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Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko


by

jiguma

 Genre: Acoustic Rock

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Description
Guantanamo Vacation

David Hicks, an Australian citizen, has spent four and a half years in Guantanamo Bay awaiting “trial”. This song is a reflection on what he’s doing there, how he might feel and what his chances of coming home might be – all with a generous dose of Australian humour. I'd like to stress that I am not supporting Hicks here - just his right to a fair trial.

Dion Young (Cydniko) kindly agreed to do a percussion track on this for me – I’m hoping he’ll be back before this finishes it’s rating period. I’m on guitars, bass, keyboards (my first keyboard solo), drums, congas and vocals. Thanks to Mike Watkins and Bryan Anderson for comment and guidance.

Song art available as a t-shirt and other stuff here

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Lyrics
Guantanamo Vacation
© 2006 Neil Porter

You were looking for excitement
Didn’t know what you would find
You made a big mistake I think
I’m sure it’s crossed your mind

You were just another stupid kid
With nothing much to do
With no idea of consequence
Now things look bad for you

Guantanamo vacation
Seems like years you’ve been away
Alone in isolation
On a different kind of Cuban holiday

I wonder what you’ll do today
Just sitting in your room
Just think of home and what went wrong
Don’t know you’ll see it soon

There are places you would rather be
It’s been ages since you smiled
An “unlawful combatant”
You were jailed without a trial

Guantanamo vacation
Seems like years you’ve been away
Alone in isolation
On a different kind of Cuban holiday

No Convention of Geneva
Howard’s left you high and dry
A national disgrace I fear
He didn’t even try

I don’t know if you’re a good-guy
I don’t want to be your friend
But the way that you’ve been left out there
When’s all this going to end?

Guantanamo vacation
Seems like years you’ve been away
Alone in isolation
On a different kind of Cuban holiday

You were looking for excitement
Didn’t know what you would find
You made a big mistake I think
I’m sure it’s crossed your mind

You were just another stupid kid
With nothing much to do
With no idea of consequence
Now things look bad for you

Guantanamo vacation
Seems like years you’ve been away
Alone in isolation
On a different kind of Cuban holiday

It’s a nice place to visit
But I wouldn’t want to die here!
Song Stats
Hits: 5293
Comments: 75
Fans: 13
Plays: 617
Downloads: 117
Votes: 19
Uploaded: Aug 16, 2006 - 08:58:20 PM
Last Updated: Aug 17, 2006 - 07:08:03 AM Last Played: Nov 01, 2009 - 05:54:53 PM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Creative Commons

Song Actions
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Keywords:
guantanamo (2), vacation (11), cuban (10), holiday (97), detention (2)
Hardware:
Seagull S6 acoustic
Fender Precision Bass
Yamaha PSR300 midi keyboard
Rode NT3 mic
Behringer UB802 mixer/preamp
G4 iMac
Software:
Logic Express
Comments
Peter Greenstone said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
great combo
Really good work, guys. I love it. Excellent production and I love the
arrangement and the groove. And, of course, the concept is brilliant and
so well executed. "Guests" of the Bush regime. Powerful but not mind
crushing. Excellent!.
Check out my latest song called From Nothing
jiguma said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
great combo
Thanks for the listen Peter, and the positive comment. Credit for the final
production sound goes in part to Bryan who gave some very good advice
regarding midi drums and general production which I tried to follow to the
letter - and it paid off in a much tighter sound than I usually get. One of the
great things about MJ is the way people offer so much help when you ask for
it. Dion's percussion isn't as big in the mix as I'd first expected it would be,
but without it, the song doesn't really fire up at all.
Really appreciate your comment!
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
Best of the today's
protest music is coming out of your mind and heart (IMHO). I can't
even say I am in agreement with all you proffer in these songs, but this
and your other similar tunes are so compelling, so original, so
musically inviting, and here your lyrics and vocal interpretation give me
a reason to pause and listen. And that is what makes a good protest
song or whatever one wants to call it. The anguish of so many
situations is real, as with this fellow...
"You were just another stupid kid
With nothing much to do
With no idea of consequence
Now things look bad for you"

Many of us should be able to relate to that.
Great song. Keep 'em coming.
jiguma said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
Best of the today's
Thanks for the comment Jack - and the free plug in chat. This is much softer
lyrically than "Blown Away", and it's been around for longer than that song. It
really took time to get the sound right.I appreciate that people don't always
see things the same as I do, and I appreciate you being so positive anyway!
You'll be pleased to know that the next one is not a protest song, but an ode
to Neil Young's film "Heart of Gold".
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
Best of the today's
Either way, dude. Protest or otherwise, I am listenng and enjoying. Especially
anything that tips the hat to Mr. Young... I'll stay tuned.
cheers.

---
Dadai
... It's just music
jgurner said 1198 days ago (August 16th, 2006)
Brilliant!
But coming from two of my favorite MacJammers, I'd expect nothing
less. Again a well-thoughtout message, excellently put together. The
production on this one is really excellent. Radio-ready if there was a
radio station that had the guts to play something like this (I doubt
there's one here in the U.S. anyway.)

It makes me wonder about the different "stupid kids" from the US,
Australia, Great Brittian and the other "Western" nations who have been
caught up in all this uglyness. When I was a "stupid kid" it meant
getting caught drinking beer or cutting class (maybe some minor
vandalism.) Attending a terrorist training camp or fighting for a
repressive, fanatical government never really crossed my mind.

Regardless, how can either of our nations stand up and claim we're
fighting for the freedoms and rights we hold so dear when we refuse to
acknowledge those same things for our own people, no matter how
terrible their crime. Here in the US, even Timmothy McVeigh got a fair
trail and, in my mind, he was every bit as loathsome a terrorist as bin
Laden or any member of alQueda.

Okay, I'm stepping off the soapbox now. Great job Neil and Dion.
Check out my latest song called Bourbon Street Dawn
jiguma said 1198 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Brilliant!
Hey Joseph - excellent to look at MJ and see you back in there again. Glad
you like this! I'm staying off the soapbox for this one - the world sure hasn't
turned out how I thought it would when I was younger though.
Peace,
Neil


---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
stevel said 1198 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Good stuff!
Cool track Neil....topical and incisive as ever, you should get this posted
up on the other Neil's 'Living with War' site. Musically good too of
course... there is a tension present between guitars and percussion that
works really nicely
Steve
Check out my latest song called Electricity
jiguma said 1198 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Good stuff!
Cheers Steve - have just sent the url off to Neil Y's site - seems to take quite
a while to get listed though, "Blown Away" still hasn't gone onto the list and I
sent that when I uploaded it here.
Glad you noticed the tension - I get pretty wound up when I listen to it
(especially over and over when I was mixing it), and I think that's thanks to
Dion. He sure is good at hittin' and shakin'! It kind of keeps you on the edge
of your seat.
Thanks for dropping by,
Neil


---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Tadashi Togawa said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
The rhythm is wonderful.
Moreover, it is wonderful of the selection of harmony.

Check out my latest song called Mexican taste
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
The rhythm is wonderful.
Cheers Tadashi - your comments are always most welcome!
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Tadashi Togawa said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
The rhythm is wonderful.
Moreover, it is wonderful of the selection of harmony.

Check out my latest song called Mexican taste
caroline said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
i came to listen...
..it was fab to hear your voice again and all the great sounds and - of course - the production is brill - i needed more pink today and a hefty dose of fluff!! nice work xox

ps - it sucked me in anyway and i stayed til the end ;)
Check out my latest song called clink that link mjrf
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
i came to listen...
Hi Caro - nice to see you back here at MJ - you are missed!!!!! Glad the song
and production pleased you (despite the lack of pink fluff!).
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
TobinMueller said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Top notch craftmenship, artistic voice
You craft such great lines, give them such great grooves, always shape
your lyrics with as much conceptual grace as your musical arrangements.
You capture one of the things people often fail to notice, the connection
between a young man's adventurousness/alienation and involvement in
modern terrorist actions. This, along with understated references to
Michael Howard, the irony of your Guantanamo couplets, a sense of
answerless limbo, and, again, you have created another top notch protest
song, walking all the right lines. Great song. You are able to talk about
offenses without offending, and that is a kind of craft I wish more shared.
By doing so, you also embody a kind of dignity, as inspiration.
Check out my latest song called Forge A New Life (MJRF)
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Top notch craftmenship, artistic voice
Thanks for the kind comments Tobin. I really like your comment "You are
able to talk about offenses without offending". I have fairly strong views on
some things, but the counsellor in me always comes out when I'm writing,
and so I look for oblique ways of saying what I feel. I appreciate the fact that
you've noticed. This was a lot of fun to do though, especially finding room
for the drums against Dion's percussion.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
TobinMueller said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Top notch craftmenship, artistic voice
You craft such great lines, give them such great grooves, always shape
your lyrics with as much conceptual grace as your musical arrangements.
You capture one of the things people often fail to notice, the connection
between a young man's adventurousness/alienation and involvement in
modern terrorist actions. This, along with understated references to
Michael Howard, the irony of your Guantanamo couplets, a sense of
answerless limbo, and, again, you have created another top notch protest
song, walking all the right lines. Great song. You are able to talk about
offenses without offending, and that is a kind of craft I wish more shared.
By doing so, you also embody a kind of dignity, as inspiration.
Check out my latest song called Forge A New Life (MJRF)
ktb said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
flawless
production. The backing keys (organ?) take on all sorts of dreamy
attributes as they swirl in the mix. The darker vibe, pulsing drive of
this tune, and disonnant solo fit the subject matter perfectly. The
overall mix was excellent. Really top shelf stuff.

I'm no lyricist but you consistently seem to capture complex subject
matter with such clarity. Tobin says it better.
Check out my latest song called Texas stump
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
flawless
What a pleasure to read your comment John. I only dabble with keyboards,
but due to fortuitous circumstances, this was in a convenient key - hence the
solo. I must say I'm inspired to use keys a little more now. Bryan's advice on
production (especially drums) was invaluable in getting this to sound so
clean. I'm not sure how the lyrics evolve, but I'm pleased they sound right t
you.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
bronco said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Great Sound
Nothing much to add to what others have said at length except that it
was wonderful and I dug the lyrics and music.
Check out my latest song called Strange Feeling
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Great Sound
Thanks for the listen Tom - glad you enjoyed it.
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Cori Ander said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Wow
Wow, you are excellent Neil! This dense, yet very loose, style of yours,
is a signum of yours that is unimitatable. The tight melodies that does
not move very much, yet carries tons of interesting tension. The
Seagulls that backs everything up so close and tight in keeping with
the whole.

And this one is full of humor and compassion. I had a long interesting
discussion about songs with my oldest son the other day. It ended up
with the conclussion that there is a big difference between complain
and accuse. Accusation is done without trying to understand or
compass - it is hard and leads nowhere. Complaint can be done with a
warm and passionate heart (I am associating to for example early
Dylan).

I feel that you are keeping well on the right side of the fine line.

And towards the end of the song there are new interesting things
happening. The keyboard solo is fantastic.

All togheter a masterpiece!
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Wow
Hey Curry, good to see you back with a comment! The content here is
something I'm angry about, but I wanted to stay as observational as I could
with the lyrics. Sometimes humour can take away the sharp edges of
"complaint" as you put it, and that's what I wanted from the chorus and the
spoken bits. My Seagull is turning out to be a very good choice for me -
rather than something like a Martin, Maton or Taylor, it seems to encourage
an aggressive approach. It has a slightly high action which means I can
hammer it a bit - especially apparent in the guitar parts in this song.
Glad you liked the song and great to see you back (love "Use This" btw).
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Drew Kopr said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Great tune and Lyrics!
I really enjoyed this tune! Well written, both musically and lyrically, and very well performed! Excellent!!
Check out my latest song called WinterSong
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Great tune and Lyrics!
Cheers Drew, I really appreciate you having a listen and leaving your
thoughts.
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
thoddi said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
great keys
You reveal your talents for playing keyboard, and you do it well. Cool how you've let it stay in the background as a sound carpet that the guitars can float on op of. The solo was very creative and cool as well. Impressive Neil:)
I think you have a good sense of making comments from your point of view. It gives a sense of personal viewpoint. Also the spoken parts with your aussie accent is nice and lightens the mood some:)

Great production, great performances from both of you.

Hope to see Dion around soon:)
Check out my latest song called Don't tell me what I can't w/KTB and Ingve
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
great keys
Thanks Thor. I was going to hold off posting this until Dion came back, but
just couldn't resist - it will be a nice surprise for him when he does to see
how people like it. I love the sound of keyboards, but have never learnt how
to play (my daughter is quite good though) - the sounds here happened fairly
spontaneously, tidied up with the pencil. I'm afraid I'd never be able to
replicate these keys (especially the solo) live again.
Thank you for your positive comments.
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Willywagga said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Great
Terrific menacing rhythm from the bass and drums and a sardonic turn of
phrase, I really enjoyed the song, and am encouraged acutely to consider
the predicament of David Hicks and others like him who are held for so
long without justice, by the largest terror regime on the planet. Top notch
Neil.
Check out my latest song called The Jes on Sea Road
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Great
Willy, thanks for the comment - "sardonic", now that's a word you don't hear
enough of these days :) I am pleased that you used it here as it's quite
appropriate. Glad you enjoyed the tune and that it made you think.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
FEEL said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Call it your own.
Nice! this song is all your own. It's original and has it's Neil/Cyndico touch. Great swing on the lyrical content. Loved it. Great job the two of you...
Check out my latest song called Pigs Fly
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Call it your own.
Cheers John, much easier to develop your own style - then there's no
expectation of how it "should" sound : ) Glad it grabbed your attention.
Peace, Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
composerclark said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Powerful
Yup, I agree with all the positive comments so far; really great production,
interesting and unique overal sound (singing, chords, etc.), and a
powerful lyric. The chord progression sounded somewhat Spanish, which
I'm assuming was intentional (?). My only quibble is that it was a bit long
and repetitive for me, but since nobody else has mentioned this, it's
probably just me.

All in all, really great work, something to be very proud of. A
very fine collaboration.
Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Powerful
Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment Clark. I nearly always start
songs with a chord progression, then go on to work out melody, structure
and finally, lyrics, so I expect the slightly Spanish sounding progression (I
hadn't actua;;y noticed it until you mentioned it, but it's there alright)
probably influenced the content more than the other way around.
If I'd been writing this with you in mind, I'd have left out the repeated verses
(or written a few new ones) : ) As I'd mentioned, I have a habit of repeating
the first (and sometimes second) verses at the end of a song - kind of
emphasising them I guess. I'm afraid I do the same in the next one (but it's
shorter!).
I appreciate your positive comments, glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
Darn the luck!
I had originally wrote a full review back when I voted and signed on, but
the review never posted. Anyway, this is top-notch as per usual. I love the
rhythm guitar in this, and Dion's masterful percussion adds drive and
depth. Really good work. Really good questions! Another track for my
Jiguma album.

Be well!

Tea And Salmon: http://www.macjams.com/song/23644
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Darn the luck!
Hi Mike, thanks for posting again - shame you lost the long review, I always
enjoy those : ) Glad you mentioned the rhythm guitar - I was pleased with
that. I'm starting to get much happier with the sound I'm getting when I
record my Seagull (rather than that awful squawking when it's after potato
chips - sorry, "fries"). Seriously, I'm using the built-in pickup on the right
channel and my Rode NT3 on the left (a tip from Bill Furner) - gives a very full
sound, but with lots of percussive treble/middle to it.
Dion is amazing - he made a real difference here.
Peace,
Neil


---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1197 days ago (August 17th, 2006)
I wish....
Busy song, but you guys really did a great job, you've kept the musical elements separated and yet present and filling the space well.

Should also fit in a more relaxed lyrical scenario, where I could sit on a beach vacationing with the family and feeling the ocean wind against my face with my best friend at my side. I wish....

Oh well, I enjoyed the music very much and your vocals are great as usual.

. - Harold
jiguma said 1197 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
I wish....
Thanks for listening Harold - I'm sure David Hicks would swap places if you'd
like a vacation in Cuba!! You might not like the company as much as your
scenario suggests though.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Peace, Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
GUION said 1196 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Very great
It magnifies cadence of rate and guitar. The voice is the perfect
counterpoint to the drag musical notes. The song is great really. I like
much the sequence and the discipline of the passage musical,
extinguished but intense. Bravo.
Check out my latest song called Baxar
jiguma said 1196 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Very great
Thanks Juan Carlos - really appreciate you taking the time to listen and leave
a comment!
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
TMRSoul said 1196 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Pretty cool
Hey, nice sounds. A little over compressed but nice hot signal. This
has a Pink Floydish vibe today. Very Roger Waters to me. I like your
chord changes, very clever. Nice melody and catchy chorus too. Good
job.
Check out my latest song called Movin On
jiguma said 1196 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Pretty cool
Good to see your comment TMR - from your bio it seems you probably have a
good idea of production, and your comment about the compression and
signal interests me. I'm always looking for ways to improve my music, and I'll
take a closer look at how I'm managing compression for the next song.
Appreciate your comments - makes an amateur feel good : )
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1196 days ago (August 18th, 2006)
Great Tune!
Really enjoyed listening to this. Excellent writing (and playing) Neil!
Cydniko did a fab job with the percussion too!
jiguma said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
Great Tune!
Thanks for stopping by to listen Mike - Dion does amazing things with
percussion (and this was his idea of a "rushed" job I suspect). Glad you
enjoyed the song.
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Wildcat said 1195 days ago (August 19th, 2006)
Great Work
This is a great work from you both.
Wonderfull instrumentation, nice vocals and melody.
Even the Lyrics are nice( sorry i am limited with language, nice is not the
right word, but i like how the story is packed in words)
This song has weight but its not a kind of this heavy songs.
I liked to listen loud to it.
Thanks for this song.
Check out my latest song called Somewhere in No Man´s Land
jiguma said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
Great Work
Danke viel Tanja! Deine Wörte freut mir sehr. Bitte, du möchte Deutsch
schreiben wenn du will - ich verstehe (und es ist gut für meine deutsch auch).
Dein Englisch ist aber ganz besser als mein Deutsch glaube ich!
Tschues,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Wildcat said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
Great Work
Dein Deutsch ist schon sehr gut Neil. Wenn ich zu deinen großartigen Liedern
ein Kommentar schreibe, dann mache ich das jetzt immer auf deutsch, damit du
in Übung bleibst.
Tanja
Check out my latest song called Somewhere in No Man´s Land
thetiler said 1195 days ago (August 19th, 2006)
Terrific!
I think the lyrics are very intriguing, Singing is a very good jig style.

An enjoyable listen!

I think this is one of my fav of yours. Again the words really bring out this
tune, though the melody is infectious!
Thanks Cyd for taking part in this piece as well. Like the nice chosen
impromptu- talk at the end as well :)

Way to go you guys!
Check out my latest song called I't Been A While
jiguma said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
Terrific!
Always appreciate your comments Bill - Wasn't going to leave the spoken bits
in (worried someone might realise I talk to myself!), but they do add
something I guess. I should point out that my accent is not normally that
strong though :)
Really pleased you liked the song.
Neil

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<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
gregd said 1195 days ago (August 19th, 2006)
loverly!
Love the arrangement on this piece, the lyrics really fit well in the
dissonance of the extended chords. The heavy sarcasm of the "stupid
kid" lyrics when juxtaposed with the chorus is delicious.
Check out my latest song called 08nov08
jiguma said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
loverly!
Thanks Greg (Thelonius?), sarcasm is a part of life down here, I'm glad that
showed through in the lyrics for you. As someone said further up the page -
lots of kids do stupid things - problem is that sometimes they have far-
reaching repercussions when the kid becomes a man (or woman, as the case
may be). Anyway, pleased you enjoyed the music and the lyrics.
Cheers,
Neil

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<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
The Composer said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
...
Hey Neil, you already know my comments on this... but, I still think its a
great song, with great lyrics. Still love the organ and that solo has a
fantastic sound to it!

Well done guys.
jiguma said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
...
Bryan, without your crit of the version I mailed you this wouldn't have been
half as good. I now have a new way of looking at mixing (midi drums in
particular) and really appreciate it. The new one I'm working on is sounding
so clean! I tried to maintain the solo sound, but things got messed up
slightly when I trried adding some other automation parameters - i think I
nearly got back to the original sound. It's a vibraphone (tweaked to give it a
slightly more metallic sound) over the Hammond. Both courtesy of the
EXSP24 plug from Logic Express. I'd still like to work on midi drums some
more, but am finding Drums on Demand a good alternative.
Thanks again!
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Ed_Moran said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
Great Production
Neil,

Love the feel and groove. Great organ sounds(did you get those out of
LE7) Great percussion groove. All around great work. By the way everyday
is a cuban holiday here in Miami.

Ed
Check out my latest song called Cowboy (WIP)
jiguma said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
Great Production
Thanks Ed, glad you enjoyed it - hadn't realised you were down that way! As
I mentioned in my reply to Bryan, the solo sound a vibraphone (tweaked to
give it a slightly more metallic sound) over the Hammond, both courtesy of
the EXSP24 plug from Logic Express. When I think about it, it was the
Hammond sound in GB (tone wheel organ gives some good options) that I
used through EXSP24. The organ was played live then tweaked with the
pencil tool (I miss-hit often!)
Appreciate you dropping by - make sure to let me know if you repost
Tonight.
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
eleveneyes said 1194 days ago (August 20th, 2006)
sign me up for one of those!
this track is great. love the vocal delivery, the guitar sound and execution,
all the percussion - very well done. I'm gonna get real nit-picky cuz this
tune is close to perfect. it seems to fall out of groove briefly in a couple of
spots. the drum-kit also doesn't seem large enough compared to the
acoustic guitar. other than that i truely completely and utterly enjoyed
this track! nice work.
Check out my latest song called Here With You - Better MIX
jiguma said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
sign me up for one of those!
Appreciate the comment Ray! I always appreciate nit-picking, as that's how
we learn. I've listened to this so many times that I have to say that I haven't
noticed (and still can't pick) the timing glitches you mention - it's no great
surprise, because I've had these before in earlier songs, but thought I'd
sorted them out. I'll have another closer listen. I agree about the drums -
even though they sound better than they did before Bryan offered some
"sound" advice, the snare and cymbals still seem a little powerless. I'm happy
with the kick (which was really weak in earlier versions), but snare, crashes
and hats need some sorting out - will work on those. In most of my songs
(and especially this one), I see the acoustic as an essential part of the rhythm
section, and like to hear it really up there. Mixing is a magic art isn't it, and
I'm still an apprentice magician : )
Glad you enjoyed listening, and thanks for the comment.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
psnjron said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
you could sell this to neil young
Just check out Neils new album
Check out my latest song called killer caterpillar
jiguma said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
you could sell this to neil young
Thanks for the listen - NY's new album is certainly a winner to me. I have two
songs on his "Living With War" website, with two waiting for a run (this one
and "Blown Away"), but suspect he has plenty of songs of his own to deal with
without worrying about mine. Good to see you on MJ - you registered on my
birthday.
Cheers,
Neil

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23596"> Guantanamo Vacation w Cydniko</a> & <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/23350"> Blown Away w ziti</a>
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Nolan said 1193 days ago (August 21st, 2006)
Powerful sound
Neil, you've done it again. I say it all the time: You have such a distinct
sound. Always a pleasure. I love how the chorus develops as the song
goes on. Great work. Great to hear Dion in the background there.
The speaking parts are really cool. Well done.
Check out my latest song called Fine
EMP said 1192 days ago (August 22nd, 2006)
Nice track
Really liked this, Great tune and vocal.

Wicked.
EMP
Check out my latest song called FP Tour
SlimGirlFat said 1192 days ago (August 22nd, 2006)
Great Track
What an absolute treat for my ears. Fantastic production, those guitars
sound amazing... GORGEOUS sound.
Great Vocals,

Nice one indeed.
D/L
Slimmie
Check out my latest song called Not Enough
moorlandt said 1190 days ago (August 24th, 2006)
my favourite
Neil, so sorry I did not comment on this great song earlier%u2026 And waiting so long doesn%u2019t make it easier, because most of the things I wanted to say have already been said in the previous comments :-)

Oh yes, for sure it%u2019s your distinct sound that I like so much. The timbre of your voice is quite unique to me, and so very %u2018Neil%u2019 again (which I always associate with everything that%u2019s warm and bighearted :-). But there%u2019s more of course: the delivery of this piece is superb. This song rolls like a train from start to end, and fascinates continuously during the whole excursion. Very interesting and intriguing chord progressions I%u2019m hearing, and the vocal melody in the verses %u2013 with tones that remain always close to each other %u2013 fits amazingly well with it. Very neat vocal harmonies in the chorus (at first I thought is was Dion%u2019s voice on top of yours, but I see in your song description that he did not sing). The keyboard solo near the end is pretty and highly effective.

My absolute favourite of yours, Neil!

Walter

Check out my latest song called boundaries
moorlandt said 1190 days ago (August 24th, 2006)
my favourite
HELP, I wrote this comments in WORD (to avoid too many spelling mistakes) and copy/pasted it in the comment box... It's all messed up now. O, yeah, Microsoft...

---
Logic takes you from a to b. Imagination takes you everywhere.
Check out my latest song called boundaries
Warren Smith said 1189 days ago (August 25th, 2006)
an all-expenses paid vacation
There's so many ways one could come at this topic. By choosing a sardonic point of view (suggesting that the kid has received an all-expenses paid vacation curtesy of the United States Government) works to get across the point of "be careful what you wish for."

The key verse for me is when you sing "I don't know if you're a good guy\I don't want to be your friend," because it distances you from the various philosophical issues wrapped up in the "War on Terror" and focuses on the primary concern - the abuse of power, and how one person got screwed by forces huge beyond conception. In other words, you don't have to agree with somebody's thought-system to sympathize with their plight. Expressing that kind of nuanced opinion -that's good writing!

As usual, structure is a key part of your work. I find I'm somewhat in agreement with composerclark's comment that it runs on a little long. I would have moved the keyboard break up, bringing it in sooner, before the verses start repeating, to add that bit of variety earlier in the mix. (But this is really a minor crit.) As for the solo, I think it's great - both for the nascent effort (it certainly doesn't sound like a beginner's work) and for its sound (it may not be pure "Cuban," however, it certainly sounds like steel drums eminating from the Caribbean).
Check out my latest song called Pushing and Pulling
Feter said 1188 days ago (August 27th, 2006)
Roger Waters ?
hey jiguma ? you ve been listenin to Roger waters latley ? this is fine work man ....done well ..!!
SmokeyVW said 1182 days ago (September 1st, 2006)
nice
nice

very nice

the vocal harmony reminds me of Pink Floyd somehow.
Check out my latest song called One For Me
SmokeyVW said 1182 days ago (September 1st, 2006)
nice
nice

very nice

the vocal harmony reminds me of Pink Floyd somehow.
Check out my latest song called One For Me
Macaudion said 1170 days ago (September 13th, 2006)
Hey there, sir
I really like this song, Neil and it's to bad that I never gave you the perccussive stuff that I had completley reworked on this - Maybe that's why I can barely hear what I did in here - But anyhoo, if you want it, you can have it. I especially liked the writing and your delivery of those cleverly arranged words on this one - As always, I'm continually impressed by what you do - Quite impressive, I'm thnking - Oh, and sorry that I wasn't around for the release of this - Glad to have been apart of it though - Thanks buddy - Cheers! Dion
Check out my latest song called 123 iGetU
rovert10 said 1104 days ago (November 18th, 2006)
This a great...
Capture's David's situation very well, and Im ashamed of our government for abanding this guy... we dont even know what he's supposed to have done apart from being there. I guess well never really know the true story. Anyhow, a terrific piece of work for my 5 star playlist.
Check out my latest song called Gears
jiguma said 1104 days ago (November 19th, 2006)
Brisbane
Just heard it's going to be used as an opener to the speakers on the Brisbane "Bring David Hicks Home" rally later this year. Glad you liked it (and welcome back).
Neil

---
This Thing (Will Only Get Better) - colab with SIL-VER and Jan Porter - http://www.macjams.com/song/26036

Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 1030 days ago (January 31st, 2007)
hey
this ssong really took a grip of me...just started listening to you recently, the one about the BIG DRY so good....... LOOKING FORWARD TO LISTENING MORE


Do you know what happened to the guy ? Still there ??

THANKYOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jiguma said 1030 days ago (January 31st, 2007)
Still there
Thanks for the comment - David Hicks is still in Guantanamo after 5 years without charge and without trial. The US and the UK refuse to allow their citizens to be tried under the guidelines the US has laid down - makes our government look pretty average I reckon. Glad you enjoyed the Big Dry. I have a new one coming up soon which is coming along really well.
Cheers,
Neil

---
Wannado
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
said 996 days ago (March 6th, 2007)
: )
Do You mean a new *Big Dry* ? That would be GREAT !! You're SO GOOD You're a MASTER . THANKYOU JIGUMA
: )

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MUSIC UNITES
said 1030 days ago (January 31st, 2007)
hehehee : )
I think all of your songs I've listened to so far should should be played LOUD ;)take care!
saymme said 369 days ago (November 22nd, 2008)
Guantanamo Vacation
DL & FAVED!!!!! i remeber hearing some update of this Young Man last year..? You know ?
TX for a GREAT song !!
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Name: Neil Porter
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My old bio page looked pretty out of date, so it’s time for a new one: For the full story, see my interview in the MacJammer Blog "The Jiguma Is Up" by Tobin Mueller. I started to learn guitar when I was about 10 – but didn’t last long be... [see more]

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