Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran
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Free Music Notes for Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran
Free Music Review: The Soundtrack of a Generation
Hit: 5 Stars
I came upon this compilation after watching a Bill Moyers special on PBS about the documentary "Body of War." I haven't had a chance to see the film yet, but from the clips I saw on television it looks to be a sensitive and politically conscious look at some of the human costs of the Iraq War.
Tomas Young, the protagonist of that documentary, assembled this compilation album and he's done an amazing job. The term "protest song" has a pejorative ring these days, especially among people who forget that "The Star-Spangled Banner" was a kind of protest song in its day. These are songs that speak to our time, and to the profound agony into which this senseless war has hurled our country, but that doesn't make them any less powerful, beautiful, or affecting as songs. As long as war, hypocrisy, and the abuse of power remain a part of human life the themes addressed in these songs will remain timeless. And as long as soldiers keep coming back from Iraq in wheelchairs and body bags, as long innocent Iraqi civilians lose their lives by the thousands, the wounds that these songs yearn to soothe will remain open and raw.
The music spans a range of genres, styles, and moods, from the lilting melancholy of Brendan James's opening track "Hero's Song" to the pounding rage of Fields of Agony's "No Use for a Name" to the edgy, lyrical irony of David Ford's "State of the Union." Legends like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits share billing with relative newcomers. Nobody (with the possible exception of Young himself) is likely to love every single song in a collection as eclectic as this, but there's really something for everyone, and I guarantee that you'll find at least one track here that you've never heard before, but that speaks to you as strongly as anything else in contemporary music. Highest Recommendation.
Free Music Review: A Heartfelt - and Heartrending - Sentiment from Someone Who Has Been There
Hit: 5 Stars
Just two days after the tragedy of 9/11, 22-year-old Tomas Young enlisted in the Army to defend the nation he loves. Though he expected to fight al-Quaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, in 2004 he was shipped off to a different war. After barely a week, he was shot in a Humvee that lacked armer; paralyzed by a bullet in his spine, he returned home. As he regained conscousness at Walter Reed, among his wounded peers, he asked himself what Iraq had to do with the attacks of 9/11, Islamic terrorists, or weapons of mass destruction. On this remarkable album are 30 songs that helped get this courageous American through his ordeal in Iraq and back home. These songs are brutally honest; you won't find the typical sanitized pop of the airwaves here. The music speaks from the heart; we may not "enjoy" or be entertained by the tracks, but these songs will always touch you. Bruce Springsteen's "Devil and Dust" is a sincere and heartfelt ballad. Eddie Vedder of Pear Jam who wrote two original songs for this album: "Long Nights," which speaks of Tomas's deep feelings when as he struggles through another day or night, and "No More," which captures the political reality and antiwar sentiment captured in the documentary of the same title. In the words of Eddie Vedder, Tomas's music should "be heard behind the White House gate."Free Music Review: Enjoyed the CD, some songs more than others
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this CD because I was a huge fan of Eddie Vedder's songs from the Into The Wild Soundtrack.
Although I did like his music, I was more impressed by Brendan James first song, Heroe's song. It was the one song that didn't seem to have a political statement, more so a story about a soldiers struggling. Very moving song-literally brought me to tears.
A must buy for the amazing collaboration of talent.
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