Featuring a collection of ripped-from-the-headlines compositions, Broadside Ballads, Vol. 7 offers a snapshot of America in the mid-1970s. In folk ballad tradition, several of the album’s songs revolve around the lesser known figures of some of the decade’s biggest stories: “Ballad of Frank Willis” is sung from the perspective of the security guard who discovered Nixon’s burglars at the Watergate Complex, and “Ballad of Mrs. Martha Mitchell” tells the tale of the outspoken wife of Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell. “Ballad of Frank Clearwater” relays the tragedy of the Wounded Knee protester who was killed by a U.S. federal marshal during the standoff of 1973. Other tracks address the war in Vietnam and the struggle for farmworkers rights. Liner notes contain lyrics and a collage of relevant press clippings. As a whole, Broadside Ballads, Vol. 7 not only allows us a glimpse into the zeitgeist of the seventies, but also offers proof that social struggle didn’t end with the 1960s.

Track Listing