Few albums reach the perfection level of Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album. Not only was it a commercial success selling over 6 million copies in the US, but the album was heavy on social and political commentary.
Take for example the song's smash hit single, "Fast Car." The song reached as high as #6 on the Billboard charts but it was anything but a shiny, happy Pop single. It was a tale of a hard life filled with dead end jobs, alcoholism, and poverty:
"Behind The Wall", a powerful acapella song, sees the narrator telling a story of living beside a woman in an abusive relationship and having to see and hear the violence:
"Talkin' Bout A Revolution" is an anthem for the down trodden people to rise up and 'get their share':
"Across The Lines" is by far the album's most powerful song. The song speaks to racial segregation, the senselessness of racism and the lengths people went to fight for equality:
Tracy Chapman has more soul in her left pinky finger than most artists have in their entire body today. Her self-titled debut album is a classic that defied the odds and became a commercial success even though its content was heavy and challenging. That's gangsta.
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