Election Special is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released on August 16, 2012, by Perro Verde and Nonesuch Records. Cooder recorded and produced the album mostly at Drive-By Studios in North Hollywood, performing all of the instrumentation, including bass, guitar, and mandolin, with the exception of drums, which were played by his son Joachim.
Based in American roots and blues rock music, Election Special features upbeat melodies, simple instrumentation, and sparse arrangements as a backdrop for protest songs that continue the topical storylines of Cooder's previous album Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (2011). Displeased with the Republican Party and its financial supporters, Cooder wanted to write an album that would address listeners during the United States presidential election of 2012, which he believed would be a critical event in the country's history. A deeply political album, Election Special expands on its predecessor's socio-political musings and current event topics with forthright, satirical lyrics and song-form vignettes. Cooder's songwriting also exhibits liberal and populist sentiments, while drawing on older musical sources such as broadside ballads and country blues.
Released one week before the 2012 Republican National Convention, Election Special was met with generally positive reviews from critics, who applauded its topical protest songs and Cooder's musicianship. The album peaked at number 164 on the US Billboard 200, but charted significantly higher in other countries. Cooder did not tour in promotion of the album, citing a lost interest in both playing large concert venues and the commercial aspect of releasing records.
Background
In 2011, Cooder recorded Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down after being inspired by a headline about bankers and other affluent people profiting from bank bailouts and the resulting recession during the late-2000s. Released in August to critical acclaim, it showcased Cooder's return to his early work's musical style and told topical stories about political and social corruption, various economic victims, and an emerging class war. With the album finished, Cooder had developed a penchant for writing such songs and wanted to continue writing more storyline-inspired songs. A month after the album's release, Cooder had his first short-story collection, Los Angeles Stories, published by City Lights Bookstore. In June 2012, he joined Time political columnist Joe Klein on the latter's road trip across the United States, speaking out to people in towns about the state of the nation and its forthcoming presidential election in 2012.
Writing and recording
With Election Special, Cooder wanted to write an album with direct lyrics and encourage urgency in listeners during the US presidential election of 2012. He felt that the election season was "the time of decision in this country ... the most critical time in the history of the country". When asked about concerns over "preaching to the choir", Cooder said in an interview for the Los Angeles Times, "I thought I should have a record that says, 'This here record is for you during election time.' Rather than be vague and poetic, let's just call this what it is. That way I may get people's attention. That's the idea." Cooder drew on music he grew up listening to such as Depression-era songs and sought to appropriate contemporary subject matter to them. When writing the album, he also touched on the Occupy movement, which he felt optimistic about, saying that "There's a sign of something. Those people are having conversations, and the conversations become issues and the issues become talked about. Pretty soon, the rest of the world picks up on it, even the politicians."