Part classic rocker, part jazz pianist and part showman, New York City’s Jack Spann -- who played on the demos for David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar -- summons not only Bowie but the likes of Steve Winwood, Joe Jackson and Billy Joel on his third album, Propaganda Man.
This is Spann’s most invigorating, melodic and diverse album yet. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist plays everything but drums and doesn’t shy away from thorny issues. Take the lively title track, in which Spann sings, “Who will be my next little Hitler?/Who will be the one I push on?/Who will preach the words I teach to the wide world beyond?” On “Rage in the Garden,” he sings about “a couple of pissed-off school kids, took a gun down from the drawer/Said that they were going to school that day to show what for/With no one there to guide them and show them right from wrong.” Then there’s the vividly eerie “We’ll All Go Together”: “I heard they got a bomb, leaves a crater eight miles long/What could be deadlier than that?/Unless it’s the poison germs that creep into your lungs like worms/And make tiny rooms in your head.”
(Hmm. Wonder what Spann would do if he tried writing a metal song...)
Spann has been an in-demand session player for years, and there’s no doubt his work with Bowie boosted his profile and heavily influenced his second album, 2017’s Beautiful Man From Mars. But with Propaganda Man, Spann continues to evolve -- not relying so heavily on keyboards and embracing a fuller sound with broader appeal.
Track Listing:
1. Propaganda Man
2. Rage in the Garden
3. All Go Together
4. Her Majesty
5. She’s My Love Line
6. Your Lullaby
7. Sing Your Own Song
8. When Joe Sings
9. Marry the Flag With the Cross
10. Dead Man’s Clothes
11. Shut the Door
12. Good Night Lullaby
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