On the way to Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2006 I wrote verses for the old Steven Stills chorus "Find The Cost Of Freedom." At the festival I sang the new, folk-processed version of the song and people sang along and were inspired by it. I recorded the song one day with my friends Abbie Gardner, Carolann Solobelo, and Laurie MacAlister from the band Red Molly, and Anthony DaCosta, acapella with the washboard. I was going to just put it on myspace, but reallized I had some other songs which went with it, including my four own verses I'd written for this rockin' version of America The Beautiful. I believe WE are the alternative media. Five companies control the entire mainstream media so independent artists, in my opinion, are responsible for speaking out against the corporate-control our beautiful country is undergoing, and against the damage globalization is doing to the rest of the world. That's what this e.p. is all about.... conciousness. My favorite musicians fed my conciousness of the issues: Woody Guthrie, CSN&Y, Pete Seeger, Dan Bern, Ani DiFranco, even James Brown and Black Sabbath.... they all helped to wake up my conciousness, so I have to pay it forward... I hope you like the music of these protest songs..... Thanks for listening! "From behind silver rectangular glasses and a scratchy old washboard Fred Gillen Jr. reminds us that music can be a direct and accessible experience. Reaching back to the peoples’ music of Woody Guthrie and the protest music of the 60’s. Gillen Jr’s. strong sensitive voice invites the audience to join in. The first song on this six song CD is “Find The Cost Of Freedom,” a Steven Stills redux that includes updated social references. Red Molly joins him, testifying in passionate harmony, serious, proud, and clear enough to get the message across. He takes a fresh look at “America The Beautiful.” This is the revolution-rock version of America’s theme. Reclaim it the way Fred Gillen Jr. does; by singing it yourself. He put the wrench on Woody’s “Talking” songs and winds up on the internet with “Talking Myspace.” Smooth guitar work, up beat story line, honest vocals and down home harmonica, praise the new meeting place for modern radicals and regular citizens. “Broken Hands” features growling resonator guitar and a winsome, softer, more romantic, look at love. Echoing guitar cords fill in all the spaces around Gillen Jr’s. voice. He covers Steven Foster’s classic folk standard, “Hard Times,” calling in the guardian angels of hope. Matt Turk play mandolin along side Fred’s sweet and sentimental guitar on the closer, “When I Die.” It’s the final explanation on what to do when this folk singer passes. The national dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq and the climate of fear in our land has made room for this good old-fashioned protest music. Too bad you won’t hear this on mainstream radio. But you can check out www.fredgillenjr.com to get the whole story and a calendar performance dates." -J. Spica, DJ of WVKR FM and The Chronogram