Occupy This Album: 99 Songs for the 99 Percent is a four-disc compilation box set released in May 2012 through the record label Music for Occupy. The album concept and initial production were initiated by executive producer Jason Samel, who later recruited producers Maegan Hayward, Alex Emanuel and Shirley Menard to assist with the project. The set consists of 99 songs inspired by or related to the Occupy movement. Proceeds from the album went "directly towards the needs of sustaining this growing movement."
Composition
Occupy This Album is a four-disc compilation box set containing 76 songs by various artists; the digital version contains 99 tracks.
Michael Moore contributed vocals on his cover of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'", produced by Jason Samel and Eric Weinrib, a song he had previously performed in his 1998 film The Big One. Moore, who had been approached to direct a music video for the compilation, is accompanied by Tom Chapin on guitar and harmonica, David Amram on piano and penny whistle, Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Kevin Twigg on drums. Approximately two thirds of the way into the track, Moore leads a human microphone chorus with the chant: "We are here to conduct an intervention".
One of the album's standout tracks "We Can't Make It Here" was written and performed by James McMurtry and recorded along with Steve Earle and Joan Baez on vocals. Critically acclaimed, it's been cited among The Nation'''s "Best Protest Songs Ever"; one of the "25 Best Songs of the 2000s" in Rolling Stone magazine; and declared "a triumph — the anthem of the 99%," by Bob Lefsetz.
Promotion City Winery in New York City hosted a record release party on May 8, 2012, which included performances by Matt Pless, the initial inspiration for the album.
Critical reception
Critical reception of the album was mixed. In his review for Entertainment Weekly, Kyle Anderson gave the compilation series a B+ rating and wrote, "the spirit of the compilation feels more positive than negative — the best that can be asked of any grassroots revolution". Josh Harkinson of Mother Jones'' called the album a "mashup of sometimes discordant messages" lacking in "musical cohesion", though he complimented the album's "star power" and felt the best songs were contributed by rappers.
Many reviewers criticized or complimented select tracks. Anderson's favorite songs included Ace Reporter's "propulsive" rendition of "The World Is on Fire" and Deborah Harry's "glitchy" "Safety in Numbers". Harkinson called Michael Moore's version of the Bob Dylan song "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "rotten", but considered Third Eye Blind's "If There Ever Was a Time" a "gem".
Occupy This Album won the Independent Music Awards VOX Populi vote for Best Compilation of 2012.
Track listing Disc 1 "Something's Got to Give" (Matt Pless) – 4:18 "Come On, Come On, Come On" (Jackson Browne) – 5:39 "Occupation Freedom" (Global Block Collective, Martinez) – 2:38 "People Have the Power" (Patti Smith) – 5:37 "Love Anthem (Only Love)" (My Pet Dragon) – 4:00 "The Panic Is On" (Loudon Wainwright III) – 2:56 "Occulture" (Cosmonaut) – 4:13 "Save Us" (Rain Phoenix and Papercranes) – 2:49 "Smile (Get Up and Sing)" (Jay Samel) – 6:50 "This Is What America Looks Like" (DJ Logic) – 3:37 "Big Little Wolfs" (Aeroplane Pageant) – 2:56 "Agent 99" (Alex Emanuel) – 3:26 "Safety in Numbers" (Deborah Harry) – 3:58 "Hey, Can I Sleep on Your Futon?" (Richard Barone) – 4:24 "Occupy Wall Street (Here Here Here)" (Black Dragon) – 2:34 "White Gold" (Ladytron) – 5:02 "Greed" (Aldort) – 3:33 "Against the Machine" (Adowa, Weekes) – 3:59 "The Young Idealists" (Cole) – 2:42 "A Peaceful Solution" (Amy Nelson, Willie Nelson) – 3:52
Disc 2 "The Times They Are a-Changin'", performed by Michael Moore (Bob Dylan) – 3:41 "The World Is on Fire" (Ace Reporter) – 3:08 "Latter Days" (Middle Eight) – 3:39 "Turn the Lights On" (Chroma) – 4:36 "Which Side Are You On?" (Ani DiFranco) – 6:05 "Well May the World Go" (Tao Rodriguez-Seeger) – 4:49 "Unified Tribes" (Thievery Corporation) – 3:14 "Robber Barons" (Thee Oh Sees) – 5:16 "Saving Up to Go Bankrupt" (Rimbaud) – 3:40 "Hell No (I'm Not Alright)" (Nanci Griffith) – 2:49 "We Stand as One" (Joseph Arthur) – 5:18 "Cash Machine" (Girls Against Boys) – 3:33 "Rebellion Politik" (Junkyard Empire) – 3:32 "Nothing Recedes Like Progress" (Anti-Flag) – 2:07 "Rebel" (Fear Nuttin' Band) – 3:36 "Under the Bridge" (Doe, Sobule) – 2:58 "Take a Stand" (Said) – 5:00 "The Answer" (Unkle) – 4:41 "World Wide Rebel Songs" (Freedom Fighter Orchestra) – 3:02 "If There Ever Was a Time" (Third Eye Blind) – 3:26
Disc 3 "Move on Fast" (Yoko Ono) – 3:41 "If We Live" (Build the Sun) – 3:41 "Fight the Good Fight" (Our Lady Peace) – 3:41 "I Don't Need Money" (Bonnie) – 3:09 "The World Is Turning" (Toots and the Maytals) – 4:13 "A New York Minute" (Nickodemus) – 3:38 "I Ain't No Brian Wilson" (Gentleman Brawlers) – 4:52 "Industrial Park" (Mammals) – 6:00 "Big Fish" (Lost City Rumblers, Yo La Tengo) – 3:21 "Occu-Pie" (Hayward) – 3:31 "Free" (Mystic Bowie) – 5:27 "Oye Mi Voz" (Los Cintron) – 3:49 "Walk On" (Wonderland) – 3:58 "Coney Island Winter" (Jeffreys) – 3:48 "China Basin Digs" (Joel Rafael, Trudell) – 3:21 "Walkin'" (Pimps of Joytime) – 5:38 "River's Gonna Rise" (Warren Haynes) – 7:59 "Rich Man's World" (Immortal Technique) – 4:41 "Staying Out and Calling In" (Danger Field) – 1:28
Disc 4 "We Can't Make It Here" (Joan Baez, Steve Earle, James McMurtry) – 6:03 "We Are" (New Party Systems) – 4:07 "Revolution" (Nova Echo) – 3:00 "Number One" (Born I Music) – 4:33 "Play the Greed" (Williams) – 3:08 "Broke Heart Blues" (Elliott) – 3:57 "What Are Their Names" (David Crosby, Graham Nash) – 1:19 "Make a Stand" (Chambers) – 5:12 "Better Luck Next Time" (Arnau) – 4:06 "All Over the World" (Arlo Guthrie) – 2:54 "We're the 99" (Diamond) – 4:17 "We Are Human" (Mike & Ruthy) – 4:08 "Blessed" (Williams) – 5:49 "Freedom of Speech" (Carter) – 4:28 "Reclaim" (Rejectionist Front) – 3:39 "Occupy (We the 99)" (Jasiri X) – 2:55 "Earth Division" (Mogwai) – 6:01 "Pulse" (OWS Drum Circle; Brendan Hunt) – 3:05 "The Times They Are a-Changin' [Skiffle Version]" (Moore) – 3:21 [hidden track]
Digital Only Andrew Vladeck – "Chasing the Sun" Greg Smith and The Broken English – "Livin' Like a Joker" Aliza Hava – "Rise" The Occubility Bros. – "Crashed IT, Stashed IT" * Chris Pierce – "Invisible People" Amanda Palmer – "Ukulele Anthem" * Nadirah Shakoor – "Tree of Life" Hanne Hukkelberg – "On My Wall" Jason White – "Little Pieces of Plastic" mfmadness – "Never Be Defeated" Renegade Creation – "Greedy Life" * Jesse Lenat – "99%" The Swedes – "On The Dole" Bill Mlotok – "Brazilia" * Marcus Blake – "Don't Taser Me, Bro!" Angels of Vice – "We Are The 99″ The Layaways – "Silence" Mother Feather – "Mother Feather" * Thorin Caristo – "Common Man" * Machan – "Everyday" Vannucci (feat. Robert Brentley) – "Crashing Down" * David Amram – "Time to Occupy" * Previously unreleased
Track listing adapted from Allmusic.
Personnel
Gabriel Acosta-Cohen – Percussion, Vocals C. C. Adcock – Mixing, Producer Aeroplane Pageant – Composer, Producer Gabriel Aldort – Arranger, Composer, Piano, Vocals Miguel Alvarado – Saxophone Elijah Amitin – Beats, Composer, Producer David Amram – Penny Whistle, Piano, Vocals Matt Anthony – Mixing Anti-Flag – Composer, Engineer, Percussion, Producer, Various Michael Areethituk – Guitar Jennie Arnau – Composer, Guitar, Vocals Joseph Arthur – Composer Barny – Engineer, Mixing Richard Barone – Bass, Composer, Guitar, Vocals Jack Barrett – Group Member Basic Tracks – Engineer Ray Benson – Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Tambourine Jeff Berksley – Percussion Jeremy Bernstein – Vocals Bryan Berry – Composer Matthew Billy – Composer, Additional Guitar (Acoustic), Mixing, Producer Craig Bishop – Hammond B3, Horn Black Dragon – Percussion, Vocals Cindy Blackman – Drums Norm Block – Drums Julie B. Bonnie – Composer Jason Borger – Piano Born I Music – Composer Mark Bosch – Guitar (Electric), Organ, Piano, Producer Dakota Bowman – Assistant Engineer Gary Braglia – Composer, Guitars Eric Brigmond – Keyboards Neil Brockbank – Engineer Bassy Bob Brockman – Mixing Brooklyn Youth Chorus – Choir, Chorus Iddan Brown – Vocals Rick Brown – Drums, Vocals Jackson Browne – Composer, Producer, Vocals Malik Burke – Composer Fernando Bustamente – Composer, Producer Ray Calendar – Trumpet Fitzroy Campbell – Composer Candy John Carr – Bongos, Drums, Percussion Clifford Carter – Organ Kanaska Carter – Composer, Guitar, Vocals Elaine Caswell – Vocals (Background) Alecia Chakour – Vocals (Background) Dylan Chambers – Composer, Producer Lester Chambers – Producer, Spoken Word Tom Chapin – Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals Chauncey Yearwood – Composer Dan Choma – Composer Jay Chung – Composer Cristobal Cintron – Composer, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals Rafael Cintron – Bass, Composer, Guitar, Vocals Gavin Clark – Vocals Pablo Clements – Composer, Group Member Reuben Cohen – Mastering Cole El Saleh – Keyboards Jane Cole – Drums Lloyd Cole – Composer, Producer Steve Connely – Producer John Conte – Bass Matt Cooker – Cello Christopher Cox – Composer David Crosby – Composer, Producer, Vocals Tim Curry – Vocals (Background) Brian Daigle – Composer Daniel Lancaster – Guitar, Vocals Jay Dee Daugherty – Drums Dannielle DeAndrea – Vocals Michael DeLorenzo – Drums Phil Demetro – Mastering Grady Dennis – Tambourine Rick DePofi – Hammond B3, Horn, Horn Arrangements, Sax (Tenor) Lauren Diamond – Composer, Vocals Cedric Diaz – Keyboards Paul Dieter – Engineer, Mixing Ani DiFranco – Composer, Producer, Vocals Frank DiNardo – Vocals DJ Logic – Producer, Turntables John Doe – Guitar, Vocals Dave Dreiwitz – Bass (Upright), Vocals Henrik Drescher – Artwork Chuck Dunham – Vocals John Dwyer – Composer Bob Dylan – Composer Marshal Dylon – Keyboards Robin Eaton – Composer Chris Edwards – Keyboards Dylan Egon – Artwork Jenny Electrik – Moog Synthesizer, Theremin Ronny Elliott – Composer Alex Emanuel – Art Direction, Bass, Composer, Drums, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Liner Notes, Photography, Producer, Sleeve Photo, Vocal Harmony, Vocals Evan Bradford – Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Mastering, Mixing, Producer, Vocals David First – Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Producer, Vocals Alexis Fleisig – Drums Chris Fletcher – Bass Guy Forsyth – Harmonica Ruthie Foster – Vocals (Background) Mike Fowler – Bass Becca Fox – Group Member Greg Fox – Drums Justin Francis – Mixing, Percussion, Various Jay Frederick – Drums Paul Frye – Engineer, Mixing, Producer Glenn Fukunaga – Bass Don Fury – Engineer, Mastering, Producer Bernard Gann – Bass Sue Garner – Guitar, Vocals Chris Gehringer – Mastering Stephen George – Engineer, Mixing, Producer Mass Giorgini – Mastering Girls Against Boys – Composer Brian Gitkin – Composer Mick Glossop – Mixing Jodi Gold – Vocals Mark Goldenberg – Guitar Eric Gorman – Remixing Chris Grainger – Engineer Alex Grey – Artwork Brian Griffin – Drums, Percussion J. Griffin – Composer James Griffith – Vocals Nanci Griffith – Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Vocals Robert Grossman – Back Cover Steve Hegener - Bass Clara Guererro – Vocals Joe Guerra – Bass, Vocals Clara Guerrero – Composer Abe Guthrie – Keyboards Annie Guthrie – Vocals Arlo Guthrie – Composer, Keyboards, Vocals Krishna Guthrie – Guitar Sarah Lee Guthrie – Vocals Patrick Guyers – Drums Nigel Hall – Keyboards Terry Hall – Drums Nick Hallett – Vocals Patrick Hambrick – Guitar Caleb Hanks – Composer, Producer, Vocals Deborah Harry – Composer J. Walter Hawkes – Trombone Warren Haynes – Composer, Guitar, Vocals Harry Hayward – Composer Harry Alexander Hayward – Composer Maegan Hayward – Liner Notes, Producer