There are great causes and there is great music. Seldom do the two come together quite so potently as they do on Where We Live - Stand For What You Stand On.

The cause is a simple but vital one - the right for us all to drink clean water and breathe clean air in the face of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.

The music is soulful and inspiring and comes from such great artists as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Lou

Reed, and over a dozen others on tracks specifically donated to the cause. Although it is not a record that in any way preaches, the songs were all chosen to reflect a commitment to the well-being of our earth and its people, standing up for our rights and staying strong.

First and briefly, the cause. Earthjustice is a non-profit environmental law firm that acts without charge against government and corporations when environmental laws are being broken.

Founded in 1971, the organization currently employs 50 attorneys and although it is US based its concerns are global. Earthjustice operates an extensive and active international law program with partners and sister organizations all over the world in the belief that the right to a clean and healthy environment is a universal one. Earthjustice also recently submitted a report to the United Nations on the link between human rights and the degradation of the environment, again emphasizing its international concern.

The proceeds from Where We Live will all go to Earthjustice’s campaign of the same name to promote the universal right to life’s absolute necessities - clean air and water.

“We wanted to reach people who don't necessarily call themselves environmentalists, so we've focused on clean air and clean water because they’re issues which everybody can relate to,” says Earthjustice's Cara Pike, who acted as associate producer on the album. “Environmental activists are sometimes accused of caring more about the environment than people. But we wanted to show that the two are interlinked and to put people at the core of our campaign. Music is a perfect way to do that. It starts the dialogue in a very positive way and the album is a wonderful tool for raising awareness.”
 

THE ARTISTS Yet unlike most benefit albums, Earthjustice did not simply approach a bunch of artists whose names are currently riding high in the charts and ask for whatever crumbs might fall from the table. First, the artists chosen had to genuinely care about the issues. Secondly, the songs in some way had to reflect the message that Earthjustice is communicating. “We went for great artists who we also felt

were socially-responsible individuals,” says Mike Kappus of the San Francisco-based Rosebud Agency, who produced the album.

“We wanted a unified feel. Music that was soulful and tracks that fit together, with lyrics that were appropriate. We weren't looking to preach. But the message had to be positive and inspiring.” He began by approaching artists who had lent their support to Earthjustice campaigns in the past. Bonnie Raitt was the first person on board. Tom Waits and Ry Cooder had also previously supported Earthjustice and enthusiastically lent their support at an early stage.

“They're people who are admired throughout the music industry and with their participation, we felt confident that other artists would then recognize the validity of the project and want to come on board. Almost everybody we approached said yes,” Kappus continues, "and they did so with total commitment and enthusiasm."

Norah Jones is a great example of an artist giving immediate and enthusiastic support. “She was on tour in Asia when we approached her but she came back immediately saying ‘yes’ and suggesting “Peace” which was a song we weren’t even aware of at the time. It's not on her album. It’s from an EP she’d been selling from the stage at her early gigs.

"Bob Dylan was equally cooperative. We got exactly the song we asked for. Both tracks fit the project perfectly,” says Kappus.

There were some obstacles in securing the Neville Brothers’ “Sister Rosa,” their tribute to the great civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks. But Kappus was adamant that the track had a place on the album. “That was complicated but we fought to the end to get it,” he says. “I always loved that song and felt it had to go on the record because the environmental movement grew out of the strong tradition of civil rights campaigning in the United States.”

Then there is “Estampa” by Latin star Rubén Blades. “We chose that track for the lyrics in addition to the beautiful music,” says Kappus. “And again he was totally cooperative and supportive.” The lyrics are too long to translate here in full. But in part it declares, ‘The planet does not belong to a group of people: it is created for all of us to walk on it.'"

The name Karen Savōca, who sings the Greg Brown song “Two Little Feet,” will be unfamiliar to most. But again her inclusion was deliberate. “She’s got a fantastic voice and it's a very uplifting song. It's a nice touch that there's this undiscovered nugget in there alongside the better known names,” Kappus comments.

The album ends with something of a coup - Captain Beefheart singing “Happy Earthday.” Before he retired from music two decades ago, Mike Kappus had been his agent. “I still talk to him very regularly and a couple of years ago he sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me on the phone. Then I had the idea of asking him to change the lyrics a bit and sing ‘Happy Earthday’ to Mother Earth. It's his first new recording in 20 years. I think it's important to have a sense of humor in everything and our laughs that follow make it clear that we had fun doing this.”

It’s a fitting finale to a wonderful soundtrack for a vital cause.