Judi Bari: Who Bombed Judi Bari?

Spoken-word albums tend to be novelties, usually heard once or twice and then filed away until you need something to spice up that mix tape you're making for your friend. But one advantage of releasing them is that they can bring political information to people who wouldn't seek it out otherwise. Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, no stranger to spoken word, has just released discs from two different prominent leftists: death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal and Earth First!-er Judi Bari. Abu-Jamal has been a cause celebre for liberals of all shades, and listening to this disc, it's easy to hear why. Abu-Jamal's voice is powerful and eloquent, serving him well as he levels reasoned critiques against an inherently racist society. One surprising omission on this disc (originally recorded for National Public Radio) is coverage of the details of his case. The material he does cover has all been said before, but not with this much innate charisma backing it. The four Man Is The Bastard tracks are heavy, angry and blunt, and should provide a good incentive to get hardcore kids to buy the album. The less celebrated Judi Bari, who died of cancer last spring, was an organizer for Earth First! She was also a folk singer, and a good conversationalist. While Abu-Jamal's speeches sound somewhat rehearsed, Bari's sound easy and off-the-cuff, discussing the problems of the logging industry, the government which allows them to get away with it, and the bombing incident after which the disc is named. More importantly, she talks about the importance of working with loggers instead of taking the middle-class eco-liberal high road and damning the lot of them. Both records are provocative, but Bari's comes off more natural, more apt to be listened to repeatedly. Whatever the case, they both deserve to be heard.