The original lyric sheet for the
Murray McLauchlan's third release,
Day to Day Dust, was printed on recycled de-inked fibers, a significant financial commitment in 1974 that aptly reflects the heartfelt social commitment on display throughout this album. Beginning with the stirring "Hurricane of Change,"
McLauchlan forcefully adds his voice to the international folk protest movement:
"Mama Mama I seen the world and I had to call/The Spring of the world deserted for a bloody fall/For Bloody gold -- they kill the land.../What's the sound that haunts me through the rain/Is it the breath of grief or the hurricane of change?" In the folk protest traditions of
Dylan and
Lightfoot,
McLauchlan's erudite and intelligent lyrics poetically explore themes of love, lust, redemption, pain, disconnection, and loneliness, while eloquently lamenting corporate imperialism and the culture of atomic fear; it is only in the song "Revelations" that he finds a way to resolve his angst -- 'Was the story true or was it just in fun/About a resurrection and a life to come/I don't care much about it anyhow/Resurrection don't matter much in the here and now/Yes some day when I go down and die/With a quiet mind and a peaceful eye/I won't worry no more about what goes on/I'll just like down in the earth 'till the earth is gone.'" The original vinyl was unfortunately poorly produced, with only
McLauchlan's voice and
Amos Garrett's vibrant guitar prevailing through the turgid mix; drums and bass are muted and uncompelling. Despite this handicap,
Day to Day Dust still is a solid release by
McLauchlan, with humanist core values, most of which still ring true. Deleted and long out of print,
Day to Day Dust is worth picking up, at least for "Revelation" alone if you can find it. Recommended for fans of
McLauchlan,
Lightfoot,
Dylan, or protest folk music in general. ~ Laurie Mercer