Martial Mix CD: Songs for our fightin' troops

Written by Al Barger
Published November 26, 2002
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"I Walk on Guilded Splinters" by Dr. John - Here's a nice long, slow shuffling little New Orleans voodoo session, turning into an evil seance as the doctor conjures up a hex. "Put gris-gris on your doorstep, and soon you'll be in the gutter."

"Goon Squad" and "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello - "Goon Squad" may have been meant as a warning about how easy it is to get yourself caught up in the military-industrial complex or something, but it has an evil undertow that can make you want to take it to the enemy. That getting caught up in something idea is exactly the point. Yeah, boys, we're the frickin' GOON SQUAD. You want to try some of this?

"Oliver's Army" would be far scarier to folks if they saw past the sweet pop pleasantry. This song describes the creature that can't be touched by any enemy: the professional army. We've got a wealthy country that can afford to hire many of our very best minds to come and work in well-equipped units with all the best weapons and materials available to man. "Oliver's army is here to stay."

"Highway Patrol" by Junior Brown - Think of this modern honky tonk country classic in this context as a corollary to "Oliver's Army." It's a professional career. "I'm just a-doin' my job, I'm the highway patrol." Not some overheated belligerent badass, just a cop on the job. But I suggest you co-operate with his polite demands, lest you find yourself on the wrong end of a courteous and professional ass kicking.

"Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis Presley, or alternately "A Little Less Conversation" You could even go for the "US Male." - Somewhere there has to be Presley. Certainly it or the "Blue Suede Shoes" give a friendly but aggressive warning as to the limits of the patience of America. Besides being a good modern techno song for a dance at the UFO, "a little less conversation, a little more action" might suit the mood of many good military folks who would like to go if we're going, and get the job done.

"The Bitch Is Back" by Elton John - Back before he collapsed into weary sighs, Elton could rock like a bitch. "I can bitch, I can bitch, cause I'm better than you." With them guitars cutting right through to the bone, this would be a perfect song to play in the cockpit as you're dropping bombs on the presidential palaces.

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Unreformed hawkish Hoosier hillbilly and sometimes candidate Al Barger runs the still squeezin' down the psychodelic Kentucky moonshine at MoreThings.com, what with the paranoid religious visions and the Pentacostal music and visions of God and anarchy running amok and such. Somebody oughta call the cops to report his out of control freedom of conscience. Till they come to take him away somewhere where he can't hurt anyone else, you can check out his weekly column of NEW ALBUM RELEASES.
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Martial Mix CD: Songs for our fightin' troops
Published: November 26, 2002
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Section: Music
Filed Under: Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Music: Country and Americana, Music: Pop, Music: Hip-hop, Music: Rap, Music: Rock
Writer: Al Barger
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Comments

#1 — November 26, 2002 @ 20:57PM — Eric Olsen

That's some serious doing what needs to be done music, Al. Thanks.

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