Here I am thinking I need to write about something a little more somber. Then I get a comment at myspace where someone tells me they liked my music so much they bought it. As a musician working on getting the wider audience going, that is music to my ears. Although I do have an agenda so I’ll stick with it…
It’s been pretty darn hard to miss the news coming out of Virigina this week. I’ve no doubt that I don’t need to give any kind of point by point recount of it. Any news site you turn to is going to have all the time-lines, the interviews with roommates, fellow students and survivors. Yet something occurred today that seems to have gone beyond what was called for in a situation like this. Then again it kinda got it’s start with 9/11.
Apparently the gunman (I don’t even want to dignify using his name) created video and lots of it prior to the event. Then packaged it up with photos and some writings and shipped it off to a network. What is insane is that the network felt compelled to play this video of gibberish. Talk about giving mentally unstable people a reason to one up this event! I mean if a network like Fox can stop a program about O.J. Simpson – which was the right thing to do, why can’t another network (I don’t wish to give props to them for being stupid) just bury this or at least hand it over to the police instead of airing it and giving him his 15 minutes of infamy?
What makes it difficult is that he had been hospitalized. He was already known to be harmful to himself and to others. I know I’ve had roommates that weren’t talkative, hell, I’ve also been a roommate that’s not talkative – but not like that. It’s got to be tough when people ignored these signs. In one respect you have to think you don’t want to jump to conclusions. But for him there seem to be way to many signs to have ignored it. Yet it did.
I’m not sure of the original intent of this song by Blue Merle. However, I’m going to equate the ships to set sail to be the unfortunate students, faculty and people that were taken from loved ones in such a senseless manner. When I first heard the news I had actually made a joke about them coming out and blaming Marilyn Manson seeing as how he has a new album coming out. Fortunately that didn’t happen. However one of the most bizarre connections was made to Collective Soul and their first hit Shine. What a drag it would be to be Ed Roland right now. To have the media making a huge deal about a nutcase listening to your song over and over again. Especially when your song is a positive song. I feel for ya.
The elements of today’s song is reminisent of Pink Floyd mixed with Coldplay. At least it is for me. Since both bands are hugely popular and I’ve now associated this song with them, I’m not sure I need to say much more about it from musical and production standpoint. It’s well crafted. It’s superbly recorded. It feels appropriate for right now. One line in particular is something I expect is being felt by all the families involved as well as people with a sympathic heart: “Though it’s gonna hurt for now, though it’s gonna hurt for now, though it’s gonna hurt for now / Every ship must sail away, every ship must sail away, every ship must sail away.” How true, how true.
We all need a soundtrack for sad times. This song is a good addition for just such occasions.
(** Disclaimer: If Blue Merle’s label is upset with my combining their song with this post, I’ll fly it at half mast off the server. The post will remain to show that it’s been a shocking world we live in. **)