Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
The world turns, occasionally it wobbles, and then when we are least expecting it, it lets loose a seismic shock which is hard to shake off. Instead of waiting in anticipation for the rumble of discontent to topple us off our feet, passing the time between the political upheaval and the next wave of spin and opinionated indoctrination, we should stand shoulder to shoulder ahead of time and greet the Propaganda Man with a ready answer, one that the savages of politics will not like.
The spin doctor, the masters of illusion and blind devotion to misinformation, it is to those that the New York established musician Jack Spann has cast his considerable observation upon, the spirit of David Bowie’s critical eye for perfection a truth that is weaved throughout the new album, Propaganda Man, and given the special addition of sincerity with Cecil Robbington on drums and percussion and Producer Gary Tanin on additional keyboards.
Whilst there is fully deserved anger permeating off the album, that spirit of one of music’s greatest minds is also shining like an immoveable star, lessons headed perhaps, the innate responsibility to which Jack Spann was deeply acknowledged on David Bowie’s final offering, Black Star. Whatever the reason, whatever the gauge of heat that has been seen to rise, it is in Propaganda Man that the temperature reaches boiling point, and one that is a natural successor to the two previous solo albums for the St. Louis native.
We have become so used to being spun a different line at every opportunity it now makes little sense to what we are being told, we go along with it, the sense of rage soon disperses because we cannot keep up the momentum without it affecting our sense of self and our own human like needs.
In a glorious nod to The Beatles song of the same name but very much a sublime original of Her Majesty, Rage In The Garden, the overwhelming beautiful sound that glistens in the words of Good Night Lullaby, Dead Man’s Clothes, the exceptional Marry The Flag With The Cross and the album title track of Propaganda Man, the listener is given a reason to believe that the war on lies and programming can be won, it just takes anger, full blown indignation to see that we can make a choice to dispel the art of spin. After all we are not children, we can face responsibility if we are given the chance and to the spin artist we can wave off with calm ire, and make way for the precision and superb craft of the Propaganda Man.
Ian D. Hall