''Cold as the Clay'' is the second solo album by

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

's vocalist

Greg Graffin Gregory Walter Graffin (born November 6, 1964) is an American singer and evolutionary biologist. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and only constant member of punk rock band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1980. He embarked on a s ...

. It was released on July 10, 2006 in Europe, and the following day in the United States.Epitaph records
- Greg Graffin - Cold as the Clay page It follows on from Graffin's 1997 release of '' American Lesion''. Graffin has described the album as "honor ngthe legacy of American music. ..Traditional songs that helped form the 18th and 19th century American cultural landscape. The modern songs are inspired by my love of

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

in vein of

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...

, The Band,

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

". It was produced by fellow Bad Religion member,

Brett Gurewitz Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums f ...

("Mr. Brett"), and features appearances by

Jolie Holland Jolie Holland is an American singer and performer who combines elements of folk, traditional, country, rock, jazz, and blues. Career Growing up in Houston, Texas, Jolie left in 1994, moving to Austin, New Orleans, and San Francisco before en ...

,PunkNews.org
- Greg Graffins Solo album release date, title and members of

The Weakerthans The Weakerthans are an award-winning and Juno-nominated Canadian indie rock band from Winnipeg. The band, led by John K. Samson, has released four studio albums and is currently inactive. History The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manit ...

, in contrast to ''American Lesion'', where Graffin recorded the entire album by himself. A special Vinyl edition was released to celebrate

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

2017.

Track listing

The

Epitaph records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

website gives the track listing as: # "Don't Be Afraid to Run" – 4:12 # "

Omie Wise Omie Wise or Naomi Wise (1789–1808) was an American murder victim, who is remembered by a popular murder ballad about her death. Song Omie Wise's death became the subject of a traditional American ballad. (Roud 447) One version opens: In acc ...

" – 3:53 # "Cold as the Clay" – 3:19 # "

Little Sadie "Little Sadie" is a 20th-century United States, American folk music, folk ballad written in Dorian mode. It is also known variously as "Bad Lee Brown", "Cocaine Blues", "Transfusion Blues", "East St. Louis Blues", "Late One Night", "Penitentiary B ...

" – 2:35 # "Highway" – 2:34 # "Rebel's Goodbye" – 3:52 # "Talk about Suffering" (with

) – 3:36 # "Willie Moore" – 3:56 # "California Cotton Fields" (with Jolie Holland) – 2:32 # "The Watchmaker's Dial" – 2:30 # "One More Hill" – 3:02 Tracks #1, 3, 5, 6, 10 written by Greg Graffin, tracks #2, 4, 7, 8, 11 are

traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

songs with many versions and unknown writers, track #9 by

Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier (October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022) was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma, on October 27, 1939, but was raised in Bakersfie ...

Earl Montgomery Earl Triplett Montgomery (May 24, 1894 – October 28, 1966) was a film director, writer, and comedian who performed in silent films including as the character Hairbreadth Harry. He established the producing company Earl Montgomery Comedy Company. ...

. Another track, Footprints in the Snow, was originally announced as the 12th track of the album, but was removed during production.

Personnel

* Greg Graffin – vocals,

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, piano *

– backing vocals *

Stephen Carroll Stephen Carroll is a Canadian rock guitarist, and a member of the indie rock band The Weakerthans. Originally a member of the punk rock band Painted Thin, he appeared as a guest musician on the first Weakerthans album, ''Fallow'', and became a p ...

– guitar/

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

* Joe Wack – guitar * Chris Berry – guitar,

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

* David Bragger –

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, banjo,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

Greg Smith (Canadian musician) Greg Smith is a Canadian musician and painter based in Toronto, Ontario. He is best known as the bassist of indie rock band The Weakerthans, which he joined in August 2004, replacing founding bassist John P. Sutton. As a member of The Weakerthans, ...

– bass *

Jason Tait Jason Tait is a Canadian musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is the drummer for the Canadian indie rock band The Weakerthans. Tait has also been a contributing member of Broken Social Scene and The FemBots. Career Tait played drums for the Pa ...

– drums

References

{{Authority control Greg Graffin albums 2006 albums Folk albums by American artists Anti- (record label) albums Alternative country albums by American artists Old-time music