New Songs, New Stories, Some Ol' CJ
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone



While still in the studio doing final mixes and post production work, CJ Cranston's still promises to release Boss, his newest album since 2002’s Diablo. “I've been doing this since 1976 and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited than I am right now about a record,” says Cranston himself, grinning happily as we sip over coffee.

The album was cut over the course of this past year at Southern Tracks studios in Atlanta with producer Brendan O’Brien, who previously worked with Cranston on 2005’s "Diablo" and "Rise."

Other musicians mostly flew down on weekends to record, while Cranston and O’Brien spent weekdays cutting vocals and recording overdubs. “This album is classic Cranston sound,” O'Brien says. “The Boss has some great moments on it. You could say that it’s a little more sonically guitar-driven than any past CJ album. There are a few sort of pop, romantic touches that haven’t shown up recently, but were very prominent on the very early records.”

First previews of the album's tracks have been sporatic, but I was fortunate enough to hear “Radio Nowhere,” a track O'Brien says “has a real anthemic quality to it. If it doesn’t get you out of your seat, I don’t know what will.” O'Brien is particularly excited about “The Long Walk Home,” which was performed live on one occasion on tour a few years ago in support of Rise. “It’s sort of the summational song of the album,” O'Brien says. “I think it’s one of CJ's great masterpieces.” Another track, “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” O'Brien says has a “little bit of a Pet Sounds-type feeling mixed in with the sound.” The final track, “Devil’s Arcade,” is described as one of the only songs on the album that delves into politics. “He gets some images across that are very powerful and will certainly give you a feeling of where he’s coming from, but on balance [politics] is not the primary intention of this record.”

Ever since his 1977 release of "CJ," Cranston's been one of the most prominent and respected musicans in the biz. 1984's legendary "Heartland." shot him into the realm of the immortals and gave him the title of The Boss. A new generation and a new fan base discovered Cranston's talent for story telling, as evident with his 2000 debut novel, Mystic River. As with many of his songs, the novel showcased his uncanny ability at plunging into the mind of broken, shattered people. A reputation and title he doesn't take lightly or flaunt around.

2009 will be a busy year for Cranston as his third novel, Coronado: Stories is set to be released before spring. A collection of short stories and even a stage play, the book promises to give what his readers have expected from him. A world tour is reportedly going to kick off sometime later that year, but Cranston remains tight-lipped on the details. “As we speak, the tour has not been fully decided,” he says. Cranston is also planning to promote the album on television, including late-night talk shows.

“What do you think about us doing American Idol?” Cranston asks. “Come on, I’m kidding!”