitis - piano
    Elesecia Wright - background vocals
    Snooky Young - trumpet
    Neil Young - acoustic Guitar, Piano

Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album of 1988 was an incredibly tough act to follow, but the folk-rocker delivered an inspired sophomore effort with Crossroads. While it falls short of the excellence of her stunning debut, Crossroads is a heartfelt, honest offering that's well worth obtaining. Dedicated to South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, the anthemic "Freedom Now" is one of Chapman's best protest songs. Equally compelling is "Subcity," a lament for the poor, disenfranchised underclass that stands on the outside of the American Dream looking in. Much of the time, however, Chapman isn't going for immediacy -- introspective and subtle songs like "Bridges," "Be Careful of My Heart," and "All That You Have Is Your Soul" require at least several listens in order to be fully appreciated. ---Alex Henderson

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01. Talkin' bout a revolution
02. Fast car
03. Across the lines
04. Behind the wall
05. Baby can I hold you
06. Mountains o' things
07. She's got her ticket
08. Why ?
09. For my lover
10. If not now...
11. For you

Musicians:
    Tracy Chapman – acoustic guitar, percussion, rhythm guitar, vocals
    Ed Black – steel guitar
    Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
    Denny Fongheiser – percussion, drums
    Jack Holder – organ, dulcimer, dobro, piano, electric guitar, Hammond organ, sitar
    Steve Kaplan – harmonica, keyboard
    Larry Klein – bass
    David LaFlamme – electric violin
    Bob Marlette – keyboard

Arriving with little fanfare in the spring of 1988, Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album became one of the key records of the Bush era, providing a touchstone for the entire PC movement while reviving the singer/songwriter tradition. And Tracy Chapman is firmly within the classic singer/songwriter tradition, sounding for all the world as if it was recorded in the early '70s -- that is, if all you paid attention to were the sonics, since Chapman's songs are clearly a result of the Reagan revolution. Even the love songs and laments are underscored by a realized vision of trickle-down modern life -- listen to the lyrical details of "Fast Car" for proof. Chapman's impassioned liberal activism and emotional resonance enlivens her music, breathing life into her songs even when the production is a little bit too clean. Still, the juxtaposition of contemporary themes and classic production precisely is what makes the album distinctive -- it brings the traditions into the present. At the time, it revitalized traditional folk ideals of social activism and the like, kick starting the PC revolution in the process, but if those were its only merits, Tracy Chapman would sound dated. The record continues to sound fresh because Chapman's writing is so keenly observed and her strong, gutsy singing makes each song sound intimate and immediate. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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1 Sing For You 
2 I Did It All 
3 Save Us All 
4 Our Bright Future 
5 For A Dream 
6 Thinking Of You 
7 A Theory 
8 Conditional 
9 Something To See (No War) 
10 The First Person On Earth 
11 Spring

Musicians:
    Tracy Chapman – acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
    Larry Goldings – keyboards
    Steve Gadd – drums
    Joe Gore – acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards
    Larry Klein – bass, organ
    Dean Parks – guitar, clarinet, mandolin, pedal steel
    Joey Waronker – drums, percussion
    Rock Deadrick – background vocals
    Carla Kihlstedt – violin, nyckelharpa
    Michael Webster – keyboards
    Rob Burger – keyboards

For Tracy Chapman, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Twenty years after her self-titled debut made her an unexpected overnight star, Chapman's music has changed remarkably little, and while it would be unfair to say she's revealed no stylistic growth since her first album, two decades on she's still following a remarkably similar path, offering well-crafted, midtempo acoustic-oriented songs rooted deep in issues of social justice and matters of the heart on her eighth album, Our Bright Future. Produced by Larry Klein, best known for his work with Joni Mitchell, Our Bright Future doesn't sound retro quite so much as it seems to have appeared by magic from some time warp linking Chapman to the early '70s, complete with Steve Gadd delivering supremely tasteful drumming and Dean Parks doing the same on guitar. With the exception of the sly "I Did It All," in which Chapman assumes the voice of some wild-child celebrity celebrating her paparazzi-worthy exploits, Our Bright Future covers the thematic territory you'd expect from Chapman -- the universality of faith against the factionalism of religion ("Save Us All"), the folly of war ("Our Bright Future"), the struggle to overcome cynicism in a culture gone wrong ("Thinking of You"), the longing for a better world ("Something to See"), and the sweet solace of love ("A Theory"). Chapman's songs are both heartfelt and literate, as they've always been, and the production and arrangements are free of clutter, allowing her subtle but passionate vocals to take the center stage without strain. The craft of Our Bright Future is impressive and Chapman's talents are as clearly evident as ever, but unfortunately this album offers precious little in the way of anything fresh or unexpected from this artist. There's a fine line between doing what you do best and simply following formula, and Our Bright Future finds Chapman leaning too far towards the bad side of that equation for her own good. ---Mark Deming

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01. Across The Lines
02. For My Lover
03. Still I Cry
04. Baby Can I Hold You
05. Open Arms
06. You Were In Love
07. Save My Soul, Save Myself
08. Why Don't I Dream Any More
09. Dreaming On A World
10. Fast Car
11. Short Supply
12. Missile Blues
13. Mountains O Things
14. All That You Have Is Your Soul

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