Customer Reviews

Love Is the Only Soldier

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jann mentioned that the recording of this album was accompanied by many "firsts". The first time she was the sole producer, the first time she recorded an album in her basement, and the first time her touring band contributed to the tracks (as opposed to studio musicians). I can think of another couple of "firsts". Jann plays the piano on 3 tracks here and what a treat that turned out to be. "Anna Rebecca", "When You Left Me", and "Fighting for the World" feature Ms. Arden tickling the ivories and all three tunes are stirring and heartfelt. Her vocals are as strong as ever. Another first? I think Jann hits her highest note yet in "Ruby Red", and sustains it until you feel out of breath. This is a great song.

Someone mentioned in another review that they felt Jann was drifting in the wrong direction. I think she got back on track with "Love is the Only Soldier". While I really liked "Blood Red Cherry", it will undoubtedly go down in history as Jann's "experimental" album.

I don't think Jann is capable of writing a bad song. I've liked everything she's put out so far, and I see no signs of that stopping here.

Her humor is intact on songs like "Only One":

If I come back
If I find you there
I'm calling on my daddy
And he'll kill you I swear

And "If You Loved Me":

If you loved me, I would not need my drunken friends
And if you loved me, my loneliness for sure would end.

"Anna Rebecca" is a great song about loss. You don't know the details, but you know she's singing about a friendship that crumbled:

Remember that December night
Talking ourselves into day
Waving goodbye from the back of a cab
Please remember me that way

"When You Left Me" is quite possibly one of her saddest songs:

When you left me nothing mattered
All my life undone
Only stillness, only quiet
Not one ray of sun

It's an absolutely gorgeous song. Very haunting. Some people can't seem to tolerate sad songs. I don't get depressed by them. I dig them. They mellow me out in some strange way. There's nothing like a sad song to get you to thinking about your own life in an introspective manner. I think they can be very therapeutic. They are for me, in any case.

"Fighting for the World" is another great melancholy tune. She sings from the perspective of a family persisitng through the holidays while a loved one is away in the armed services.

"Love is the Only Soldier" is the first single and is one of my favorite songs. It doesn't seem an obvious choice for a single, but I love this song. It's a great showcase for her songwriting and vocals, and I think the arrangement is excellent. She really soars on the chorus:

Hide me inside your heart let me wash away
Hold me beneath your body all night and day
I pray that the morning comes and with me you'll stay
Hide me inside your heart let me wash away

There's a lot to like here with this album. I rank it very highly in my Jann Arden collection, which consists of everything she's ever released, even the rare and hard to find stuff, singles, etc. I'm such a big fan, I only wish she had more exposure in the US. I hope to catch her on this tour. I saw her during the symphony tour in Winnipeg and it was a phenomenal show.

Ms. Arden has a very distinctive sound. Those of us who have her previous CD's know the one titled "Happy" had some of the most incredible sad songs ever. If you can appreciate her melancholy sweetness, then this is absolutely no waste of money. Very few upbeat tunes, although she has never been known for that.
She opened for the Dixie Chicks and did a few of these new songs. Let me tell you; when I heard the song, RUBY RED off this CD, I almost wept. I couldn't wait for the CD to finally be released. Such a beautiful song for a broken heart and for a woman who's man isn't treating her right.
THE RIGHT ROAD HOME is right after that song on the CD and is again very reflective.
ANNA REBECCA I'm still trying to figure out but the sound is beautiful.

This CD is easy to drive to and hum to.

Listen to every song four times and it will completely grow on you.

It is better than her last CD, Blood Red Cherry

While I wasn't so into this album when it was first released, I have really been appreciating the incredible beauty of this album recently. I was used to the more commercial sound of Jann a la Wishing That, Could I Be Your Girl, The Sound Of, and this album has a much different sound. But I would describe this album as layered. Each song is just full of depth, from the drum beats, up through the pianos and guitars, all the way to the vocals, which are as usual, breathtaking.

I think this is certainly Jann's best album ever. She recorded it in her basement and I think that made this album sound so much more intimate.

While there are only 10 tracks on this album, I think it's better to have 10 amazing tracks than 3 hits and 10 or 12 filler songs like many artists do. From the whimsical and haunting songs like "Anna Rebecca" and "When You Left Me" to the simply rocking songs like "Only One" this album contains a beautiful variety and mix of sounds. This is one of the very best studio albums I have ever heard.

This Canadian gem has now released five studio albums (not counting her live album and Greatest Hurts), four of which have impressed me greatly, interrupted only by her third album, Happy?, which simply didn't click with me. (**update 24 Nov 03** I have given Happy? a few more spins and I've finally warmed up to some of the songs)

It's disappointing that Jann seems to have/do no promotion in the U.S., and that her albums don't get released in the U.S. at the same time they debut in Canada. I wonder if Love Is The Only Soldier will get a U.S. release at all.

Some months ago I read that Jann was working on a new album, but when I discovered a few weeks ago that it had already come out in Canada unbeknownst to me, I admittedly had to resort to Kazaa because I needed INSTANT gratification. And instant it was, with sweet, familiar yet evolutionary sounds as "Fighting For The World" became my first taste of the new album. I was hungry for more and soon had devoured each track.

It quickly became evident that Jann's sound has evolved. Tracks such as "Fighting For The World", "Anna Rebecca" and "When You Left Me" feature lush musical landscapes lending a delicate, ethereal feel. Reverberating instrumentation and vocal effects on several tracks add a new, welcome dimension to Jann's music.

The title track, "Love Is The Only Soldier," was the first single, but to be honest, it's not even one of my favorite tracks. Since Jann doesn't seem to exist outside of Canada, I only recently became aware of what her various singles were, and I was surprised and disagree with many of the choices. Still, Jann's reputation with me is one of loading more quality potential singles on an album than would ever be released. I've heard that "Ruby Red" is the second single, which is more in line with my personal taste.

My personal favorite tracks are:

Anna Rebecca
Ruby Red
Right Road Home
Fighting For The World
When You Left Me
If You Loved Me
Not Saying Goodbye

Yes, that's 7 of 10 tracks that I'm crazy about -- a very rare feat for any artist considering how picky I am. I've concentrated mostly on these seven, but maybe with more listening time the other three tracks will grow on me.

The heavy cadence of "Right Road Home" recalls "Living Under June", but this album stands uniquely and triumphantly apart from all previous efforts, yet it's still undeniably Jann. Her voice and her melodious hooks are as lovely as ever, the angst is still here. It's just that it's more beautifully presented than ever before...

Going through Jann Arden's music has become a chore, she has
put out some really excellent collections. Several things stand
out, shes a top notch writer, you don't have to be a female
to take note of the emotional wallop her songs highlight. She is
more than clever with words, she writes so much about love and all its frailties, shes good at uncovering, sometimes even pocking fun at ourselves. Sure she can be melancholy but never depressing, her songs remind me in certain ways of Joan Armatrading writing style, not the music but the intimate way Joan writes, at times it cuts right through you. Jann Arden is a
very under-rated singer-songwriter-musical arranger. "LOVE IS
THE ONLY SOLIDER" isn't as punchy or radio friendly as "Blood
Red Cherry" but it goes deeper and isn't afraid to show Jann's
considerable emotional range. This one takes time to get under
your skin. As usual Jann's music has enough commerical edge
yet is adult(Triple A)pop-rock, she's been doing this style
for years and she's a big hit at home in Canada. I wouldn't say "Love is the only soldier" is a blockbuster but it has enough strong
choice cuts("love is the only soldier","when you left me", "anna rebecca","ruby red"(great vocals!) to recommend it. I'm not sure why American radio
chooses to ignore Jann Arden, she is a classy performer and
this country is desperate for real talent.

Jann's new album has been playing steadily on my CD player since I received it. All of the songs seem to be about relationships--friends, family, lovers, etc. The wistfulness of the friends growing apart in "Anna Rebecca" really struck a chord with me. I love the darkness of "Four Feet Deep," which compares the end of a relationship to a car crash. "Ruby Red" and "Right Road Home" are 2 of my favorites--"Ruby Red" because it's a bit of a rocker, and "Right Road Home" because I think everyone needs to be able to find that right road sometimes.
The sound on the album is full and high quality-- it doesn't sound like it was recorded in her basement. I can't hear the cat tags jingling in "When You Left Me" though! Where's Shrodie?

Jann Arden finally released an album of new material in September 2003 in Canada. This is the long awaited follow up to 2000's BLOOD RED CHERRY. The album has a more stripped down feel to it, whereas BLOOD RED CHERRY was full of production and complex melodies and beats. There's some really nice music on here though. The title track was the first single, not a favorite of mine, I didn't care for the vocals too much. There's some really nice ballads though, like "Anna Rebecca", "Not Saying Goodbye", "When You Left Me" and "Fighting For The World". Other highlights include "If You Loved Me", "Only One" and "Ruby Red". Not her best album but there's some good stuff on here that fans will love.

"Love is the only Soldier" is one of those albums that's jamp-packed with emotion. Every song on this CD tells a unique story and brings the listener to another level of wonderment. When I first received a copy of this CD, I listened to it over and over again. I just couldn't get enough!

This CD is easily one of my favorites! A definite must-have for any serious Jann Arden fan!

Wow, after 3 awesome CDs this is quite a let down -- don't mind the reflective mood but the songs are just not good. No melody just b-o-r-i-n-g! Luckily her next release "Jann Arden" is a step in the right direction but still not the equal to the terrific earlier releases. Hope the next one is better.

So far I have seen Jann Arden three times in concert, and in the winter I will be going to see her for my fourth time. I got to hear Ruby Red and Love is the Only Soldier,two of the singles of this CD, when she opened for the Dixie Chicks in Ottawa. Jann is an amazing singer, as well as a great comedian on stage! I recommend this cd, and recommend visiting Canada to see her perform.