Album Notes

VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS was created out of the anxiety and disillusionment of Bush's reelection on November 3, 2004. This composition of twenty-six artists transcends music genres and ideologies with the common purpose of dissent towards the havoc and bloodshed cause by Bush and the U.S. military's dominance. This collection of political protest music spans experimental, rock, free-improv, electronic, folk, field recordings, and spoken word. This CD is ultimately a reminder and wake-up call that we can not be silent during these times. Contributions from mJane, Marcos Fernandes, Bonnie Kane, Ray Sage & Mambo Mantis, The Slow Poisoners, Neshama Alma Band, 99 Hooker, Cornelius Cardew Choir, Cheryl E. Leonard, Marina Lazzara, David Slusser, Andre Custodio, United Satanic Apache Front, Ernesto Diaz-Infante, Blaise Siwula, Merlin Coleman, Kate Thompson, Dave Tucker, Jess Rowland, Matt Hannafin, Lance Grabmiller, Dina Emerson, d.elder, Pablo St. Chaos, robert m, Phillip Greenlief, Polly Moller, Aaron Bennett & John Finkbeiner, Stephen Flinn, Famous Last Words. Cover art and drawings by the graphic novelist/cartoonist James Sturm. More info: www.paxrecordings.com

After the election results were in and Kerry asked the American people to get behind Bush, we became highly aware that there may be no stopping this Empire's atrocities. We were even more screwed than we thought. That understanding frightened us and still does. This sense of powerlessness to the Bush regime's primitive tactics is ongoing for many of us. With incredible humility, the artists on this CD have offered their work. Some of it has been edited down. All of it is out of its' usual listening context. Collectively, it is against the grain of traditional music aesthetics. We chose to include every "voice" that was invited and then offered to this composition (more than we expected) with an intention of creating a document of dissent, a plea for peace, and a push against the complacency that can envelop us. Ultimately, this is a reminder to not be silent during these times. --M.S. & ED-I, February 2005, San Francisco, California.

Credits:
Produced by Marjorie Sturm & Ernesto Diaz-Infante
Executive Producers: John Lee, 99 Hooker, Jeff Zittrain
bayimproviser.com, 99hooker.com, famouslastwordsband.com
Edited and mastered by Marjorie Sturm, January 2005
at Next Door to the Jefferson Airplane Studios, San Francisco
Cover art and other drawings by James Sturm cartoonstudies.org
Design by Tohru Kanayama tkanayama@earthlink.net

Part of the profits of this CD are being donated to the War Resisters League.

Lyrics...

THE RED EYED AGENTS OF SATAN HAVE THE UPPER HAND (The Slow Poisoners) Once was an idiot king Who set fire to everything around Burnt it all down Gather round the reconstruction Back room handshake vultures landing There's a fortune in the sand Now that the red eyed agents of Satan have the upper hand Who gave the monkey king his crown Some already six feet under ground Couldn't make a sound The suit is speaking on the hill Waving billion dollar bills to pay Your pennies to the man Now that the red eyed agents of Satan have the upper hand I dreamt I met George Washington He spat on me and said what have you done You foolish son I'm sorry George I'm not the one Responsible for what's become There's trouble in this land Now that the red eyed agents of Satan have the upper hand

SOLDIERS' HEARTS (Marjorie Sturm/Neshama Alma Band) Glory Glory Hallejah The killing don't get me Glory glory Hallelujah The killing don't get me God bless those soldiers with their soldiers' hearts God bless democracry getting a fresh start Fighting isn't easy and with killing no one has won But, yes! We will have elections when the pillaging is done Bush Kerry, it's all the same My life ain't really going to change I've got my gladiator's game My TV My DVD My widescreen My shopping spree Hell, I'll wait and see if we burn out or get blown away Glory Glory Hallelujah The killing don't get me Glory Glory Hallelujah The killing don't get me God bless those soldiers with their soldiers' hearts God bless democracy getting a fresh start

POLITICAL COMPOSITION #1 (Bob Marsh/Cornelius Cardew Choir) Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld Now is the time to bring down the government Blair, Bin Laden, Sharon Now is the time to bring down the government Exxon, Chevron, Shell Now is the time to bring down the government World Trade Organization Now is the time to bring down the government Popes, Bishops, Ayatollahs Now is the time to bring down the government Priests, Rabbis, Emirs Now is the time to bring down the government Our leaders are not leaders Now is the time to bring down the government They push, pull and incite us Now is the time to bring down the government But they do not lead Now is the time to bring down the government Why should we kill each other Now is the time to bring down the government For their power hungry designs Now is the time to bring down the government Let us not remain silent Now is the time to bring down the government Let us become responsible Now is the time to bring down the government Let us stand against them Now is the time to bring down the government The Multi-national enslavers Now is the time to bring down the government Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas, Mid-east Now is the time to bring down the government Blair, Bin Laden, Sharon Now is the time to bring down the government Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld Now is the time to bring down the government Now is the time to bring down the government Now is the time to bring down the government

INTRAOFFICE PSYCHOLOGIES (Marina Lazzara) Ya ready? The world is getting smaller Tomorrow may never come Get ready To stay just where you are now Ya ready? 'Cause I am the President And I am not surprised And I will try to be A god you can confuse for me I am I am I am I am I am I am I am I am I and you are not

CONCEDING BEFORE THE COUNTLESS DREAMS (Aaron LaFleur/Joseph Zitt/Cornelius Cardew Choir) Once in a while the night surrenders its weak heart to the unpaved roads and innocent children, and people flood their homes with an invisible light, as a song splits the sky or lips break under the crush of teeth. Before their feet touch the ground, before the satellites fall into a forgotten space and nervous digits empty, they turn away at the last moment, startled at being so much more than fear demands of the soul, graceful in a graveyard's cold remove - what is this they call back to life? Articulated, pathetic, exhilarating, unreal . . .Wakefulness spreads over the aftermath. A nightmare shakes its head and renews its grit. The sky is not without a bloody countenance. But what is it? they ask. Is this the forest blackened by fire? Is this the blank page staring back at us like a mirror in so many pieces? What do we inherit now when clay no longer speaks?

PERFECTHOOD IS GOING DOWN (Merlin Coleman) Perfect Sunset Perfect phone Perfect cheese Perfect livelihood doorway water livelihood doorway water livelihood doorway water.......dream water water water water.....Perfect house pet Perfect house pet Perfect dream Perfect dream Perfect dream Perfect dream... Perfect moron wife ad campaign picture Perfect moron wife Perfect moron wife moron wife moron wife moron wife... Perfect wet dream wet dream Perfect anti collateral damage unit in waiting to strike the target of insurgents faking death! in the face of perfect christian soldier perfect christian soldier perfect christian soldier (stupid) perfect christian soldier So perfecthood is not so perfect anymore, caught stealing a generation away and we all know a flaccid perfecthood is no perfecthood at all, a flaccid perfecthood is no perfecthood at all Perfecthood is going down down down Perfecthood is going down down down Perfecthood is going down down down down down down...

THE TOLL COUNTING (Marjorie Sturm/Neshama Alma Band) Answer me. Is there an answer out there? Tear drops false props The tanks of a real video game The rules of the religious with no shame I heard that they're dying The letters not replying of suicidal soldier's taking their lives at dusk We weave them into our mind's eye their horror not far behind the frozen street person too far gone for a refill of benzedrine, thorazine, xanax, prozac, and all that Days wander in, slide by The scenery gets more grotesque, gray Think about places to hide . . . who will hide us? who will help them? who will hide us? who will help them? Days wander in, slide by . . .another four years of his smirks and snear The toll counting continuiing defying all reasoning Raise your hand if you would like to speak. Raise your hand if you would like to speak.

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE (Dina Emerson) "Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it Hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods." It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." What I am against is quotas. I am against hard quotas, quotas they basically delineate based upon whatever. However they delineate, quotas, I think vulcanize society. So I don't know how that fits into what everybody else is saying, Their relative positions, But that's my position, but that's my position." Guns don't kill people; Guns are designed and manufactured for the purpose of enabling people to use the guns to kill people."

COLD BLOOD (Polly Moller) Blood they say he shot that unarmed man in cold blood well I've got news for them in war there's no such thing as cold blood YOU try and keep those guidelines in mind there's a pipeline being built to deliver cold blood but there's no cooling off the desert. how dare they defend their country?! don't they know those men across the waves with green ink in their veins are always right? they're drilling down, under heavy guard take a shot in the arm and transfuse that cold blood that's all I have to say except one thing you look pretty good to me but before we get all hot and bothered who did you vote for? you might be one of those 50 million people I never want to know

NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDUALS (Marjorie Sturm/Neshama Alma Band) Violence begets violence I must remember that...Violence begets violence I must remember that Violence begets violence I must remember that Stop fantasizing about a guerilla psycho on the run killing the president just for fun and when he started he couldn't stop like a kid in a candy store he needed the whole gang of Bush cronies (Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Sharon) to drop but violence begets violence I must remember that violence begets violence I must remember that...

BANISH (Famous Last Words) And I dreamed we lost our way And the people couldn't see 'Cause their eyes were closed by the fear that rose from a great catastrophe. And the fear was spread by leaders With an agenda and a plan We were easy marks and they took our hearts We played right into their hands And I dreamed the TV stations And the print and radio Had all lost their voice and their right of choice And were hijacked in the show And the shows were all for war And the lies were piled deep I'm not satisfied if the ones who died Can't revive us from our sleep. In the shadow of the bomb In the shadow of the end They will waste our lives and control the skies And they'll steal this land again. And I dreamed that all the people Were just monsters underneath Lift the face and show there's a skull below That grins life and death for each But I know we gotta choose When I'm looking back at you And my eyes meet yours and our mortal cores Know the meanings that are true And the meanings that are true Will expose the lies and hate We will banish those that we never chose And from this dream awake

©2005 all artists rights reserved.