About the time I wrote Soldier Of Misfortune I was reading a lot of contemporary novels that had one thing in common: a character who was a total misfit of some kind. These flesh and blood anti-heros were usually fuck-ups in one way or another, or in many ways, but they were at least lovable, and for some odd reason I could relate to their deal. Anyway I thought it might be fun to write a song about such a dude. Things always get a little twisted in his world, but at least he is out there taking risks and trying things. He usually winds up falling for someone or something which will be his demise, but time after time he survives, swearing all the while that is the last time for a woman or experience like the previous, whilst simultaneously setting his radar for the next drama to come down the pike. He is that character always seeking the high seas rather than safe harbor even if his ship has a slow leak. Sound familiar?
My long time co-writer Bryan Kessler and I wrote the groove and chords together on Oahu, and I wrote the melody and lyrics back on Kauai soon thereafter.
About the recording:
On occasion Bryan and I would find time away from our lives as mates to significant others on different islands, and meet on Kauai where I lived, or on Oahu where BK lived, to write and record. Once we got into it we'd go for hours on end, days even. Most of the time I would hop on an Aloha Airlines thirteen seat Twin Otter DeHavilland at the tiny Princeville airport and in twenty-five minutes Bryan would be picking me up at the small terminal at the Honolulu International Airport. My bed would be the living room floor, and you can believe it, I complained plenty. He had a quarter-inch reel to reel Tascam 8-track recorder set up in this miniscule living room in an old house in Makiki. When we recorded BK would usually come up with a cool drum groove - which I have to say was his forte. In this session I sang and played my Steinberger electric, while Bryan engineered and played lead fills and rhythm parts.
I have always loved the way Bri plays on our songs, always managing to find the textures and grooves I resonate with. If you listen closely there are two places where the sound of cars go by during the recording. But it can sound like waves on a beach too if you let yourself go there. What is so fun about this recording is its live energy, no overdubs or any editing. Just pressing record and going for it while sitting down facing each other, tape deck within reach. So we go out of time here and there, no matter, we're not trying for a Grammy here, just get the song on tape and ride a groove. This recording had some serious high end issues due to the nature of whatever cheap mic pres were in the recorder and our unrelenting overdriving the input in sheer musical abandon and disregard for the recording process once the tape was rolling.
Thanks to Stephen Barcard's little mastering mojo on this song we have a much easier track to listen to, minus the overs, and without losing the punch and drive of the instruments.
lyrics
Soldier Of Misfortune
words & music - Allan Thomas
music - Bryan Kessler
They say that in a dark time
The eye begins to see
And at the bottom of the abyss
Comes the voice of salvation
Sometimes I'm so high I'm walking on water
It's like standing at the top of the world
Other times I'm a lost cause
In a jam I'm walking in sand
A soldier of misfortune
People say the way down is the way up
You gotta do it wrong to get it right
Well that's certainly my case
Wrong time right face
Too many miles and Margaritas
Been two-timed double-crossed
It was a sure thing but I lost
I'm a soldier of misfortune
A soldier soldier of misfortune
My friends are a cast of characters
Misfits and renegades one and all
Don't know where they're going
But you can tell where they been
Soldier of misfortune
I'm a ship on the open ocean
Driftin' in the night
No map or radio compass or starlight
Time for a weather-check on my soul
My life's a big fiasco
Gotta get a grip maybe take a trip to Thailand
Hookup with some sweet Mamasan
I'm a soldier of misfortune
A soldier soldier of misfortune
Aloha and welcome to my Bandcamp Music Store home page. Here you can listen to full-length samples of all seven Allan Thomas albums and three singles. Also to be found are credits, photos, stories and lyrics for all songs. Dig in...
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