Customer Reviews

Love Is The Only Soldier

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Love is the Only Soldier" is Jann Arden's finest offering to date. I've been a loyal fan since the debut of her first album, and this album did not dissapoint me - but it's different. There are no traces of inflated, artificial, styrofoam songs written and produced just to be number one hits. This album is (what I believe to be) pure and honest Jann. There is no pretense - the listener is afforded the opportunity to intimatley hear and, in some way, even interact with an incredibly talented singer/song-writer - and one receieves the impression that it's totally on her own terms. Subject Manner, Melody - it all has a raw, relevant, very real feeling. Jann Arden is a national treasure. This CD is fantastic!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Perhaps this is a biased review as I am a die-hard Jann Arden fan. But I guess the reason I like her so much is that she stikes a fine balance between writing hit songs and maintaining her artistic integrity. Her lyrics show a level of sensitivty which is quite profound. And you can be sure, her songs receive a lot of air play here in Halifax. And, ironically, for someone who writes such melancholy tunes, she can be quite funny in concert.
If you Loved Me tells of an insecure Jann's longing for, ...what else... love! Haven't we all been there...to be honest? It's an up beat tune despite its love-out-of-reach lyrics.
Not saying Goodbye sounds like an autobiographical relationship-gone-sour tune. Jann sings beautifully, with wrenching regret from start to finish. Ok, time to reach for the Prozac!
Love is the only Soldier is a ingenius metaphor for a song. It's great poetry for the soul. It's filled with longing for intimacy.
Anna Rebecca is a heart-felt but haunting ballad about a old friend. It's a sad remembering-when tune very well suited to the slow piano droning in the background. It's wonderful and sensitive.
Four Feet Deep quickens the pace, yet is another regret-filled song about tragedy and loss, and about undoing the past.
Only One tells about an obsessive-love-gone-wrong tale. It kinda sounds like it isn't easy being Jann Arden!
When you Left Me is another ballad accompanied by piano. Its lyrics are simple and heart felt yet not filled with crushing despair. Yes, life goes on..even for Jann.
Ruby Red has Jann wailing about unrequitted love, and her ending it. It's a bit on the upbeat side with its electrical guitar arrangment
The Right Road Home expresses a yearning for guidance and goodness. Is Jann talking to God? Is she reaching out to a friend? The message is simple and speaks to our desire for security.
Fighting for the World is the last track on the CD. It is a song about the misery of war created off the battlefield. There is no happy ending, no victory, just waiting.
So there you have it, a whole spectrum of human emotions. She has the courage to sing what is real to her, which is why she should be admired. Life is not all sweetness and light. Jann may not have the mainstream appeal of some artists, but her talent has not gone unnoticed. She'll be around for as long as she wants to make music.

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...

I've loved everything Jann has done, though I must admit the last studio C.D. left me feeling something was missing and I'd heard it all before in some sense (the live album is, I feel, her masterpiece). This time I instantly fell in love with every song, the whole feeling of the album and the wonderful arrangements. I already was in love with Jann (who I can never think of as Miss Arden). Jann soars so far above the standard issue artists and writers. She's original, insightful, blazingly honest, heart-touching, funny, wise and reckless all at the same time. Her beautiful voice and singular style impart an aura of both intimacy and mystery. The packaging here is lavish, too, but in a folksy, homemade way. She can be very, very proud of this accomplishment and I hope it sells a zillion.

Well what more can I say but this is the most amazing cd that I have had the chance to listen to. It's another great one from jann, although I think that it truly is her best because it comes totally from her heart. she had to learn to trust herself and I'm glad she did. I Was quite impressed by the way she chose to lay the entire cd out as a whole. From the envelope like booklet with words and notes from jann, to the individual cards it was all great. As for the music, it's simply the best, relaxing and personal while still making you think. Jann Arden is simply the best canadian artist we have out there in all aspects. Buy this cd and u won't be dissapointed.

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?