Voice of America (Little Steven album)
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| Voice of America | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 7, 1984[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:51 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Producer | Little Steven | |||
| Little Steven chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Voice of America | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[3] |
Voice of America is the second solo studio album by Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul released on May 7, 1984, four weeks before Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A.[1]
This album traded in the horns and the R&B influences of the previous Men Without Women for a raw, garage rock sound. Politics came to the lyrical forefront, with the general theme being opposition to the Reagan Era's American foreign policy.
"Out of the Darkness", a synthesizer-led anthem with sweeping arena rock and hair metal atmosphere, garnered some airplay, as well as music video play on MTV, and was effective in concert, while the somewhat softer and evocative "Checkpoint Charlie" also received considerable radio airplay. "Los Desaparecidos" gained praise as an effective protest song on behalf of the 1970s and 1980s victims of state-sponsored forced disappearance in South America. On other songs, the political viewpointing became more strident and was criticized as somewhat artless.
"I Am a Patriot", which held roughly that dissent was not disloyalty, became a favorite song of Jackson Browne, who covered it on his 1989 album World in Motion, and who frequently performed it in his concerts. In 2004, the two would duet on the song during the last of the Vote for Change shows. Pearl Jam has covered the song as well.
In 2019, the album was remastered for release as part of Van Zandt's career-spanning box set Rock N Roll Rebel: The Early Work. The digital deluxe edition of the album was released on October 25, 2019, containing 10 bonus tracks, including the studio outtake "Rock N Roll Rebel", which was written following Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen's 1983 removal from Disneyland due to their clothing being deemed inappropriate.[4] The digital deluxe edition also includes the reissued Vote! bonus EP.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Steven Van Zandt, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Voice of America" | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Justice" | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Checkpoint Charlie" | 4:37 |
| 4. | "Solidarity" | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Out of the Darkness" | 4:34 |
| 6. | "Los Desaparecidos (The Disappeared Ones)" | 5:15 |
| 7. | "Fear" | 4:43 |
| 8. | "I Am a Patriot (And the River Opens for the Righteous)" | 3:26 |
| 9. | "Among the Believers" | 3:54 |
| 10. | "Undefeated (Everybody Goes Home)" | 3:40 |
| Total length: | 40:51 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Vote!" (non-album single, 1984) | 3:59 | |
| 12. | "Caravan" (live; B-side of "Forever", 1982) | Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 48:46 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Voice of America radio spot" (1984) | 1:07 | |
| 12. | "Rock N Roll Rebel" (studio track, 1983 – previously unreleased) | 5:02 | |
| 13. | "Caravan" (live at Marquee Club, London, October 18, 1982 – previously unreleased) | Tizol, Ellington | 4:17 |
| 14. | "I Don't Want to Go Home" (live at Marquee Club, London, October 18, 1982 – previously unreleased) | 4:35 | |
| 15. | "Alive for the First Time" (writing session, the birth of a song, 1983 – previously unreleased) | 9:10 | |
| 16. | "Out of the Darkness" (12" single, 1984) | 5:31 | |
| 17. | "Inside of Me" (live, French TV, 1983 – previously unreleased) | 5:14 | |
| 18. | "US Festival radio spot" (1983) | 0:21 | |
| 19. | "It's Possible" (studio track, mono, date unknown – previously unreleased) | 4:23 | |
| 20. | "Vote! (That Mutha Out)" (12" single, 1984) | 4:36 | |
| Total length: | 85:07 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vote! (That Mutha Out)" (12" single, 1984) | 4:36 |
| 2. | "Vote! Part II" (rap version) (1984 – previously unreleased) | 6:56 |
| 3. | "Vote! Part III (After World War III)" (rap version) (12" single, 1984) | 6:25 |
| 4. | "Vote! Part IV" (instrumental) (12" single, 1984) | 4:36 |
| 5. | "Vote! Part V" (rap version) (1984 – previously unreleased) | 5:11 |
| Total length: | 27:44 | |
Personnel[edit]
|
|
Charts[edit]
Album
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 55 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[9] | 6 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[10] | 8 |
Singles[edit]
| Single | Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|---|
| "Los Desaparecidos (The Disappeared Ones)" | Mainstream Rock[11] | 27 |
| "Out of the Darkness" | Norwegian Singles Chart[9] | 8 |
| "Voice of America" | Norwegian Singles Chart[9] | 9 |
- "Vote!" was also released as a single but did not chart.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Russell, Lisa. "Little Steven (Van Zandt) Says Goodbye to the Boss". People. Time Inc., 10 Sept. 1984. Web. 2 Apr. 2017. "The timing of Van Zandt’s LP—Bruce’s came out only four weeks after Voice of America—is also proving to be a little off."
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Macdonald, Brady (August 9, 2019). "5 famous people banned, barred or ejected from Disneyland for behaving badly". timesheraldonline.com. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ Voice of America (Album liner notes). Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul. EMI America. 1984.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Vote That Mutha Out!". discogs.com. 1984. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Rockpalast Night 16-17 October 1982: Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul". rockpalastarchiv.de. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Little Steven - Inside Of Me (solo piano) - French TV 1983". youtube.com. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Norwegian Charts > Little Steven"
- ^ "Swedish Charts > Little Steven"
- ^ "Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul Songs (Top Songs/Chart Singles Discography)"
