''Freedom's Child'' is an album by the American musician

Billy Joe Shaver Billy Joe Shaver (August 16, 1939 – October 28, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. Billy Joe was a prominent figure in the outlaw country genre. He is considered one of the great American songwriters of his generation. He has recei ...

, released in 2002. Shaver supported the album with a North American tour. It was a hit on Americana radio stations.

Kinky Friedman Richard Samet "Kinky" Friedman (November 1, 1944 – June 27, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician, and columnist for ''Texas Monthly'', who styled himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Roger ...

mentions "Freedom's Child" in his novel ''Ten Little New Yorkers''.

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...

appeared in the video for the song.

Production

Recorded over three days in Nashville, ''Freedom's Child'' was produced by R.S. Field. Shaver chose from around 24 songs he had written. Jamie Hartford and

Will Kimbrough William Adams Kimbrough (born May 1, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Biography Kimbrough was born in Mobile, Alabama. He started his musical career as a fo ...

played guitar on the album. The sound mixed country with blues and rock. Some versions include an unlisted track, "Necessary Evil", by Shaver's late son,

Eddy Eddy may refer to: * Eddy (surname), surname used by descendants of a number of English, Irish and Scottish families * Eddy (given name), male given name * Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fl ...

; it was Shaver's first album without his son since 1987. "Corsicana Daily Sun" and "Day by Day" are autobiographical songs. "That's Why the Man in Black Sings the Blues" is a tribute to

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

. "Déja Blues" is a duet with

Todd Snider Todd Daniel Snider (born October 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk. Early career Snider was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in nearby Beaverton, wher ...

. "Magnolia Mother's Love" contains just Shaver's voice and a mandolin. A version of "Good Ol' U.S.A." appeared on Shaver's album ''Tramp on Your Street''.

Critical reception

'' Uncut'' wrote that Shaver "mixes up gritty, almost Stones-like house-rockers with honky-tonk drinking songs, raw rockabilly romps and loss-tinged acoustic ballads."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

praised "That's What She Said Last Night". ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' concluded that Shaver "writes of patriotism, his heroes and a mother's love without resorting once to a cliche or a rhyme that sounds as if it were used simply to finish a line." '' No Depression'' noted that Shaver "most often delivers his songs in the high and spiritual southeastern tones of Roy Acuff and the Acuff-influenced part of Hank Williams, if in a less dramatic, more laconic way." The ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

'' stated that the songs "reject glossy studio production to embrace a rambunctious, roadhouse feel." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' deemed the album "a reflection on a lifetime of hardship and reward, struggle and sweet victory, it is country music clean to the bone at its gritty, thoughtful best."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

called the album "a fine and moving album from one of country's least-appreciated major talents." The ''

Reno Gazette-Journal The ''Reno Gazette Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. History The newspaper came into being when the ''Nevada State Journal'' (founded on November 23, 1870) and the ''Reno Evening ...

'' listed it as the third best album of 2002.

Track listing

References

{{authority control Billy Joe Shaver albums 2002 albums Compadre Records albums