Michelle Shocked
Short Sharp Shocked

THE REVIEW

"...if love were a train, I would throw myself on the tracks..."

So sings Karen Michelle Johnston in "If Love was a Train".

Michelle Shocked is a stage name derived from the expression "shell shocked", used by soldiers returning from the front who suffer from post-war syndromes.

Born in Dallas but raised in Texas, by a carpenter and Mormon father and a mother who had her committed to an asylum at age 22: the visceral love for art, rock in particular, for guitar and poetry, and especially the anti-militarist political engagement comes at a high price in some families where puritanism and "God, Country, and Family" are unique and absolute values.

"Short Shaped Shocked" came out in 1988 and followed two years after "The Texas Campfire Tapes", which was released as a sort of bootleg after journalist Pete Lawrence recorded it with a Sony Walkman during the Kerrville Folk Festival. Michelle was among the audience with her guitar and harmonica, sharing her compositions with some attendees.

"The Texas Campfire Tapes" received wide critical acclaim in Europe and particularly in the UK (Lawrence is English), and I recall her in an exciting appearance on Renzo Arbore's show "DOC", where they played strictly "live".

And if the "Campfire Tapes", amidst the rumble of trucks and the chirping of crickets in the background, prove illuminating regarding Michelle's talent, with "Short Shaped Shocked" we are already at the masterpiece: folk, blues, rock, and bluegrass are wonderfully mastered in these compositions by Shocked. And what to say about the lyrics: pure poetry. Evocative and often autobiographical ("Memories of East Texas"), they perfectly marry with crystalline melodies. "Anchorage" is downright chilling.

A group of excellent musicians accompany her on the banjo, Hammond, violin, and more. The result is a timeless album: fresh and current even today, twenty years after its release. America also passes through these parts, fortunately.

I have an unbridled love for this record, and I believe I am doing justice to Michelle Shocked, who had no presence on DeBaser.

"...if love were a train, I would throw myself on the tracks... I would launch myself straight on the tracks..."

Thank you for everything, Michelle.