Press
"Kris Kristofferson is one of those music legends that’s easy to overlook. Yeah, he was one of the Highwaymen with Waylon, Willie and Johnny. And, yeah, he’s written some great songs: “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” Maybe he flies under the radar because his movie career is even more prominent. Or maybe it’s that he can’t sing worth a damn.
His new live album — “Broken Freedom Song: Live From San Francisco” — is a superb reminder of what makes him great. It contains four new songs and 11 lesser-known titles.
He’s playful, with “Sky King” (about his days as a helicopter pilot for the Army) and “The Race” (an answer song to “Wind Beneath My Wings” that ends “you are the s--- beneath my shoes”). And he’s incisive, with “The Circle” (about a U.S. bombing of Baghdad by Bill Clinton that killed one of Iraq’s most beloved artists, Layla al-Attar).
The between-song stories are priceless, and don’t miss the heartbreakingly optimistic “Here Comes That Rainbow Again” as well as the devastating
“Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down,” which brings to mind current events: 'Righteous killing in the name of freedom/ We’ve been down
that sorry road before/ … It’s getting harder to listen to their lies.'"
"Country's most infamous
songwriting Rhodes scholar has
never been celebrated for his
voice -- which is pretty much the
definition of "unvarnished." This
sparse live set of old and newer
works won't change any of that,
but his hoarse growl is perfect for
these plain, sad songs of love and
protest. In "Moment of Forever,"
when Kristofferson sings, "I'm so
glad I got to dance with you," the
sense of loss is louder than a
bomb."
Rolling Stone Magazine
[out of 4]
There is no magical Songwriting 101 textbook for amateur tunesmiths, but
there are numerous instructive and inspiring Kris Kristofferson albums. His
latest collection is a stripped-down live disc, recorded a year ago with
bassist Keith Carper and longtime guitarist Stephen Bruton.
Kristofferson eschews his big hits here, offering four previously unreleased
songs along with 11 gems from the past three decades. It's fitting that this
album was released by John Prine's Oh Boy label because the emphasis is
on folky, exceptionally well-crafted compositions. Like Prine (whom
Kristofferson helped discover), the songwriter is not blessed with much of a
vocal range, but he compensates with clever lyrics and dignified emotion.
Kristofferson served in the Army, and his military experiences have
influenced his songwriting, which tends to have a political streak. "What
About Me" and "Sandinista" comment on combatants in Central America,
and "The Circle" is about Layla al-Attar, an Iraqi artist who was killed by a
U.S. missile strike. "Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down" is delivered as
an anti-war screed.
Levity comes in the form of "Sky King" (a parody of Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad
John") and "The Race" (a scatological response to "The Wind Beneath My
Wings"). Kristofferson's penchant for literary details is evident in the
musical short story "Shandy" and the perfect little fable "Darby's Castle." All
the songs have a remarkably intimate vibe, invoking images of a campfire
hootenanny with a world-class composer.
Additional Reviews
Nashville Scene 9/18/03
CityGigs.com
Yahoo! Groups 8/3/03
Billboard Magazine 7/26/03
The Tennesseean
SharkBitten.com
AllMusic.com
Misc. Press
Grammy Magazine (feature) 4/12/04
Kris: Eulogy of Johnny Cash 9/15/03
Kris: Official Statement on Johnny Cash 9/12/03
Billboard Magazine 9/4/03
