Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins is the 14th solo album from stalwart rocker Chuck Prophet. I cannot believe that he has not received more acclaim and notoriety than he has over the years. His material isn’t just good, it is epic. Yet, the music industry has basically looked the other way. Well their loss is our gain. This is the 2nd album after 2012’s magnum opus Temple Beautiful. While no release may ever rival the magnitude of Temple, Bobby Fuller is still a nine out of 10. It has great pop hooks, stellar writing, and expert song composition. 

Bad year for Rock and Roll (Track 6) sets the tone for the album as we lost so many musical icons in the last year. The song references David Bowie by his nickname, The Thin White Duke: 

Well The Thin White Duke took a final bow,
There's one more star in the heavens now,
The moon won't rise the sun won't set,
There are so many things I would rather forget.

Prophet doesn’t mention the other stars we lost last year, but this song is a tribute to all of them. It may have been the worst year of rock and roll ever. At least their memories will live forever through the power of music.

Your Skin (Track 2) is an amalgam of alt-country and punk rock. Stephanie Finch adds some great backing vocals and there are some really powerful guitar solos that gives this song its wings. This is a love song of sorts. but not in a corny, sappy way, “I don’t wanna take you over, I just wanna crawl inside your skin”. That’s pretty romantic, isn’t it? Definitely a novel way to express your love for someone else.

In The Mausoleum (For Alan Vega) (Track 8) is song that honors another rock star lost last year. While not as well known, Alan Vega inspired a lot of musicians and is considered one of the godfathers of the punk rock movement. This song starts off with a bit of a ska riff but quickly morphs into an almost Cramps style guitar fill. This is another incredible song that has staying power.

It is hard to explain why Chuck Prophet isn’t more well known. I don’t have the answers. I do know that you can be part of the solution and not the problem by buying Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins. 

Listen to Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins

Buy Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins on Yep Roc’s website