BASICS: Out of San Francisco, with the lessons he learned in a city know for its legendary literature and music, came Chuck Prophet. Chuck has ridden the wave that carried so many of his kind so far before. He began his career with the group “Green and Red,” then as a session man, learning the ropes and developing his style and skills, while playing for and with some of the very best ... yet most who have managed to stay just under the radar, such as Jonathan Richman, Dan Penn, Kelly Willis, Robert [Bob] Neuwirth, and Warren Zevon, along with many others.There is something to be said for floating just below the radar, it somehow lends credibility and gives integrity to the artist ... it allows their music to remain in the hands of people willing to take the time and make the effort to discover their craft, yet all of that would be wasted if there were not a genuine talent behind the music. And I’m more then happy to say, that with Chuck Prophet, there is ... much more.“The Hurting Business” introduced me to the music of Chuck Prophet ... it made me feel like stepping out into the cool early morning darkness and setting fires to great things.His voice is so deep and so dark, making me feel like he’s speaking just to me. The music is infectious, finding a place to reside somewhere deep in your soul. Yet in the next instant he will jump into some rocking funk, then a longing ballad of despair, it’s all music like you have never heard before ... but don’t worry, there are more Chuck Prophet albums out there.His lyrics seem to express a frustration for life in general, asking a lot of questions, making a lot of statements, but in actuality resolving nothing. He draws deeply from past musical lessons ... and since I’ve been around for so long, I can hear the entire musical pallet he’s using, and it draws a fine sense of satisfaction from me to be able to see the line in the sand drawn so clearly.These is deeply personal songs which you will be able to related to in all of their introspection ... just listen to “It Won’t Be Long” and tell me that you don’t subconsciously know this music. Chuck manages to give rise to so many emotions, his songs manage to cool your flesh, and suggest that you send these songs to other people as a musical postcard from the outer edges of your emotional conscious ... but don’t bother, most people wouldn’t understand.It’s all right ...Review by Jenell Kesler