Pledge of Allegiance by Bob Frank

Frank plays guitar, harmonica and sings with vigor and energy on such memorable pieces as "Red Neck, Blue Collar," "Riding On A Train" and "Man From The Red Sand Land." Sometimes, as on "Medical Marijuana" or "Unwanted Children" the message can be quite controversial or troubling, yet Frank's warm, stylized playing and vocals should prove appealing even for those who don't share his views. Overall, this is the type of concept work that the majors seldom allow their artists to release, and certainly doesn't find its way onto the airwaves anywhere except specialty stations or on satellite. The finale "Love Pours In" provides a nice conciliatory tone on which Frank wraps the CD, but he has done a fine job both in examining thorny issues and also presenting varied, nicely written and crafted compositions that engage and entertain the audience." - Ron Wynn, Nashville City Paper, July 16, 2004

TWO WEEKS WORTH OF SONGS!

Bob has a new album out now. It's called "Pledge of Allegiance," and that's what it is. Bob's Pledge of Allegiance. To what and whom he pledges his allegiance. It's a collection of portraits of Americans - the same old cast of characters Bob's always been singing about. Cowboys and Indians, construction workers and truck drivers, hobos, winos, spiritual guides. Lost loves, drug dealers, killers and condemned men. It's a very patriotic album. You'll see.

Well, what with 9-11 and this being an election year and all that.... Only seems fitting.

The thing is, it's what they call a "solo album." That is, it's just Bob, with a guitar and a harmonica. A very intimate album. "Up close and personal," as it were. He made it at home.

Here's what he has to say about it:

Somebody once said the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is two weeks. Speaking of two weeks, that's how long it takes to listen to this album. What you do is, you listen to one song a day for two weeks. You start on a Monday with the first song, "Red Neck, Blue Collar" - Monday morning, you could stick it in the CD player and listen to it on the way to work - and you go right down the list and listen to one song every day. Then, in two weeks, you'll end up on a Sunday. Probably Sunday night. That would be a good time. Then you listen to the next song in the lineup, that would be number fourteen, "Man from the Red Sand Land."

After you've listened to all fourteen of these songs, you'll be in for a real treat, because this album has fifteen songs on it.

Happy listening,

Bob Frank

Here's the program:

Pledge of Allegiance

Part One

Times of Prosperity

1. Red Neck, Blue Collar

2. Medical Marijuana

3. Coming into Glen Rock

4. Horses and Cattle

5. Night Train

6. Unwanted Children

7. Medicine Wheel

Part Two

Nobody's Got a Job

8. Pledge of Allegiance

9. One Big Family

10. Incident at the Laundromat

11. Riding on a Train

12. Hot Dusty Day

13. Plains of Moab

14. Man from the Red Sand Land

Finale

15. Love Pours In

Average Customer Review: 5