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JOHN LUDI-HELLS LAUGHTER AND HEAVENS ACHE


MY ATTEMPT AT OBJECTIVITY:

The 2nd best album I have ever made as John Ludi...right there after Rise! It's moody and ethereal at times to be sure, but has a great deal of punch to it when required. My songwriting reached a level of maturity that quite frankly had surprised even myself at times. While still being concerned with the trials and tribulations of the big scary world out there, and the human condition in general, I finally was able to write in an introspective manner that did not scream out angst and slogans. This was recorded on a 8-track reel to reel with very little processing gear around to sweeten it...so I ended up doing the "Goth thing" and dumped lots of reverb all over the place.



THE SONGS:

All Dead Dictators:
A semi-humorous take on the futile and temporal nature of political revolutions and the violence perpetuated by blind adherence to narrow idealism...and you can almost dance to it!

Progress:
A merry little tune about the end of civilization as we know it. It's chorus is almost Husker Du-ish in intensity, but balanced by upper register female harmonies.

Cycles:
Inspired by the book THE FOURTH TURNING, I tried to find a way to lyrically describe the defining character of the last four generations of Americans...did I get it about right? You decide.

The Complacent Song:
A song about someone too caught up in the flow of their own life to care much about the tidal forces that are at work changing his/her world. Basically a song about 99.999999999% of humanity.

Dysfunctional:
Subtitled "The Generation X Love Song", this is a slap at the Culture of Victimhood and sounds the most like what "Alternative" Rock usually sounds like out of all the songs on the full album. I wrote it when I woke up one morning, turned on VH1, and saw two Natalie Imbroglio and Alanis Morrisette videos back to back. I had to respond. I just couldn't...take...it...anymore!!!

Secret Serenade:
A rare love song (usually I have far weirder things on my mind). This has an almost orchestral feel, complete with strings and tympani. Yes it is somewhat maudlin and sappy, but I can't be cynical ALL the time!

Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache:
Spiritual Numbness can effect even the most ardent seeker when one is confronted with the daily assault on our senses and sensibilities that is life in our times. So I wrote a song about it.

Song of Set:
A lyrically abstract little tune about the Great Entropic Principal that we have tended to personify and revile as evil...and no, I am NOT a satanist! Stop asking me about it!

The Clear Light of Day:
An oddly hopeful (at least in the last verse) little tune about the tendency we have had to place the responsibility for our own flawed behavior on a vaguely-defined supernatural entity who may not even exist in the way most of us imagine.

A Late Night Argument With God:
A couple years ago I was faced with the terrible thought that my life's GREAT PURPOSE may not be what I had thought it was...in fact I may not even have anything resembling a GREAT PURPOSE at all. An incredibly daunting notion for one who has lived with a sense of direction and clear goals for most of his life. I almost drove my car into a lake...and I cannot tell you how unusual that sort of behavior is for myself. I wrote this song the next day...while in the bathtub actually.

Kali Yuga:
Certain branches of Hinduism feel that we are currently in the Forth Great Age (or Yuga), the Kali Yuga, the age of forgetting. This age tends to end badly, but a new dawn awaits. We'll see.

Hamtramck:
John Ludi goes country...yeehaaaaa! I recorded this one for Hell's Laughter but did not originally include it as it just didn't fit with the other songs.  It's my Tom Waits song! It's about Hamtramck, an "inburb" of Detroit that I lived in for about 6 years before I left Detroit for Minneapolis. It was/is a squalid and poverty-ridden place that still maintains a weird kind of old world charm. Pretty much all the details are true, except the "Jesus is in the kitchen pouring rum in the stew" bit. I've never run into that particular entity in a church, ironically enough.

 

CREDITS:
I pretty much did everything on this album with the exception of some lovely harmony/background vocals from Jodi J. She also threw on a 2nd acoustic guitar on The Complacent Song. All written, engineered, produced, etc., by moi.

 

LYRICS:

ALL DEAD DICTATORS

Discard your faith in the virtues of civilization, for here lie the bleak rewards of decadence and degradation.

For the few: opulence, for the rest: subjugation to the capricious whims of a dying nation.

All dead dictators extend their apologies, such a tricky notion this thing called morality.

An army of peasants are we, heeding the megalomaniac’s call to build an empire fated only to decline and fall.

How many Stalins will it take until we learn the lessons of history that the wise and dull all spurn?

All dead dictators extend their apologies, for they cannot savor the spoils of victory.

(c) Oh relax, it's ok, everyone's entitled to make a few mistakes

at everyone else's expense.

Just one passionate voice unmoderated by sanity can lead the rabble to unreasoning calamity.

A revolution of fools to conquer other fools like them, (and just wait long enough and it will all start again).

 

PROGRESS

So here we are all standing on the brink

a bible in one hand, in the other a drink

into diversion we joyously sink

cause it’ll be all right as long as we don’t think.

Some of us have some clever things to say,

but on reflection they sound bloodless, pale, and gray.

And why introspect when you’d rather play,

and save convictions for some other day?

(c) These pieces never fit, there’s a message we never get

when it comes right down to it.

It seems we don’t know much at all, it seems we don’t know much at all

So high to climb, so far to fall.

It seems we don’t know much at all.

Our own worst tendencies conspire in our fall

and throw us up against destinies wall.

And from their graves our ancestors call

"Your world is so advanced it doesn’t work at all".

So keep the blindfold on, someone else will steer.

Despite appearances, there’s nothing to fear.

Life is beautiful, our future’s bright and clear,

just ask the Mayans (oh sorry, they’re not here).

 

CYCLES

Witness the numb youths slouching towards tomorrow

with cynical eyes and tattoos by the score,

hardwired for oblivion (if it’s entertaining)

history’s seen many like them buried before.

Despite their pose they don’t have any answers.

Behind them stand the fading flowers of revolution

whose ideals lie like rotting driftwood on the shore

of a world grown bitter and materialistic,

history’s seen many like them buried before.

Despite their dreams they didn’t have any answers.

(C1) No one knows, history makes fools of us all.

We come and go...and what you don’t know can hurt you.

From anonymous shadows peer the sacrificial silent,

with labor and effort they minded the store

that now stands closed due to angst and dysfunction,

history’s seen many like them buried before.

The seeds of good works did not grow into answers.

(C2) No one knows, we have but words after all,

They come and go...and what you don’t know can hurt you.

Gray old soldiers watch with pride and disapproval

and wonder if this is what they fought and died for.

Before them grins the specter of dissolution,

history’s seen many like them buried before.

The battles won didn’t bring any answers.

 

THE COMPLACENT SONG

Open the blinds, tell me, what's that sound? Never mind...pass the wine, I'm to be found

casting about aimlessly as those waves do rise, whistling a happy tune to greet our demise.

For my part I think I'll get something to eat. It would take more than a holocaust to get me to leave my seat.

I'm just another consumer watching Eden turn to hell, so don't ask me to be the one to ask "Hey Nero, what's that smell?"

(c) Who are you calling complacent, haven't I done my fair share?

I don't need to make statements and by the way, I don't care.

I go to work every day, my taxes I pay, so leave me alone and go away.

Close my eyes and go to sleep, it's all the same. Thinking's too hard and I'm too tired and I'm not to blame

for whatever happens, it's the system...it's not me, and I'll be ok as long as I still have my beer and my TV.

 

DYSFUNCTIONAL (THE GENERATION "X" LOVE SONG)

You took away my pride, you damaged me inside (but left me satisfied---but maybe that was only me?)

You dragged me through the mud and drained my veins of blood, but passion it did flood, almost drowning me.

(c) You wasted my time and taxed my troubled mind, now would you be so kind and listen to me whine?

You blackened my skies and told me pointless lies, it’s you I should despise (so why do I think less of me?)

And now I spout clichés like "I’m the mess you made...but I wish you would have stayed", now all I’ve got is pathetic me.

I was dysfunctional, you were dysfunctional, the whole world’s dysfunctional...it should have worked.

I’m not responsible!

 

SECRET SERENADE

Still my beating heart. I know I’m not what you intended,

and I hope you’re not offended by my attentions and my intentions.

For try as I may , I can’t forget you. And try as I may, I still let you in here

(c) where the angels don’t dare

but the devils swear and play their secret serenade

keep my up all night and day dreaming of you.

Still my beating heart. I know there’s a great gulf between us and that sorry Cupid has never seen us

when wistfully I gaze at you and it seems to me you look that way too.

I wish I could just ignore you, but I wish I could implore you into here

(c)

You make me wish I was younger or richer (a presentable picture).

You make me wish I was somewhat less somber and less prone to ponder

a vision as lovely as you, but there’s naught for me to do but dream of you.

And try as I may I still want you in here

(and back and forth I pace)

 

HELL’S LAUGHTER AND HEAVEN’S ACHE

Help me, I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me,

I hear your words but my mind is empty...empty.

My head is filled with the sound of one hand clapping

and I don’t like is and it makes no sense at all.

Tell me, are you someone that I should remember?

Should I greet you with suspicion or be tender...tender?

(c)I’d like to go out and talk with the world,

but I don’t think I’d have very much to say

Know me, you keep saying that you’ve already shown me

the lessons whose points have all disowned me...disowned me

(and left me floating skyward without a tether).

Emptiness is not all it’s cracked up to be.

(c2)And I don’t know if I’m asleep or awake

caught between hell’s laughter and heaven’s ache.

And I leave no footsteps where I walk, so I can’t find my way home,

a ghost in a featureless desert where eternally I roam.

 

SONG OF SET

This form, lying prone, stares skyward. Concrete hell, sullen demon...give him some light.

Floundering here in the abyss, but hardly hopeless. Capsizing ships, burning churches for your sorrow.

When things break down he's to be found.

Well spurned by happy heathens, inert cells. Plastic smiles and plastic signs and plastic purpose.

When parts wear down he's to be found.

(c) He is weary won't you let him go? He is bound here and the earth is his soul.

Call it evil and you'll miss the mark, for we are primitives afraid of the dark

Age of wonder, cruel convenience, needs all satisfied. Tainted waters his broken fingers, instincts die.

Twisted Eden of sterile splendor, drowning in numbers. He's mining cities, graves to sleep in while it all melts away.

 

THE CLEAR LIGHT OF DAY

In our mad pursuit of questionable ends

borne by motivations we refuse to comprehend.

Towards disaster we're conditioned to descend,

barely bolstered by convictions we can't defend.

(c)And the sun comes up every day, we buy and sell and then pray

that god will save us from ourselves.

What is it in our souls that makes us turn away

when the rare voice of reason points the way

out of the caves of fear and prejudice?

What fatal flaw in us instructs us to resist?

While taking everything and all for granted

we've ignored the dark seeds we've planted.

But once the storm begins it never can be stopped,

and once the lid is raised it never can be dropped.

If we stood blinking in the clear light of day,

if conscience and empathy replaced our greed and rage,

what world of beauty would we all be living in?

Could we then love ourselves and forgive ourselves our sins?

 

A LATE NIGHT ARGUMENT WITH GOD

Talk to me, tell me what you want me to be, or unlock the gates and set me free.

Just do something...say something.

You are alone, and I'm the stranger's voice on the telephone. I'm the confidence you'll never own.

I'll do nothing, I'll say nothing.

Speak to me at last, for I've an empty future and a hollow past. I'm a bitter drink in a broken glass.

Just do some thing...say something.

You shall be lost, your ship will be battered and storm-tossed, and I'll never help you no matter the cost.

I'll do nothing, I'll say nothing.

(c) Please give me a sign, I believe I'm losing my mind.

Please make clear my role or release my weary soul.

Don't you need me somehow? Is there no scared vow

I could take here tonight, I could take to make things right?

My soul I'd give to you, just tell me what you want me to do. How can eternity be so cruel?

Just do something...say something.

Your soul I don't need, and I'll not appease your ego's greed no matter how much you cry and plead.

I'll do nothing, I'll say nothing.

 

KALI YUGA

Submerged, playing the opening strains of our own dirge, sinking into an abyss of faith and words, submerged.

But don’t close the coffin yet, even though it’s a fool’s bet that we might wake long enough to see that we’re sleeping.

Patterns, this reoccurring act of failing, this ending up at bad beginnings, patterns.

Some see the start of it while cursing the end of it, yet all have feet of stone climbing the ladder of time.

Time’s hand are choking you, fate’s plans a joke on you, while you live to let live, tripping on gifts that you cannot give.

Forget, losing the reason why we built this empire of science and illusions and defects, forget.

We all are chained to it, our souls are owned by it, losing the questions as well as the answers.

 

 

REVIEWS:

(Preamble-Ah, now here is an interesting concept: an artist who not only will publish almost any review he receives on his own site, but will even go so far as to critique the critiques. What bravery! What guts! What verve! What a load of...(mumble)...

And here is the semi-relevant preamble:

I have taken quite a bit of flak for my negativity in some of the reviews below and justifiably so. However, I think it is of importance to distinguish between two different types of negativity.

There seems to be "acceptable negativity" and "unacceptable negativity". The image of some baggy pants-wearing thug screaming "I'm a kill you motherf***er" over a tedious hip-hop beat seems to be in the range of "acceptable negativity", but my intellectual screeds against the common culture that worships this kind of rubbish get me into ALL KINDS of trouble.

Well, well, well...I guess I was born to rock all the wrong boats...

Now I certainly do not mean to cast aspersions on any of the writers below, many of whom are obviously thinking people in my opinion, but I do think that there is a double standard in Rock Music that is very interesting when you pick it apart and look at it closely...which I challenge all of you reading this to do.

One of my favorite drummers, Chris Cutler (formerly of Henry Cow and the Art Bears), once wrote something like "Rock music is the medium where revolt is transformed into mere rebellion". How incredibly true a statement. The mindless bad boy has always been an image that the masses are eager to buy into. That is why Elvis Presley became a God and Eddie Cochran became a footnote...and that is why the crap that the major labels dish out to the "little people" is such vapid crud. You are given a choice of insipid piffle or wanton rage...but neither choice will ever inspire you to THINK! And that is what the Powers That Be want: mindless consumers and mindless soldiers. (All of which would not trouble me too much if the upshot was not the destruction of the planet, either by Man's incessant need to kill each other, or by the slow poisoning of the Earth by Man's other incessant need: To buy lots of worthless crap that will NEVER MAKE YOU HAPPY NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF IT YOU OWN!!!)

So my negativity is not the hip and cool kind so favored by the media and the People Who Want To Sell You Things. My negativity is that of the (somewhat) aware individual who looks at the world as it is today and recoils in horror at what he sees: a collective madness. Gurdjieff was right when he said that the majority of people are asleep. In my eyes the past several thousand years of our history has been a mistake. The calamitous materialism and greed of our present era is merely the logical conclusion of a philosophical history based upon assumptions that, whether true or false, are potentially devastating in their outcome. (We can thank Aristotle for this, amongst others.) A philosophy that sees no link between self and other, no vital underlying connection that lends credence to the edict: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" can only result in a culture which believes that the temporal temptations of wealth and power are the only worthy pursuit available. This rapacious and soulless consumption of the world and of each other can only lead to our extinction...sooner or later.

But of course I'm just being negative...go back to sleep and buy lots of shiny toys. Buy a whole fleet of SUVs. Cut down a forest's worth of trees to build another subdivision. Pretend (like the majority of Republicans out there) that Global Warming is not happening (but move out of that condo on the coastline just in case.)

Oh yes, I almost forgot: Heed the call of your Selfish Gene. Multiply 'til you have filled the earth with starving children and destroyed our planet's biodiversity. Multiply 'til you no longer can find potable water to drink. Ignore the lessons from nature that illustrate just what occurs when a species becomes too numerous for it's biosphere's carrying capacity. Go ahead...see what happens...

("Dude...like...this guy is just so...like...uncool...and s**t. All his dissin has got me dep...depres...uh...duh...bummed out. Got any more beer? Let's watch wrestling...")

On that note, here are John Ludi's THREE STEPS TO A BETTER WORLD. Are you ready for this? OK, here they are, take notes if you want to:

  1. Stop buying things you really don't need. THINK about what you are about to purchase and whether or not it will REALLY make your life better by owning it. Do you REALLY need a brand new car every year? Will your life just totally suck without it?

  2. Stop breeding! Or at the very least, ASK YOURSELF if having a child is the right thing to do and if you are capable of raising that child with a functioning value system. Are you having a child just because you are a monkey and that is what monkeys do, or because you have specific lessons you want to teach and that you think that your child's inclusion on this planet will be a net positive? Having a child should take more consideration than what pair of shoes you want to wear that day.

  3. Meditate! Pray! Take the inner journey! Evolve! Read! Communicate with the depths of your own soul! Seek enlightenment! Turn at least partially away from your 100% focus on the here and now and realize how vast the universe is. Stop endlessly pushing the pleasure button!

And it would probably help if you all stopped eating so much damn meat! End of preamble.)

NewMusicToday:

John Ludi: here's a guy that definitely falls outside of the 'traditional' music industry. His disc Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache is a CD-R with B&W xeroxed jewelcase inserts, and his presskit manifesto practically dares you to dislike his music, polarizing the audience into those who support mainstream culture (characterized by him as Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Snoop Dogg, Britney, and N'Sync) and those few brave souls who are into 'intelligent' work. Hmm...a bit glib, and like most categorizations incomplete--I enjoy Eminem's albums, hate Bizkit (what little I've heard), like Snoop's voice and style but only enjoy his work with Dre, and wish Britney and N'Sync nothing but pain (just so you know where I stand, John). I don't even know what his name is, since he's used several over the years as detailed on his website, and I don't know which if any are his real name. Regardless, his music is all that's really relevant here, and the focus of Ludi's music is his voice and his lyrics, both of which are often impressive. The arrangements are the weak point, too often relying on tedious drum machines which are mixed too high and weakening his voice with too much reverb, but if the focus could be redirected to highlight the vocals and words (clarified with more subtle effects processing) I think more would get the point. Those looking for touchstones, well, there's just not a whole lot out there that sounds like this, which I think is Ludi's point with his anti-mainstream statement, but what comes to my mind is Peter Murphy singing a set of tunes written by Andy Partridge from XTC, or fellow Chicago-area studio auteur Daver.

Ludi's comments:

Aiding & Abetting:

So I'm listening to this, and my immediate thought is: Damn, this sounds like Tim Elder! A combination of both the voice and the programming style of the drum machines. So I go up on JohnLudi.com and discover, indeed, this this is Tim Elder. Or, more accurately, Tim Elder is John Ludi. Well, I think his real name is something else again, but we'll stick with Ludi for now.

For those who missed my 1995 review of his Fashionable Angry disc, Ludi's voice is reminsicent of Peter Murphy, but with a rootsy thing going on. The music has progressed from the Minneapolis rock sound (as Ludi himself has moved from Minnesota to Chicago) to a more basic modern rock feel, but the writing is just as solid.

And that's what Ludi does well. He writes great songs. He's not the world's greatest singer (though his voice is interesting), and his drum machine still sounds like it's popping out of joint every once in a while. But the quality of the songs themselves is quite apparent. There's a depth and soul that most people miss.

I was bummed a couple years back when I noticed that Elder (okay, Ludi) had "closed" his Tim Elder personality (that's how he put it). Hey, as long as the music keeps coming, we're cool.

Ludi's Comments:

Indie Spotlight @ N-Zone Magazine:

The worse thing about this cd is the intro paper that came with it. John is too negative, too hard on himself. However, his view of the music biz as a vulture-infested, $ over art society is right on. 'A citizenry reduced to a level of unquestioning consumerism who have just enough intelligence to order a pizza and buy shoes with lights embedded in them.' That's who doesn't buy his music. Anyone who uses the word citizenry in a sentence Must know something!

He knows how to write songs. Right now I'm listening to the title song, and it's got some dark, swinging, drummed Bowie in there, as John speaks from behind the lights. A mixture of confidence and political restlessness dots this man's works, as can be illustrated in the opening 'All Dead Dictators'. With synth and strumming guitar somewhere in the next block keeping company with the vocals, a surreal world is slowly created, turning and turning upon itself. 'discard your faith in the virtues of civilization, for here lie the bleak rewards of decadence and degradation / for the few: opulence, for the rest: subjugation to the capricious whims of a dying nation.' Heavy, heady stuff, but nothing you can disagree with, and the music will interest whatever your mind is too lazy to enjoy.

Ludi's Comments:

The Global Muse:

I opened up this package to find a letter from John ranting about the decline of music his attack on the uninspired music critics who have little if any passion for real music. I sat there with a half smile, half shocked look on my face for a second. Then I said to myself, "I gotta hear this shit." To my surprise, John Ludi presented a professional sound with distinctive originality and a spice of intelligence that is very hard to find in any genre of modern music. Not only was I impressed by the man, I was impressed by the music that he created. In an Americana kind of Neil Diamond sort of way, John delivers the most passionate music available. The songwriting on this album is superb and the vocals present a certain something that can't be described, but the allure is very evident. This is music for the rest of us. For those who are longing for a style of music that can easily be related to and don't insult our intelligence. The beauty of the John Ludi sound is something to be impressed with, but more than that, it's something to be treasured.

Ludi's Comments:

ChicagoMusicScene:

John Ludi is angry. Angry at the world and the way life has turned out. But he takes this frustration and annoyance and channels effectively into the 11 tracks on "Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache." Even before you listen to it, you can tell by the song titles that John is someone who has something that he has to get off his chest. Song titles like "The Complacent Song," "Dysfunctional," and "A Late Night Argument With God" let the listener know that this album is not hormone rock.

And John doesn't let you down. He pounds away at society in song after song. On the song "Progress," he tries to wake the listener up with lyrics like: Life is beautiful, our future's bright and clear, just ask the Mayans (oh sorry, they're not here).

The recurring theme is easily pessimism. Although it is tinged with a tad bit of hope, it's kind of an afterthought. Through the lyrics, the listener pretty much gets the sense that John has given up and is just biding his time.

Although he's given up on the world, John Ludi has not given up on his music. And it shows. He's a talented player who does pretty much everything on the album. The thing about the album that really grabs the listener is the contrast provided by the dichotomy of the relatively upbeat pop rock music and the fatalistic lyrics. This album won't change the world, but it's something to listen to while you consider what you can do to improve society.

(Nutshell Review): A solid album that questions just about everything in the world and tries to force the listener to do the same.

Ludi's Comments:

Splendid E-Zine

The formal lyrics behind John Ludi's songs ("Just one passionate voice unmoderated by sanity can lead the rabble to unreasoning calamity") tell a lot about what to expect from this CD. Here, you get a guy who loves polysyllabic words and the tone of the Book of Revelation, and who likes to lay both passions on thick through his music. While many have felt that the simplest lines were able to convey the most emotion, John writes and sings for those who feel that words like "patristic" could have improved the song "Be My Baby". Here, I disagree with his aesthetics, but nonetheless enjoy "All Dead Dictators". The melody is nice and catchy, with tasteful keyboards whirling through it, and his voice is occasionally reminiscent of early Elton John. The choruses remain pretty good throughout the album, particularly on "Cycles" and the guitar-driven "Dysfunctional", but there are a couple of songs that are beyond saving after thirty seconds. The melody behind "The Complacent Song" suffers from complacency -- even the interesting but overly-prolific Rottcod Zzaj wouldn't have been content with this plodding piece -- and "A Late Night Argument With God" finds God dozing off before the first line gets out of John's mouth. A very decent EP could be culled from this, but Mr. Ludi seems to appreciate his thoughts too much. As such, he doesn't seem able to discard or edit lines ("Your soul I don't need, and I'll not appease your ego's greed no matter how much you cry and plead") that, on a musical level, would not succeed in the hands of any artist.

Ludi's Comments:

(Disclaimer: This review appears on a site that also markets my CD...John Ludi: "Changing ShameLESS self-promotion to ShameBASED self-promotion".)

IndepenDisc

John Ludi is a total DIY Artist/Songwriter who is an amazing master of studio wizardry a la` Todd Rundgren. His writing, playing and production of this whole disc (not to mention manufacturing and packaging) is nothing short of phenomenal.
The depths of Ludi's intelligent, insightful, thinking man's lyrics, with the type of biting cynicism needed to spark the mind as well as the soul, mixed with a far reaching and ever expanding knowledge of musical territory that can be identified with on several levels of sub/consciousness are defied by arrangements and hooks a plenty, all delivered with a Bowie-esque charm that immediately captures you as the songs take on the weighty issues of life, death and existence in the fragile world of human beings and our own minds.
Need to find out more? A quick visit to John's web site provides you with the means to explore the inner and outer recesses for years to come. Some think of him as;
an enigma of esoteric essentialism, or a disciple of faith, or a prophet of fate, or none of the above, or all of the above,
where as I consider him a thinking man's artist....
John Ludi opens 'Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache' with: 'All Dead Dictators';
"Discard your faith in the virtues of civilization,
for here lie the bleak rewards of decadence and degradation.
For the few, opulence, for the rest, subjugation (to the capricious whims of a dying nation)."
and closes it with: 'Kali Yuga';
"Time's hands are choking you, fate's plans a joke on you,
while you live to let live, tripping on gifts that you cannot give.
Forget, losing the reason why we build this empire of science and illusions and defects, forget.
We all are chained to it, our souls are owned by it, losing the questions as well as the answers."
In-between he squeaks in other subjects such as; a punk back hand to the face of the Alternative/Grunge whiners with 'Dysfunctional', and even a love song 'Secret Serenade' that just blew me out of the water with the intensity of this mans longing -- chilling in a way those who have walked that road would be all too familiar with.
I conclude with another line taken from the title track:
"And I don't know if I'm asleep or awake caught between hell's laughter and heaven's ache."

Ludi's Comments:

Demo Universe

Rock philosopher, historian and paranormalist John Ludi (a/k/a Tim Elder, Tim Eldair and Tim Zu***ski among other aliases) casts a jaundiced eye on contemporary society in this erudite, melodic set of unusually intelligent modern rock. Ludi hates being compared to Peter Murphy, but the vocal similarity is inescapable, so too the cinematic sweep of his arrangements. (To be clear, lest I be accused on pinning an unwanted Goth tag on Ludi, it's Murphy's post-Bauhaus work that comes to mind, in particular 1988's Love Hysteria. And you know, they've both been known to quote Gurdjieff. How about I just compare them both to Berlin-era Bowie and get on with it?) On the other hand, he appreciates being compared to Neil Diamond and Elton John (I know this because Ludi reviews his reviewers on his Web site; can't wait to learn what he thinks of this one) so go figure. In any event, this is a very enjoyable solo effort that makes the most of a limited budget; unlike other reviewers, I think he makes excellent use of a drum machine. Like many intellectuals, Ludi can be condescending and verbose at times, but his sour view of humanity is leavened by gorgeous melodies and passionate performances. Belying his stated contempt for the recording industry and pessimistic forecast for his own success, Hell's Laughter is more commercial than Ludi may be willing to admit -- or allow.

Ludi's Comments:

State of the Rock World

The letter that came with John Ludi's promo package is like nothing I've read from a musician before. He almost dares you to write a nasty review, claiming most reviewers cut up indie band in order to praise the "corporate money-hungry suits" and their army of clone bands. Well I can somewhat agree that the majority of indie bands are far better than the crap that's fed to us on mainstream radio and TV, but to cut up reviewers when they are important to you is ballsy.

I like this guy.

Most if not all of the instruments as well as production are done by the John himself and it shows. It's not a flawless disc, but the music contained on it is worth your time. Intelligent songs are mixed with tight instrumentation creating a CD that I'd like to see more mainstream. But then if he was mainstream, wouldn't that make him one of the people he likes to cut up? Regardless, I'd have to take John's side in the argument.

"Hell's Laughter & Heaven's Ache" is a CD that deserves a chance, but most likely with today's musical climate, might sell a few dozen copies.

John Ludi is definitely a musician. Give him a chance. I'm glad I did.

Ludi's Comments:

INDIEcator

This guy really knows how to sell himself to the indie crowd - in his one page rant-instead-of-press-kit letter he slams just about everything (including those nifty light up shoes I had in junior high). I had no clue what to expect. And guess what, this really doesn't suck. After listening to so many things (like radio) that tend to suck, this doesn't. In fact, this is excellent, intellegent songwriting, and so far I haven't heard a song on here that shouldn't be getting massive airplay. The lyrics are great, the musicianship is great, and the hooks are there and apparent. Probably my favorite track would be 'Progress' - no specific reason, I just end up listening to that one more than the others. In a world where Shaun Mullins can have a hit record, why the heck can't this guy? If you'd like to hear a great rock album by a gifted singer songwriter, get this now. Please.

Ludi's Comments:

MusicEmissions

Seems as though Mr. Ludi has lost all his faith in the music world and all involved. His tear sheet that comes with the cd more or less declares that he doesn't want any fame or fortune out of music. Only to make a living. It's too bad because if this was to be taken into a proper studio, as opposed to being recorded at home, and tweaked properly, Ludi's vocals and great songwriting would be exposed and supported properly. His has a voice that rivals David Bowie at the best of times. The album sound a bit gothic at times but I don't think that it was done on purpose. The production is more to blame for that. This album would have fit nicely in the early 90's scene, pre-grunge. It's amazing that with as much negative energy as John Ludi puts into writing about the music industry how postitive the final result, disregarding some of the lyrics, is very refreshing and a fine example of what the rest of the music industry is missing out on. So my final words for John are "Buck up little buddy. Your music reaches the hearts of many.".

Ludi's Comments:

DemoRama

Produced and well-written by an accomplished and obviously experienced musician, John Ludi draws his material from the late 60s and 70s pop culture. In the song "Secret Serenade," the lyrics here -- just like the build of the music -- give no release. The definition of the music is punctuated well with superb strings and bass drum. The words, however, are at odds -- and yet this is perfect for what I believe Mr. Ludi is trying to convey. Again the strings in "All Dead Dictators" give a richness to this Bowiesque tune. "Progress" has a Beetles refrain hidden deep. Many of the songs have a Mamas and Papas feel to them. Overall -- Mr. Ludi well done! Also, your biography was exquisite. This release made us, and some of the others who heard this CD, fall in love with you.

Ludi's Comments:

MuzikMan

(MuzikMan's reviews also appear in The Global Muse and Music Dish.)

When I received John Ludi's CD it came with a short letter that started with this statement: "What no press kit? No photos?, No bio?, nope... none of that rubbish." Just by reading that statement, I decided that I liked this guy. He has attitude and a no frills approach. It's a take it or leave it attitude. As a reviewer, that is my attitude as well. I have to really like the music I am listening to or it ends up in the trash, it's as simple as that. I cannot write about music if it doesn't inspire me in some way.

I imagine Ludi must feel the same way about his music...he must be inspired and changed after recording a song, if not, he probably starts all over again. After listening to this CD, I feel that this sincere and forthright individual has a musical message that everyone should listen to. Not only is the music good, the lyrics are carefully well thought out passages from a person that has obviously experienced life by traveling down many different roads (I can personally relate).

Ludi's voice has a distinct resemblance to David Bowie's during his Space Oddity phase. That fact alone instantly appealed to me, as Bowie has always been one of my favorite artists. What's an amazing credit to Ludi is that he plays nearly every instrument on the CD, and w ith very little assistance in every aspect of producing the entire project.

John comments that he is out of the loop. I beg to differ. John, you are in the loop my friend (just a different one), you're one of those courageous individuals that believe that they don't need to be dishonest or go with the flow to have their voices heard. I applaud you Mr. Ludi. Your approach to your life and music are unique and greatly appreciated and admired by this writer.

This CD is a rock-pop-alternative soundtrack to life. Give it a good listen; there will surely be something you can connect to. As you are tapping your feet, and taking in all the auditory pleasures that this outing has to offer, you will find everything that I have said to be entirely true.

Ludi's Comments:

Acid Attack Music

Hmmm got a bit of a dilemma here, the sheet that goes with this release chronicles the artists disillusionment with the state of the current music scene and the ongoing struggle that artists have with record companies and their globe dominating tactics. He makes valid and lucid comments about the relentless advance of consumerism and its threat to artistic choice and expression. So fired with these words of truth (and john, I do agree with the vast majority of what you have written) I put the c.d. on…hmmm there lies my problem you see. Whilst I was fired up by the words the c.d. contents didn't light a spark in me. To make matters worse Jon Ludi even predicted this in the press release I'm not however going to make sniping remarks about his music. John obviously has his heart and his brains in the right place and if this review makes me part of the global low standard of rock criticism then so be it! I would urge you to visit Johns web site and make your own minds up about his music. I know that this is a cop out in a web site that is supposed to review things but I feel it's the fairest thing to do.

Ludi's Comments:

seven five 0

11 songs 50 minutes 24 seconds. yeah, fifty minutes. honestly man, what the hell is this? was music like this ever popular, and if it was, why? "i go to work every day, my taxes are paid, so leave me alone and go away"...great lyrics john. this guy really knows how to inspire. boo

Ludi's Comments:

Opus

At times, I'm reminded of David E. Williams, minus the morose and grotesque characters that populated his songs. However, the wit is still there, a dark wit that's part satire and part commentary. Ludi, however, is less obtuse than Williams. His lyrics are consistently concerned with modern society, in all of its bleak failings. It's not a political commentary or rhetoric. No, we'll save that for the Zack De La Rocha's and Chuck D's of the world. Ludi's commentary is far more, dare I say, esoteric and spiritual than that. Or, as Ludi says in his own words, "a Don Quixote-like crusade against the dumbing-down of our culture".

At times, it does get a little tedious. One can only take so much righteous indignation at the failure of modern culture before it gets a little preachy. But Ludi does have a point. And he's certainly a verbose fellow. You'll know that from the first words of the album: "Discard your faith in the virtues of civilization, for here lie the bleak rewards of decadence and degradation/For the few: opulence, for the rest: subjugation to the capricious whims of a dying nation" ("All Dead Dictators"). Ludi certainly sets a high bar for himself; it's not easy to support an album full of such statements, but Ludi pulls it off fairly well. And when he moves awy from social ponderings to the age-old love song, it's not something that you hear every day: "For try as I may, I can't forget you/And try as I may, I still let you in here where/the angels don't dare/but the devils swear/and play their secret serenade/keep me up all night and day dreaming of you" ("Secret Serenade").

I feel compelled to try and comment on many of the songs here, because I honestly don't find too many artists whose lyrics are interesting enough to merit it. At times, his lyrics get too self-absorbed and, as I said before, preachy to take seriously, especially early on in the album. But the fact that he's willing to strive so high, and not use easy subject matter for his songs has merit in and of itself. I don't know of too many artists who would refer to Zen koans ("Hell's Laughter And Heaven's Ache") and follow it up with a very honest "Late Night Argument With God" (which, in its bluntness, reminds me of many of the Psalms).

One song I found interesting, from a theological viewpoint, is "Song Of Set", with an interesting image of Lucifer (or Set, or in Ludi's words, the "Great Entropic Principal that we have tended to personify and revile as evil"). Some individuals I know might even label it a "satanic" song, but that's too simple an explanation. Much of Ludi's songwriting seems concerned with man preoccupied with what Ludi feels are dead systems, be they political, social, or religious. This comes to the forefront on "The Clear Light Of Day"; in Ludi's own words, it's a "tune about the tendency we have had to place the responsibility for our own flawed behavior on a vaguely-defined supernatural entity who may not even exist."

I'm still pondering some the lyrics on this album. I don't share many of Ludi's viewpoints (given my beliefs), but I'm always appreciative of lyrics that display intelligence and thought. While perusing his website, especially his Recommended Reading section, one sees the wide range of literary influences on Ludi's music; Gnosticism, Zen Buddhism, paganism, and the paranormal. It makes for an interesting melange that thankfully doesn't come close to New Age quackery or righteous propaganda.

So what about the music? The Sisters Of Mercy leap to mind, as do more recent purveyors of the darkwave crop like Lycia, and maybe even darker synth-pop like Human Condition. There's even a bit of new wave a la Tears For Fears thrown in there. But it's still rough around the edges. The programmed drums get a little tiresome after awhile, and the production values of the recording are a little lacking. If Ludi stripped down his sound more, I think he'd come quite close to Death In June, Sol Invictus, Fire And Ice, and whatnot. Conversely, a few more orchestral flourishes might find him facing comparisons to the likes of David Sylvian.

It's easy to see Ludi's writings as a tad pedantic. Who doesn't know that modern society is seriously effed up? One look at Fox's upcoming programming schedule will tell you that. Reading the press sheet he sent, it seemed like he's got a bit of aggression to work out (much of it was a rant against the modern entertainment industry, mega-corporations, and whatnot). But listening to the CD over and over, you have admire his guts. If not for his social stances, then at least for setting a high bar for himself personally. He may not always reach it, but it does pique my curiosity as to what the next release holds.

Ludi's Comments:

  • David E. Williams? Not familiar...I'll make a note to check him out.

  • Much of my prior work was of a decidedly political bent. I was a LOT more engaged in temporal politics in my youth. It took many years of soul-searching and studying history to make me realize that "I have seen the enemy and they is us". The reason why some people feel that my targets are not direct and obvious is simply because my targets are not direct or obvious...y'see. It's human nature and our own tendencies that I am (in many of my songs, at least) writing about.

  • "At times, it does get a little tedious. One can only take so much righteous indignation at the failure of modern culture before it gets a little preachy." Oh well. I hate to be flippant, but tooooooo baaaaaaad! My songs are meant to be challenging on several different levels...but perhaps not to everyone. And futher, if the messages in the songs are those that an intelligent fellow like yourself has heard before, keep in mind that I did not tailor the album to you...or to anyone in particular, in fact. I write what I write because I feel the need to write it...and what I have to say is likely to be news to SOMEBODY who needs to hear it. The one thing that seems to be missing from our culture is the element of honest self-scrutiny. If my pedantic little screeds cause someone to look just a little bit deeper into the origin of their own motivations than I really don't care if some people think that I'm pompous and that my lyrics are preachy. So be it.

  • Close to the mark on Song of Set. Simply put, it has a lot to do with the way we tend to look at misfortune as a manifestation of evil. There are more levels to it then that, but that is the basic premise. As for as it being "satanic", it is not, nor am I...I am a Christian, but one who is informed by a great many other teachings. As far as the notion of "dead systems" is concerned, you hit that particular nail on the head quite nicely. (Addendum: I have been asked several times about the "Christian thing", so I thought I should clarify it a bit as that term tends to conjure up images of evil bible-thumping morons like Pat Robertson or paternalistic power-mongers hypocritically dictating morality to the world while doing nasty things to little boys. My "path", if it can be said to resemble one, is more or less that of the esoteric Christian...sort of like Gnosticism without some of the more aggressive absolutisms that some Gnostics embrace. I use Christ's teachings, as well as that of a great many others, such as the Buddha, as a vehicle for moral development and spiritual progression...not as the spritual cop out that most people seem to be into. My vision of Christ is a LOT more complex than what I have found most peoples to be. Hope that clarifies things a bit...)

  • Thanks for a very intelligently written review, but as for as the "setting a high bar for himself " thing is concerned I should say that, yes, I do have standards, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that I set some kind of bar for myself and my music. I just do what I do and say what I say and call things as I see them. If there are any other expectations of myself and my music out there I am not the one who made them. I am not trying in any way to set myself up on some kind of pedestal...and if anyone else does they can rest assured that I'm bound to disappoint them someday.

Delusions of Adequacy

Throwing complaints at the dartboard of life, John Ludi’s Hell’s Laughter and Heaven’s Ache is the brand of intensely brooding singer-songwriter album that does what it can to smash illusions and shake belief systems. Ludi, formerly known under the aliases of Tim Elder, Tim Eldair, and Tim Zu***ski, seems to know the uphill battle he’s against, making a point to mourn the loss of quality and intelligence in both music and American culture in his press release. And he’s right. In what is probably the most relentless indictment of modern life since John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, Ludi uses 11 songs to present a convincing case against the complacency and apathy of modern man. Knowing that the door to commercial success is probably forever closed to him, he takes the unconventional route of actually making those who’ll never buy his albums the targets of his songs.

Employing a variety of synth textures, drum machines, and acoustic and electric guitars, Ludi crafts a good pop song. That’s not to say that you’ll find yourself tapping along or wake up humming most of these songs, but I don’t think that’s really the point. Plus, it’s really kind of hard to hum along to lines like “what is it in our souls that makes us turn away when the voice of reason points the way?” And while not long on variation, there is little doubt that Ludi is leaving a good deal of himself in his songwriting. Occasionally lush, mostly stark, and rarely overly cluttered, Ludi’s music can draw reasonable comparisons to David Bowie or Peter Murphy by virtue of his very strong vocals. And he has to own a strong voice to carry the psychic weight of the words in his songs.

Pretty much the entire modern world is open for attack, bluntly weaving into the synth pop of “Progress,” “your world is so advanced it doesn’t work at all.” In other tracks, such as “Cycles,” Ludi is apt to warn: “no one knows history makes fools of us all. We come and go, what you don’t know can hurt you.” Still, Ludi’s mantra is the complacency of man, almost humorously spinning lines like “it would take more than a Holocaust to get me out of my seat” or exercising ghosts of past dictators with “oh relax, it’s O.K., everyone is entitled to a few mistakes at everyone else’s expense.” No doubt, Ludi’s strength lies in how clearly he can get his gripes across, as lyrics like “you dragged me through the mud and drained my veins of my blood,” lose little to ambiguity.

Ultimately, however, Ludi’s message is kind of vague. You certainly get the point that modern life is plagued by stupidity and laziness, and the point is a valid one. But you never really get exactly what Ludi is railing against. Complacency and apathy are pretty broad concepts and rather easy targets as well. Now that we’ve jumped off the couch and are ready for action, where do we go? Let’s face it, modern Americans live like royalty compared to 95 percent of the people who ever walked on planet earth, so this is a message that isn’t likely to find too many eager ears. That message is all the more doomed when it’s unclear what Ludi is protesting, which probably ensures that no one will become too offended just as much as it ensures no one will get too motivated. Overall, every one of Ludi’s darts are direct hits, but closer examination of the board reveals that there really aren’t any scores to tally. That being said, there is a general level of artistry here that ensures that Hell’s Laughter and Heaven’s Ache isn’t a difficult repeated listen.

Ludi's Comments:

  • First of all, I love the name. Delusions of Adequacy is one of the best titles out there for a site devoted to music.
  • "he takes the unconventional route of actually making those who’ll never buy his albums the targets of his songs." Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! I never really thought about it that way, but that's hilarious!
  • Perhaps I should just change my stage name to Peter Bowie and be done with it! Thanks for the overall complementary tone though.
  • "almost humorously"? Actually you might be surprised at just how much humor there is in the lyrics...at least 3 or 4 of the songs actively cracked me up as I was writing them. Other people take me and what I do a bit more seriously than I take myself, quite honestly. For instance, the song you quoted above, Dysfunctional, is basically a joke. I wrote it as a spoof of all the "I'm a victim...give me something" type whining that passes for lyrics in the grunge/post-grunge/surburban rap-rock era.
  • As with the reviewer in Opus, I kind of think that you may have missed the point (though like that other reviewer I do admire the overall quality of your review). The message IS vague if you feel that all I'm doing is griping about life. That really is not the goal though. Certainly some of what I do can be correctly construed as dart-throwing, but my overall intent is to goad people into thinking for themselves. There it is, the secret is out: I'm just trying to encourage people to THINK. THINK while you still can! THINK while at least PART of your mind has not been nullified by television and a tidal wave of materialistic crap! So that's what I'm about...it's pretty obvious now that you've THOUGHT about it, eh?

Muscene

If you have never had an inkling what music could be like if everyone decided to give up their pretense and just created what they felt, what they wanted and what they endeavored then listen to John Ludi’s “Hell’s Laughter and Heaven’s Ache.” There is a strong sense of pride and self determination in Ludi’s music, basically because he doesn’t try to make his music for the masses. He does take aim at the greater society in “All Dead Dictators” and “The Complacent Song.”

The greatest strength in “Hell’s Laughter...” is that Ludi doesn’t try to sound like the current pop or “popular” rock that is widely available. Indie music is supposed to have a unique sound, an underground feel that isn’t quite represented by the masses. Ludi does a good job of skillfully presenting thoughtful music.

This is music created out of love for music, not just for the money behind it. There are palatable, conscious thoughts in the lyrics, actual insights that will stick with you.

Ludi's Comments:

  • Thanks, that was rather the point of the whole thing in a lot of ways: just writing songs that I wanted to hear. Of all the myriad projects I've done in the past, this album comes the closest to realizing the notion of making music without commercial concerns. Not that I've been all that commercial in the past, but I used to try to target my creations towards certain audience segments in the vague hope that I'd somehow sell a bunch of records without either becoming part of the machine or touring constantly. That does not work, I've found.

  • It would be hard for me to sound like what is out there now without getting a lobotomy. Sadly, it seems that people stop looking for new music once they are older than about 25...and the people who are younger than that (with a few exceptions) give me little hope that creativity will ever return to rock music. Kids these days are reeeeaaaaaallllly dumb!

  • Thank you for this review!

Lazy-i

Ludi has to be targeting all of those MTV 120 Minutes watchers from the late-'80s and early '90s. His highly textured, smooth-synth pop owes everything to Peter Murphy, Bowie and a handful of British low-synthpop outfits -- an era of artists that I happen to love. You'd never know it was a home recording, except that levels seem weak and I'm not crazy about the overall mix, which is a bit mushy. If Ludi ever gets signed, he might want to consider rerecording and rereleasing this. Standouts: "Dysfunctional" Sonically, very tuneful, much better than Bowie's or Murphy's output over the last decade.

Ludi's Comments:

  • Nope, no targeting. No focus groups, demographic studies, or blind taste comparisons involved.
  • Actually, one big reason the CD sounds as it does IS the fact that it's a home recording: our old friend reverb. Lots of reverb. Can't achieve digital clarity? Use reverb! Crappy mics? Use reverb!
  • If I get signed it'll be by a contract chasing me down the street as I run the other way! Sure, I would love to take a bunch of my songs and give them the big studio treatment with a full band, but it's not really worth signing the rights to my own work away to a bunch of corrupt bean-counting music industry turds.
  • Thanks!

mwe3.com

Chicago-based singer-songwriter John Ludi takes no prisoners on his latest solo effort. A mainstay of the Chicago music scene for quite a while, Ludi rants and raves about all pertinent social matters on songs like "All Dead Dictators" and "A Late Night Argument With God". Ludi performs all the instruments with impeccable skill. Essentially a pop album, Hell’s Laughter And Heaven’s Ache is filled with one riveting song after the next and Ludi’s vocals and songwriting skills are quite impressive throughout. Filled with heavy musical messages, Hell’s Laughter And Heaven’s Ache is a pop album for the thinking man. The album will never make the Billboard charts and there’s no chance that Ludi will ever become an MTV favorite, but that’s really the point. By exposing the fallacies and shallowness of the 21st Century pop culture, Ludi drives his vision home with alarming awareness.

Ludi's Comments:

  • Thanks for the compliments!
  • "alarming awareness"? I tend to think that the two go together these days! Anyone that I know that is aware is alarmed! Yeeehaaaaaa!

Legends Magazine

John Ludi, the current name and incarnation of this artist, has been involved in the music world for about 15 years, give or take. His work has appeared under various names such as: John Ludi, Tim Elder, Tim Eldair, and Tim Zu******. His involvement includes the production of a few bands, owning a couple of labels, creating multiple scores of soundtrack work for independent films and videos, and playing on numerous artist sessions. With all that he has accomplished, he still remains somewhat of an enigma, whose work is slowly worming its way into the hearts, ears and minds of newfound fans worldwide.

All Dead Dictators is perfectly placed at the opening of the CD. The catchy hooks draw you in and the vocals seal your attention. Some have rushed to compare the vocals with Peter Murphy. There is a bit of that element there, but there is also some early Bowie as well. Progress starts with a bossa nova feel, but delivers a punch towards the end while delivering impassioned and inspired lyrics over an alternative folk rock-like beat. "So here we are all standing on the brink a bible in one hand, in the other a drink. Into diversion we joyously sink. 'Cause it'll be all right as long as we don't think. Your world is so advanced it doesn't work at all."

Cycles could easily have been an homage to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with a modern updating. The initial vocal verses reminded me of a serious Adam Sandler, but then the vocals took on the passion and inflection heard in previous tracks. "Witness the numb youths slouching towards tomorrow with cynical eyes and tattoos by the score, hardwired for oblivion (if it's entertaining). History's seen many like them buried before." The Complacent Song has an opening similar in style to Mandolin Wind by Rod Stewart. This segues into a soft rock anthem, which states the obvious about the mental state or suburbanites all over. "I'm just another consumer watching Eden turn to hell, so don't ask me to be the one to ask."

Dysfunctional finally puts this sentiment to a musical score with an edgy rock guitar rift. The beauty of this track is one can hear it as a tongue in cheek reflection of one's inner angst, or utilize it as an anthemic purging of one own pity party. Secret Serenade is a song of longing. Lyrically, the ruminations center around the object of one's affections that are unattainable. Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Serenade, the album title track, has an early punk rock drum kick with a softer layering of music around the song.

Song of Set is a reflective song that could easily slide into top 40 light FM with the right connections. Despite its gentle flow, the lyrics remain poignant and telling of societal ignorance. "He is weary won't you let him go? He is bound here and the earth is his soul. Call it evil and you'll miss the mark, for we are primitives afraid of the dark." The Clear Light of Day is another relatively soft alternative rock track with telling lyrics. In the space of a paragraph, it is impossible to provide justice for the intensity behind the words, thus one is encourage to read this bit of beautiful poetry in its entirety at the artist's web site.

A Late Night Argument With God highlights the frustration that many feel when faced with their approach and dialogue with the Creator. This is an angry plea for answers to that which we are conditioned to revere, but never seem to receive any answers from. Kali Yuga thunders home to drive the points taken in the earlier tracks. Musically, there is a Goth/Pink Floyd connection going on.

The initial disappointment that this was not a gothic recording was immediately replaced by respect for Ludi's talent. Considering that this is a one man recording, with some backing vocal assistance from Jodie J., Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache ranks as one of the best self-released, self-created CD's to cross this desk in quite some time. I will go out on a limb to state that had David Bowie recorded these songs, the CD would have gone multi-platinum by now and quite frankly, he would probably kill to get his hands on these tunes if he knew they existed.

Bowie's loss is our treasure, simply because we are able to obtain this remarkable work at a fraction of the cost that major labels charge. Ludi is a poet, priest, anarchist and peace-monger. Contradictory as that may seem, much of his inner mind is wrapped in the intelligent lyrics and impassioned pleas that demarcate the recording, delivering many of us from the glut of banality often seen in the music world. The catchy hooks are merely sugar coating on lyrics that pose questions and ideations long buried in our slumbering psyches.

The work does include drum machines, however, in light of all the Synthpop that has been breaking new ground in clubs all over the globe, this no longer detracts from the work as some earlier reviewers have remarked. Instead, Ludi demonstrated that, like Bowie, he is ahead of his time. This current CD is positioned for massive consumption, as his time has arrived. Ludi may shudder at this, as he disdains commercialism, however the work is up to the minute at this point and deserves all the accolades it receives.

Ludi's Comments: (working on 'em)