Description
Joel Smoker and the Red Dirt Band – Let Freedom Ring
CD review by Tony Smith
TN2596-37 – $25
TN176 Mar 26
This album was originally released in 2005 and was re-released in 2026.
Joel Smoker has written the songs and is the vocalist.
Brendan Leggo plays bass and drums.
Ian Simpson plays Dobro and banjo.
Dave Clarke plays fiddle and harmonica.
Vincent Donnelly plays mandolin and guitar.
Pete Grandison plays mandolin, guitar and keys.
Imogen Pinelli provides backing vocals and Clarke, Donnelly and Grandison also chip in with vocal harmony.
Grandison has a hand on the technical side with recording, producing, mixing and mastering at Shanghai Twang Studios.
The title track, ‘Let Freedom Ring’, has an interesting opening with unaccompanied voices calling for our attention.
The song is upbeat and does ring, especially with some fine banjo.
‘A Cut above the Rest’ has praise for many types who make the world better, but one chorus seems personal and relevant: ‘the songman weaves magic as he takes up his pen, he writes these songs for you, to open up your mind, vignettes of life, the mirror to your soul, stories of here and now, you know that’s his role’.
In ‘Ghost Who Walks’, a track that features fine Dobro, we are reminded that evil is everywhere and that we all have a responsibility to fight injustice.
‘21st Century Blues’ pinpoints some of the current problems such as climate change and the plight of refugees.
The walking bass style boogie woogie and some excellent harmonica help us remember that we can do our bit in small ways, such as ‘helping little old ladies take their shopping ‘cross the street’.
‘The Hundred Year War’ is about the invasion that began in 1770.
The mandolin introduction and the harmony in the chorus are very impressive.
‘Blood on the wattle, blood on the sand, blood on the ground where the warriors made their stand, the spirits cry out from the place where they did fall, “Justice for us or there’s no justice at all”.’
‘World Gone Mad’ features more fine harmonica and ‘I’m Off to the Footy’ is a tongue in cheek look at weekend sport as an outlet: ‘I want to see some blood’.
The other quirky track here is ‘Penguins’ – ‘they’ll give their word, they’ll say they’re true, but just be careful, they might fool you’.
‘Country Music’ highlights the role of the fiddle.
There are a couple of riffs from other genres, but generally, this is exactly the kind of song which is ‘the soul of the man, who lives upon the land’.
‘Drifters’ is a song of compassion for the battlers who fall through the social cracks: ‘there’s drifters on the highway, battlers in the street, people struggling to get by, trying to make ends meet’.
The ‘Off Road Warrior’ is a tale of a dreamer while ‘Hot Stuff’, which includes a sweet female voice, warns that love for a woman can burn you up.
Mandolin and the female voice again lift the philosophical ‘You Can’t Buy Love’, which is one of the few things that must be freely given.
The Red Dirt Band members all contribute greatly to these songs with instruments and voice, but the tunes and lyrics are Joel Smoker’s.
The final track, ‘Pearls Before Swine’, is an excellent way to end.
Joel Smoker is a polymath, not only a fine musician but also artist, potter and photographer.
But he wonders, ‘Does anyone care? Does anyone see? These drawings of a big wide land’.
He spends his life encouraging people to love this country, but wonders whether he has any effect.
Joel, you do.
Keep throwing your pearls before the swine!
Ed. Joel Smoker has a DVD and seven albums available for sale from the Trad&Now website.
All of the albums may be heard from time to time on Trad&NowLive!
“Let Freedom Ring”, is the sixth full length album from Joel Smoker. With this release Joel has enlisted the help of veteran musician and producer, Pete Grandison, to record this album at Shanghai Twang Studio. Pete recorded and produced Joel’s last album, “The Human Condition”, also at Shanghai Twang Studio. Pete has also contributed guitar, mandolin and keys to the recording. The other musicians who contributed to this recording include Ian Simpson on banjo and dobro, Dave Clarke on fiddle and harmonica, Vincent Donnelly on mandolin and guitar, and Brendan Leggo on bass guitar and drums. Imogen Pinelli provided harmony vocals. Pete, Dave, and Vincent also provided backing vocals. Joel Smoker provided lead vocals. Joel wrote all the songs on the album.
On his first album, “Out on Highway One”, Joel’s songs explored the themes of leaving home and discovering the big wide world. With the second album, “Outback”, Joel went back to his roots, writing songs that told the stories of the people of rural Australia, where he was born and raised. On “The Flesh and the Spirit” Joel explored internal issues such as the search for love and meaning. With the “Smile” album Joel used his song writing skills to look at the passage of time and how it affects us all. With “The Human Condition” Joel took on the role of the jester who holds a mirror up to out lives with songs that reflect who we are.
Beginning with the title song, “Let Freedom Ring”, we look at the crisis around the world where it is that women, children and the poor are the ones who suffer the most. “A Cut Above The Rest”, highlights those who step up to the plate and give their best. “Ghost Who Walks”, is a song about the comic book hero, The Phantom, who remains committed to dispensing with evil doers. “The 21st Century Blues”, is a talking blues that takes us on a journey to work, to the airport, to Mumbai, to the Horn of Africa, to Darfur, to our local neighbourhood and places in-between. “Penguins”, examines those black-clad civil servants who remain inscrutable. “The Hundred Year War”, charts the Australian frontier wars up until the present day. “World Gone Mad”, is a litany of complaints about things gone wrong in our society like graffiti vandals, mobs fighting in the streets, baleful politicians and wars in general, and calls for someone to show us the way out of this mess. “I’m Off To The Footy”, is an up-tempo song about the joys of going to the footy.” Country Music”, is a song for all those die-hard country music fans. “Drifters”, looks at those folk on the fringes of society who are doing it tough. “Off Road Warrior”, is a about those weekend warriors who go bush bashing. “Hot Stuff”, is a paean to women everywhere, who hold more power than even they know. “You Can’t Buy Love”, tells us why you can’t buy love. “Pearls Before Swine”, is a song taken from a warning given by Yeshua ben Yoseph, which the protagonist fails to heed.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Pete Grandison at Shanghai Twang Studios in Harvey, Western Australia.
The “Let Freedom Ring” Album Release Party will take place at the Old Lyric Theatre, in Bunbury, on the 30th of April 2026. Tickets from Eventbrite are $20.00 and include a Grazing Table. The band who recorded the album will perform on the night. Call Red Dirt Arts on 0439902520 for further information.
