Previously unavailable, a second limited run of my debut album in a jewel cases featuring some beautiful conceptual photography by Gina Tomitz and Cory Ingram, including background information on the creation of the album in the liner notes.
Includes unlimited streaming of Coal Aberrations
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
I was a fan of Robert Bruey's for a while and had always hoped to collaborate with him. At some point he called me and asked me first, baffled, I agreed immediately. This is the last song on his debut album "Songs From The Path" an excellent record you can find on Itunes), to which I wrote and added the letter/story verses in between his vocal parts. Though the points of view and opinions are pretty blatant, this one goes specifically out to my friend Eric Muller and all of those who have served, now and before, who find themselves disillusioned, hurt and confused.
lyrics
Son, you know the apple doesn't fall far from the infantry,
We crunched the numbers from the schools picked and Benjamin frankly we're appalled,
The benevolence of my army benefits outfitted you since infancy,
And as you know lately the safety of the world has stressed our eagle bald,
Incredibly, the entries' free, no enlisting fee, considering the pride you're supplied instantly,
Our family's story is hungry for defending this glorious country and will lunge to meet any pest with gall,
You're infested with text-book-worms and digested our intricately altruistic history,
So when the freedom dominion's lady liberty bella beauty rings answer the call,
For the army of wonder, the so few that proudly survived to victory,
Recruitment starts now, sign your name on the assembly flat-line come one come all.
WAR MACHINE KEEP IT CLEAN, WALK TOO SOON, GONE BY NOON,
Dear yellow journalist,
A clean war machine is an inaccurate sadistic-masochistic oxymoronic propagandist term
beyond comparison, It's implying virtuous violence can happen while simultaneously acting compassionate and that isn't what this magnificent land is about... or is it now?
DEEP INSTILLED PROUDLY FILLED, SEE MY FACE DUST THE GRACE
Dear Lieutenant,
Our grandson Bruce is a precious human, how could you do this?
If you'd have consumed my two cents, I've alluded to paying his school debts,
troops in previous foreign feuds were prudent, but this is polluted
“accrue crude fuel” crudely fueled confusion,
Those putrid intrusions you've been through
and you've no delusions and approved your son recruited?
You've cruelly doomed him and I've got news for you kid, our relationship's concluded.
OIL FIELDS SEALED THE DEAL, BULLETS FLY TOUCH THE SKY
Dear Dad,
Take a proper gander at the propaganda, TV's low standards
distract you with wild party life goose chases to have you enraptured,
with air-headlines while they're avidly hacking at our
civilian heads like nick burg, I've since heard things whispered
about Francis Scott-Key being fit for John Locke and the contents
of Pandora-merica's box dispersed. I'm disturbed serving this term in war
when it's for incurring more in some CEO's thick purse.
YOU MUST BE CALLING ME, I'M FAR FROM HOME ALL ALONE
Dear Bruce,
It's hard to discuss this but you've been gone six months
and besides your pictures, I haven't been kissed once, I really miss ya,
that's how I know that it's love, But I'm still young and
its tough to live untouched, It's not fair, that you signed up
I'm sorry but I wish you the best of luck,
I'm really proud and all, it's just... this sucks.
Love always,
Marissa
THE NUMBERS SLOW, EARTH IS COLD, BLOOD HAS DRIED, FAITH HAS CRIED
Dear Grandpa,
I'm beginning to feel like you were right to fight with dad about enlistment
I know he was a lieutenant and in the recruitment business
but pride and the financial interests tend to feel akin with petty penny predicaments
when my kin are missing limbs and I'm missing you on Christmas,
I wish it were different and we could be together and all i got is
coal fossil fuel that aids the firefight in this desert.
Your "great war two" efforts grate on you
so you wont think lesser when I confess for being more upset for
not getting Nanny's sweaters while everyone that serves
gets hurt and sweats in this weather.
Civilians seem to deplore or ignore us,
and act as if magnets on the back of their
Taurus supports us?! I thought it would be glorious.
This is curious, I haven't gotten mail from all ya's
(except Marissa, that poor bitch),
meanwhile we've imported coffee donations from borders,
as if i want to be awake to take orders to experience these horrors?
I feel the victim of a list of vicious superstitions,
while lady luck has a half empty hourglass figure from extensively purging silt,
Nothing's loving or fair in warfare and the fare for my tour here is expensive murder guilt,
Life is a bitch when you're taking her ilk,
and taking shit as an insubordinate until you get killed,
I hope they'll let my G.I. bill pay cousin brad's loans,
and please respect my will don't show dad these notes,
He'll have a harder time probably
than my nullified body keeping himself composed
when he now knows what his recruitment promotes
when you propose the folded flag enclosed in this envelope.
credits
from Coal Aberrations,
track released June 27, 2010
Robert Bruey: wrote all lyrics performed, guitar
AllOne: lyrics, vocals.
Left-field rapper, slam poet, singer/songwriter, and author Bruce Pandolfo from Long Island.
Creating to connect. Obsessively exploring and creating art as healing and growing.
Deeply vivid/introspective lyrics populate this ambitious folk rock project. The arrangements span from mellow/minimal to rocking and grandiose. Consistently emotive, unique and sincere. Brilliance. AllOne
Progressive yet punk, aggro yet emotional. One of my favorite bands from Long Island and doing everything they can to live up to their name, raising money for causes and making badass music, AllOne
I have been listening to variations of this album a long time. I remember I was living in a cardboard dumpster when some young guy was like yo dude it's gonna rain come crash on my couch. He played The Many Faces of Oliver Hart for me. I fell in love, I set my favorite track as Rain because we looped it when the rain came. That was one of the early acts of kindness I received in the nearly 20 years I've been homeless. @NomadRoamsFree