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Gabe Meline, North Bay Bohemian March 3-9, 2010 While plenty of bands finely hone a brilliant, rapier meta-sarcasm, people like Moss Henry are recording direct, sympathetic albums like Roll the Bones. ....the album sounds great, but what rises to the surface is Henry’s sincerity....... KPFT Interview with Wally James 7/8/10
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2008 Contemporary Folk/Acoustic Category Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting
Welcome to my web site. My newest song, Fire and Oil, is available here for free download as are four songs from my most recent CD, Roll the Bones: Justice Denied, Sago Mine Disaster, It's War and The River is Risin'. The other songs on this page are from One Wing Left. If you download songs, please sign up on my email list so I can keep you updated about new songs and developments in my music. To hear some clips from "Autumn Rain" please listen to the last three titles in the list: Rollin' by Mornin', Dreaming and I Miss Those Old Times. The explosion and oil spill at the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico is an environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions. I believe this song expresses the outrage and need for justice that many of us feel. "Do no harm" is a better bottom line than profit so I would like to see a moratorium on all off-shore drilling. And I would like to see criminal prosecutions of those responsible both in government and in the corporation. Road to Babylon calls attention to those drunk with power who cause so much suffering through their greed, ruthlessness and manipulation. And we all know what happened to Babylon. Hard Road to Freedom is a tribute to the courageous men and women who worked, and continue to work, so hard for justice and peace. One World expresses my belief that we have it in us to live in peace on this very small planet, the only home we will ever know. New Orleans Under Water refers to the disaster following Hurricane Katrina. And the suffering of the people of New Orleans goes on. Red, White and Blue is written from the perspective of a homeless Vietnam Vet and calls attention to the governmental use of patriotism and religion to manipulate people into blindly following orders. Sound familiar? Brown-skinned Girl is a reflection on the plight of undocumented workers. American agriculture and industry have used wave after wave of immigrants to do the back-breaking, dirty jobs at the bottom of the economic ladder. Surely we owe them more than razor wire at the border and deplorable conditions once they get here with the possibility of deportation and imprisonment. Solutions lie in a world where people can make decent livings in their home countries. NAFTA is part of the problem, not the solution. Rich Man's World was written just after the protests in Seattle and reflects my concern about the concentration of power in the hands of corporations and the wealthy. On-going resistance to globalization in the form of the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF, and other institutions and trade policies is essential. This song is a call to non-violent action. Slaughter of Innocents was written just after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It is an effort to call attention not just to the tragedy but to an exploration of the underlying reasons for it. Apprehending those responsible and locking them up is critical. And it is important that we look at the impact of American policies and actions on the world and change those which exploit or harm others. Justice Denied concerns police brutality and racial profiling. Images of Rodney King being beaten were certainly the most visible incident, but the history of such events is a long and sordid one. This song was inspired by the story of an Hispanic man released from prison after seventeen years on Death Row for a crime he didn't commit. Police perjured themselves and destroyed evidence. The prosecutor was aware of witnesses and evidence that refuted his conviction. Neither the officers involved nor the prosecutor were ever held accountable for what they did. On January 2, 2006 an explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia left twelve men dead. But this was not an isolated incident. There is a long and tragic history of similar events in mines all over the world. And, while the cameras roll, promises are made about taking action and improving safety but little seems to change. The River is Risin' is a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. A year before he was assassinated, Dr. King gave a speech called Beyond Vietnam at the Riverside Church in New York. He spoke about the connections between corporate power, poverty, the war, race and empire. It was extraordinary and put him on a collision course with those in power. And then came Memphis. If we change Vietnam to Iraq, the speech is every bit as relevant today as it was then. You can find it on-line and listen to it. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. These names conjure up one of the ugliest aspects of the Bush administration's policies, the brazen authorization and use of torture, kidnapping and illegal detentions in the so-called war on terror. Prisoners have been held for years without being charged or tried, denied the right of habeas corpus. It's War calls attention to this criminal situation. If activist organizations are interested in my music and would like me to play at an event, I encourage them to contact me. Here are some sites you can visit to get involved with the peace movement. Sonoma County Peace and Justice It is unlikely that these songs will be played on mainstream radio stations. I encourage you to pass them along to alternative stations, organizations, and friends who might appreciate them. Or give them my web address and they can access them here. Someone once told me that music prepares the soul to hear the message and I keep that in mind as I write. I hope you will find my music meaningful and that it will touch you in some way. Thanks for your interest. Moss Henry
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