In the space between Chris Cornell leaving Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine reuniting, Tom Morello released a solo album under the name the Nightwatchman. One Man Revolution, as it's called, is comprised of socially and politically critical acoustic folk songs, some of which were written as early as 2003 (including the first single, "The Road I Must Travel"), when Morello first began performing alone. These are musically simple pieces, borrowing from early Dylan and Springsteen, where two or three strummed chords are all that are needed to properly display the stories told. The melodies, like many folk melodies, are familiar ("Let Freedom Ring" even sounds an awful lot like "Wayfaring Stranger" at times), but Morello's not aiming for intricacy and innovation here. Instead, he's attempting to be, and succeeding at being, to quote Rage, a "Voice for the Voiceless." He's concerned with the circumstances of others, of the downtrodden and the under-represented, of a general uprising of the oppressed, and so his words focus on this, on the characters he creates. His lyrics aren't overly complicated -- simple rhyme-scheme and imagery dominate -- but they're highly detailed and affective because of it. He's not trying to give in-depth commentary on globalization or terrorism; rather, he concentrates on the effects these things have on normal citizens, the factory workers, the young soldiers, the teachers. Morello's is a land of simple metaphors, nearly Manichean, where dark is bad and light is good ("We pray the sun will come up," he sings in "California's Dark," and this sentiment is echoed frequently throughout the rest of the album). But this doesn't mean that he makes everything seem clear-cut, with clean designations between right and wrong. Sometimes, like in "Battle Hymns" and "The Garden of Gethsemane," Morello sings from the perspective of the antagonist, the "reaper, executioner/Hangman, judge, and the law," the man who "saw things [he] should not see." It's not that he's espousing ambiguity -- there's certainly a strong and sure moral compass guiding him here -- but he understands that the darker side exists. Perhaps because of this, this acknowledgement of the gray area, One Man Revolution isn't as full of spitfire and indignation as one might imagine. Yes, Morello can get angry, and yes, he sometimes growls, but he's also compassionate and hopeful and energetic; he's showing off the blue-collar ethic he and many folksingers before him have championed and cherished, advocating for change, and maybe because he isn't screaming, his voice is all the more clearly heard.
Harry started his own musical journey within the last year which means he has moved beyond just listening to what I get him. He was listening to the tried and true Clash and the ever classic Johnny Cash. When Ellyn got back from seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Fall Harry started listening to them a lot. He also got into Rage Against the Machine. We bought him a guitar several months ago...
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Harry started his own musical journey within the last year which means he has moved beyond just listening to what I get him. He was listening to the tried and true Clash and the ever classic Johnny Cash. When Ellyn got back from seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Fall Harry started listening to them a lot. He also got into Rage Against the Machine. We bought him a guitar several months ago...
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This song, "The Road I Must Travel," is off Tom Morello's solo album, One Man Revolution, released under the name, The Nightwatchman.
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Michael Moore's website has a link of the week page and this week it features the video for "he Road I Must Travel" from Tom Morello's solo project, Nightwatchman. You will also find links to preorder his debut album, ONE MAN REVOLUTION, which drops April 24th.go to Michael Moore's website
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Very cool video of "The Road I Must Travel," a song off Tom Morello's solo album, One Man Revolution, which he is releasing under the name The Nightwatchman.
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its time to wakeup 2008 wake up pass the basket lets get weird lets bring back whats never been done stop the back track, *beep* the flashback forget the tie-die, don't pose, 'cause thats dead impose and turn thought to what's said what do you call a country that hates cops put guns in your face and search search your place they cure freedom of speech with tasers and mace where check and balance h
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 "One Man Revolution")
