MusicFan
09-09-2004, 10:01 PM
Acclaimed songwriter Clarence Greenwood, better known as Citizen Cope, is back with his RCA Records debut The Clarence Greenwood Recordings the follow-up his superb 2002 self-titled debut(Dreamworks)(which you should get if you have not done so already) which established him as one of the best songwriters of a generation, using his medium effectively to tell amazing stories. Cope says of his of music stylings which some have described as "folk-hop", “It might sound corny, but for me music should be able to transcend all boundaries. Society has a way of trying to set limits, but there are no limits in music. I don’t believe in style over substance, for me it’s all about the song. I like bringing together guys from different musical genres, be it go-go, hip-hop or rock, and just follow where the music takes us.” Cope says of his songwriting, “When you’re writing a song, you take in everything – the people you’ve met, what you’ve experienced. You take in everything and it makes a story.” Recalling classic American forms ranging from dust-bowl fiction to the gritty urban poetry of the hip-hop generation, Cope displays a unique gift for narrative -- exploring universal themes through the eyes of himself and a memorable cast of characters.
These characters that populate The Clarence Greenwood Recordings are raging rebels with real dilemmas and serious passions. Cope’s songs are overflowing with poets, dreamers and crazy schemers living their lives in an insane universe. Cope says, “Besides other music, the material on The Clarence Greenwood Recordings is also influenced by folk tales and films. There are many different dimensions to these songs, and I feel a real spiritual connection to the people I write about.” The music on The Clarence Greenwood Recordings is an eclectic mix from the sublime “Nite Becomes Day,” to the surreal and masterful “Pablo Picasso” which has the crazed appeal of a R. Crumb underground comic. Documenting the misadventures of a deranged dude who falls in love with a dame painted in a wall mural, Cope sings about the delusional man with compassion. “I try to put myself into the reality of the character, no matter how crazy he is,” Cope explains. The best example of Cope’s approach to enriching his music can be heard on the minimally lavish first single “Bullet and a Target.” According to Cope, “I began writing this song with no real theme in mind, but I did want to express all the craziness we go through in this country. Drug addiction, a bad education system…all of these things are damaging to our psyche. I guess you could say, I was on the left side of my brain when I did that track.” With The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, Citizen Cope has created an intimate, vibrant and enduring record – a startlingly mature and compelling document of a promising new voice.
www.citizencope.com (http://www.citizencope.com/)
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http://www.rcarecords.com/artists/citizencope/banners/cope_sigbanner2.gif
These characters that populate The Clarence Greenwood Recordings are raging rebels with real dilemmas and serious passions. Cope’s songs are overflowing with poets, dreamers and crazy schemers living their lives in an insane universe. Cope says, “Besides other music, the material on The Clarence Greenwood Recordings is also influenced by folk tales and films. There are many different dimensions to these songs, and I feel a real spiritual connection to the people I write about.” The music on The Clarence Greenwood Recordings is an eclectic mix from the sublime “Nite Becomes Day,” to the surreal and masterful “Pablo Picasso” which has the crazed appeal of a R. Crumb underground comic. Documenting the misadventures of a deranged dude who falls in love with a dame painted in a wall mural, Cope sings about the delusional man with compassion. “I try to put myself into the reality of the character, no matter how crazy he is,” Cope explains. The best example of Cope’s approach to enriching his music can be heard on the minimally lavish first single “Bullet and a Target.” According to Cope, “I began writing this song with no real theme in mind, but I did want to express all the craziness we go through in this country. Drug addiction, a bad education system…all of these things are damaging to our psyche. I guess you could say, I was on the left side of my brain when I did that track.” With The Clarence Greenwood Recordings, Citizen Cope has created an intimate, vibrant and enduring record – a startlingly mature and compelling document of a promising new voice.
www.citizencope.com (http://www.citizencope.com/)
http://www.rcarecords.com/artists/citizencope/banners/cope_sigbanner1.gif
http://www.rcarecords.com/artists/citizencope/banners/cope_sigbanner2.gif