Customer Reviews

World Wide Rebel Songs

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In a time when we are bombarded by the most vile and childish commercial music I've ever heard, it's refreshing to hear music that doesn't treat you as if you were the lowest common denominator. Everyone is affected by the economic depression and the political dysfunction of our times. WWRS speaks to those themes, while also being entertaining. That can't said of most music today. It's nice to see Tom Morello embracing his status as a modern-day Pete Seeger.

Personally, I am a fan of anything Morello...Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Street Sweeper Social Club. But, as the Nightwatchman, Tom's style vastly differs from his other acts, even from his previous Nightwatchman albums such as One Man Revolution and The Fabled City. This time Morello uses a full electric band to back his act, and the combination sounds amazing. Tracks such as the Fifth Horseman of Apocalypse and Stray Bullets are thought-provoking, well-constructed, and have hauntingly brilliant melodies. An instant favorite is It Begins Tonight - its soul-shredding guitar riffs and solo are reminiscent of Rage and Audioslave. Tom also mixes it up with slower, quieter tracks such as God Help us All, and even shows some country influence in songs like Save the Hammer for the Man, which features Ben Harper.

To put it simply, if you like Tom Morello, buy this album. If you don't really know Tom Morello, preview the album a little, then buy it. Tom's musicianship will continue to grow on you - it is impossible not to appreciate him.

I'm not a big fan of Rage Against the Machine, but I love this album. Morello really expands his audience and hopefully his influence on spreading the word: about honest work, good pay, reasonable benefits, and the importance of unions to help realize those goals for everyone--regardless if you are a member or not. It's a voice that's largely missing in today's political, historical, social, and cultural centers of thought. Having seen Morello on his tour with Wayne Kramer and Tom McIlrath in Cleveland recently, I'd have to say the message was received. Thankfully and willingly. I just hope that Morello's message (along with the support of McIlrath's Rise Against and Kramer) gets the hearing it deserves. And I hope that union leaders will pay attention to Morello and incorporate his work into their messaging. They need it and he can help. Excellent and highly recommended for the message, passion, and talent it encompasses.

Tom Morello is the rightful heir to the mantle of Joe Strummer. He is uncompromising in both his politics and his music. Worldwide Rebel Songs expands upon the material and range of musical styles he debuted on his first two LPs and his Union Town EP. On Rebel Songs Mr. Morello is unafraid to experiment with different musical styles and combinations, the reuults may not always be music perfection but his warmth and genuine love for his material carries it through. In this respect, Mr. Morello joines Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle as one of the few artists who should be readily forgiven for the occasional awkaward lyric because the authentic emotion behind it is so obvious. My personal favorites here are "Save the Hammer for the Man" a duet with Ben Harper, the rabble-rousing anthem, "It Begins Tonight" and his ode to his guitar, "Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine." If you liked the other 2.5 Nightwatchman albums or are a fan of Joe Strummer or Tim Armstrong, this is your album.

THE NIGHTWATCHMAN'S BEST WORK YET!

Looking for an album from an artist who actually believes the music he writes? World Wide Rebel Songs is that album! Tom Morello brings guitar fury to the folk genre that really hasn't been seen before. It all starts from the first song and progresses onward. I'm going comment specifically on the songs I know the meaning to and like off the album.

1. BLACK SPARTACUS HEART ATTACK MACHINE - A great love song about his new steel string guitar. Yes, I know what you are saying "The Nightwatchman doesn't write love songs!" I was surprised as well but it's truly a great song.

3. IT BEGINS TONIGHT - A rocking jam that you could just imagine people belting out of their lungs as they protest their rights being taken away by the government.

4. SAVE THE HAMMER FOR THE MAN - Here are The Nightwatchman's exact words regarding this song. "Ben (Harper) and I have been friends for some time, and he's been very generous and performed at a number of benefit shows that I put on, including the last Justice tour. We had some problems getting a few people for some of the shows, and Ben sent me an e-mail saying, 'Dude, let me know if you want me to put the hammer down.' And I wrote back and said, 'Ben, save the hammer for The Man.'" From that this song was born featuring none other than Ben Harper.

6. SPEAK AND MAKE LIGHTNING - The Nightwatchman plays an epic solo on his Arm The Homeless guitar for this track (yes he names every guitar he has if you didn't already know that).

10. BRANDING IRON - Heavy lyrics about a true story in which "16 young female textile workers were killed in a factory where there was a fire and management had the doors chained against regulation 'cause the factory didn't have a union that could see to it that b.s. like that didn't go down."

11. WORLD WIDE REBEL SONGS - Workers from Sole Korea attempted to unionize, got fired, plant was moved to China, and traveled to the United States to enlist the Nightwatchman's help to put on a benefit show. The day before the benefit show the earthquake in Haiti happened and these workers who were struggling and desperate donated 100% of the proceeds to relief efforts in Haiti. This song is a little bit of the world that The Nightwatchman would like to see, meaning more instances of solidarity around the world. If struggling workers from Sole Korea with very little to call their own stand up and do their part why can't we all do the same?

13. UNION TOWN - It was written about the Madison, Wisconsin protests but speaks to union protests around the world.

The other songs also sound good but I'm not going to pretend that at this point I have figured out their meanings.

My overall opinion of the album is that it's better than ONE MAN REVOLUTION, THE FABLED CITY, and the UNION TOWN EP.

Where previous Nightwatchman releases primarily featured Morello as an acoustic troubadour, his latest proffers more group interplay, at times recalling aspects of his other projects. "It Begins Tonight" bisects shamelessly heavy riffing with Bo Diddley beats, while "Union Town" hybridizes Morello's trademark turntablist-influenced shredding with a chorus ready-made for protest marches; "Facing Mount Kenya," meanwhile, balances personal introspection and political insight with sparse, atmospheric trip-hop. Surprisingly, the most appealing element here proves to be Morello's voice -- a weary, Leonard Cohen-esque rasp that makes all the sloganeering seem oddly soothing. That human element is what makes "World Wide Rebel Songs" compelling, and ultimately cathartic: What Morello lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in visceral feeling.

In it's heyday, the film Spartacus was a rallying-cry for Americans caught-up in the rat-race, and gave people hope that banding together for justice was the way-to-go, and when chips were down, all slaves shall rally, & answer the Man in-concert, "I am Spartacus!"

With remembrance of Spartacus & Rage Against the Machine unforgettably playing to crowds in Rome & Mexico City, I bought Tom Morello's new c.d. with enthusiasm. Another mistake -- & when the song "God help us all" finally ended, I realized how much Tom Morello evidently UNDERSTOOD how much he under-reached in a role of Resistance Minstrel.

The music is actually pretty good, but talk about being catchy-preaching to the choir; for example, in The dogs of Tijuana, "the way is hard & long... the dogs are coming home!" -- & an odd Howard Cosell HOWL.

I still feel a little punished by my purchase of "World Wide Rebel Songs." Admittedly, at first, my spirit lifted while listening to the rather clever Cash/Will the Circle be Unbroken (# 6) arrangement, "Speak & make lightning." But I'd had enough marked-down radicalism upon hearing my Man Morello's lyric, "took your pills, but you're out tonight." There's going to be long-cold nights at Occupy Wall Street until Pete Seeger returns.

I bought this because of his support for the public workers in Wisconsin who got shafted by the corporate paid politicians. I put it on my MP3 player and can't stop listening to it while I run. Good stuff. Speaks to the current economic wars being waged against ordinary working people.

As usual for Tom, this is an excellent cd. I am very satisfied. Tom Morello as The Nightwatchman, is an exceptional musician and singer. A must have.

Tom Morello constantly strives to slam notes off the heartstrings of his listeners. He trluy fights for the people he rgrew up with, and the passion and dedication of his work, make it a pleasure to listen.