"Storm Across The Sea" by Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz on 5/16/24

I just recorded this last night. It's one of my favorite Chuck Prophet songs, among many as he's one of my favorite singer-songwriters. Using the subject matter of a crazy girlfriend, Chuck puts to use his prowess as a wordsmith and turns more than one great phrase in this one. And performing it with his tight band, he lets his Telecaster sing through its Princeton amp while the Mission Express establishes a really rocking groove underneath. The rhythm section of Kevin T. White on bass and Vicente Rodriguez on drums is solid, and James DePrato's tasteful lead slide guitar fits in perfectly with Chuck's rhythm guitar, Stephanie Finch's organ further deepening the sound. I've been seeing this outfit play whenever they're in town for the past twenty years, so they're familiar, and the music they make together resonates for me in the best of ways. I recorded a few more songs at Moe's, but this one is the biggest nugget of gold in the pan of sand. I'll include the lyrics below, as it makes a big difference knowing them, to be able to appreciate the song optimally, by knowing what Chuck is singing. But ultimately this one isn't about the intellect, instead providing the opportunity for the heart to feel joy, and the body to move to the beat.
"Storm Across The Sea"
by Chuck Prophet
Someone call
the ambulance
She’s completely nude
standing on the fence
She’s about to fly
Phone the doctor quick
She’s a house on fire
whenever she gets lit
I’m laughing
with nothing up my sleeve
Here come that gal of mine
like a storm across the sea
She broke my heart
when she pawned my ring
Then she stole it back
What will tomorrow bring
Mercy, vengeance,
Lord above
How can I
refuse her love?
I’m laughing
with nothing up my sleeve
Here come that gal of mine
like a storm across the sea
There’s a Ph.D.
on the radio
Says the next of kin
is the last to know
She grabs the dial
jumps up on my lap
Starts to lick my face
like a Persian cat
Hear me laughing
with nothing up my sleeve
Here come that gal of mine
like a storm across the sea
The fifth of eleven tracks on the 2002 album, No Other Love, all of which are phenomenally good. It's one of the best songs on a desert-island-class album.
David Spencer
May 17th, 2024
Soquel, California