Search - Floyd Red Crow Westerman :: Custer Died for Your Sins/The Land Is Your Mother

Rolling with Red Crow

Baby Huey | Oakland. CA, USA | 11/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Man, just to see the cover of the original album in CD-size is a trip... my pal in NYC gave me a vinyl copy of the original 1969 "Custer Died...," an album that still burns (as the previous reviewer Mr. Nakajima noted so accurately) with the Sacred Fire of hundreds of years of the White Man's oppression. Floyd (real name Red Crow) has written some timeless songs, all right... the 1st half of this CD is a remake (in its entirety) of the original LP, which Red Crow may not even have the copyrights to anymore (don't forget what the music business was like back then, with artists getting ripped off every second). John Prine (an equally as brilliant American Songwriter) just did the same thing with some of his older chestnuts, re-recording them for his new CD "Souvenirs," because (unbelievably) he doesn't own the rights to the original versions! Of his own songs! Atrocious... he (and any other songwriter who's been raped by the industry of their songs) should have some recourse; unfortunately re-doing the songs seems to be the only way.But no worries... the re-makes are awesome in their own right because, as with Prine, Red Crow has lived inside these songs for decades and knows how to make 'em happen, you know? Guess what, I like some of the re-makes BETTER than the originals, especially "Here Come the Anthros" and "Missionaries." Floyd is top-drawer because he takes the country-ish, pedal-steel idiom (itself the cultural terrain of Whitey) and turns it in on itself, writing almost exclusively about how the White Man completely destroyed his people and, well, much of the world in general. Kinda like a cross between Johnny Cash and Chief Seattle.The 2nd half of the CD is Floyd's other album, "The Land is Your Mother," which sounds like it was done in the early-to-mid 1970s (his voice sounds closer to the original "Custer..," while the re-done version has him older and in deeper, raspier, more wizened voice). Standouts are many: nice Traditional Native tunes, the "B.I.A." blues, and a song in which Floyd asks us, "How long have you been blind? I've been counting a long, long time...". My favorite so far is "Quiet Desperation," a ballad about an Indian leaving the Big City he doesn't understand to return to the Land. Overall I'd say get this CD and anything else you can dig up on the legendary Red Crow, who many of you may know from his acting adventures in "Dances with Wolves" and one particularly wild 3-part episode of "The X-Files". Maybe someday even the original "Custer Died for Your Sins" will be reissued, who knows?...."

Great music--one missing song

Michael Carley | San Joaquin Valley, CA | 01/24/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is great music by Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, an American Indian singer-songwriter. Westerman's musical style is influenced mostly by folk and country performers, including his friend Kris Kristofferson. The songs are great, whether you are an activist or just a music lover.This CD includes remakes of songs from Westerman's two albums: "Custer Died For Your Sins" from 1969 and "The Land is Your Mother" from somewhere around 1980. Though it is a remake, and Red Crow is older, he still sounds good. Like another reviewer, I'd still prefer the originals, but not by much. For some reason, the order of the songs is different from the original "Custer..." album, which can be distracting if you've heard the original many times, but isn't a big deal.The bigger problem with this CD, and the reason I don't give it 5 stars, is that one song is missing. The original "Land is Your Mother" album included a song called "Bring Me to My Knees". It was one of my favorites on the album and I don't know why it was left out. Other than this one substantial oversight, this is a great CD, one I highly recommend."

Excellent, though not as powerful as the original

e_nakajima | San Francisco, CA United States | 08/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you've heard the 1969 version of "Custer" than you may be disappointed. Westerman sounds a little downbeat compared with the fiery AIM/Alcatraz sort of spirit of the original. But, don't walk away yet! This is a terrific batch of recordings. And if "Custer" isn't as good, "La Tierra es Tu Madre" is a wonderful recording. Take a listen."