Soldier of Fortune

First, the song came up when linking to your site. No problem.
Second, the intro is maybe a tad too long and the grating noise a little too grating (annoying) on the nerves.
Third, I can get lost in your songs. I like your melodies and when you back them with a driving drum track and a compelling piano accompaniment; it is a pleasurable trip.
Fourthly, I don't care for the message of the song. Nothing more demoralizing to anyone that is trying to do good (even if it happens to be a soldier) than to be told that there's no reason you should.
No reason to do good?
And, without getting into a political debate, it's kind of implied that as a soldier, you are being used.
(The soldier is willing to be used to do good.)
And then there's that grating noise at the end.

Nothing more demoralizing to anyone that is trying to do good (even if it happens to be a soldier) than to be told that there's no reason you should.

Precisely, and that is why I wrote this. In a train I talked to a soldier (not sure what rank he was, I don't recognize the symbols) while I traveling to an REM concert last week and it was thoroughly demoralizing. I could have filled another ten verses with more detailled info but figured that shorter would be stronger. So in short I was told "don't even bother if you 'want to make a difference'."
And, without getting into a political debate, it's kind of implied that as a soldier, you are being used.
(The soldier is willing to be used to do good.)

I'll go further and say instead of imply that soldiers are being used. It's one of the prime foundations on which armies have been build around the world throughout the ages. Read any major book on warfare, no matter from which era or continent, and you'll find that soldiers are not just used but even serve no other function but to be used. And it's this idea that I object against, hence the second verse.

So in short I think I can go out on limb and suggest that I haven;t been very clear with my message in this song. You won't find me taking shots at the army, regardless of whatever war it might be engaged in. I'll blame other people for that.

I absolutely agree on every point.
But if you were told "not to bother if you want to make a difference", then you can feel sorry for the soldier.
He has lost his battle before his fight has begun.
Sounds as if his sergeant has successfully trained him to lose an encounter with even the Girl Scouts.
I hope he doesn't encounter too many more of these sergeants in his life.

I liked it a lot. Very dreamy and melancholy.Kind of what Pink Floyd might of sounded like in the late 60's if Sid was born in Groningen. Any piece of music that can provoke thoughtful and intelligent political discussion is worth listening to. My only beef with it was that I thought the sand paper effect was a bit to loud and distracting :?

Well, without getting into the disscussion on going, the artist conveyed his message very powerfully. I thought the into (sorry Kenny) was not only good in length, but went further to define the mood and the power more than anything else that could have been done. The soulful vocals before the two verses tell me, the listener, that someone is in emotional durress, or in a battle of internal turmoil which could be an inner struggle with conflict. Then a couple of verses, purposely left short and to the point, with some strong, but not over-bearing axe and keyboard work. Again the vocals come, and his aingst is clear now.

That grating noise. Added to reperesent what?

Great, great, great effort. I enjoyed it. Top notch work. I'd buy it. It's like a more powerful Moby.

I just dig the music you make. You are doing some of the things I want to do. I hear the music in my head, but I'm not talented enough to get it from my head to disk. You have that talent.

I love the track, my only suggestion would be to fade the sandpaper noise out a little earlier. It's distracting once the song gets going and since it goes so far into the song, its absence leaves a hole. Does that make sense?

Thanks people!

Ken: I've been listening to Coco Rosie a lot and how they use samples is really interesting, to me. I might have overdone it a bit, check this song out to see what my inspiration for that mixing aspect was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma8zaOVvI0o&feature=related

Roy: the sound (like most of the samples I use in my songs) don't represent anything on a 1:1 ratio. I personally believe that language can only approximate many ideas, it's hard to say what sound 'means' in words. It's more that it adds to the feeling of the song, a restless frustration kinda thing. If I removed it the song just wouldn't feel the same

JW: Just keep on plugging man. I've now written a little over 200 songs the past two years, with every one you pick out a little something and the more you do it the more certain patterns that are similar to all music will come clear and you'll be working more free with every song you finish. I'l lthink about an earlier-starting, more gradual fade-out of the noise.

By the by, it was created with a key that is attached by a string to a tiny box. By pulling and releasing this key you get the sound. Got pretty sore arms after three minutes of that I can tell you. :D

I've listened to this a few times now. (Actually, all 6 of them on that page) You make a great point about langauge and ideas. I am also not suggesting a removal of said grating noise. I was just wondering why it was there. I like the repetitious. underlying emotional tone those kinds of things provide. I was kind of hoping I was not missing something in my interpretation.

Of course, that's the beauty of art. I tokk that "noise" as a bit of noise designed to make one think of maybe audible brainwashing torture that adds anxiety to the emotion that is to follow. It's there for a reason. It's kind of like someone watching a movie and hating the villain, only to say afterwards that they wished they did not have the villain in it. Why the heck make the movie then?

Well, again, top notch stuff. Send me a postcard when you get famous.

I liked every bit of it. every bit. all levels, meanings, intent, etc. I have said this before, your music is very visual.
like a movie sometimes.
now there are all sorts of movies. some are dark. some are light. some are abstract. some are surreal. again, etc.
I like all kinds of movies. it is no surprise to me why I like your music.

the recording itself (the mix) is kind of cool. I like how you can have two or more tracks Center, yet have one more in front or more in back . that's cool.