IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.


©Copyright 1970, 2005 by Charles M. Province

Robin Hood Review

To start with, this movie is not about the Robin Hood we know in stories and such, rather this film is about how Robin Longstride became Robin Hood. 

  The movie's director has many great films to his name, Alien comes to mind, and his direction in this movie is brilliant.  The shots are nitty, dirty and perfectly woven into the story's context.  

  

  The cast is is also great, with Russel Crowe playing Robin Hood.  Crowe gives the character a wisened man who can still kick ass, while Cate Blanchett plays the role of Marion Loxley.  Some have said that a younger woman would have been better, buth with Russel Crowe that woman would have been young enough to be his daughter!

  The story is solid enough and with a mix of friendly scenes mixed in with battle and war one would no see the time pass by.  One thing I have noticed, that doesn't really bode well for the film, is King James' rather great resemblance to Blackadder.  I was just waiting for Baldrick to show up with is boxers draped on his head.

  The action is well directed, with a number of impressive scenes that remind me of the bomb scene in Pearl Harbor.  The acting is great, and the musical score is good too.

  All in all I'd give it an 8/10, and here's the trailer:

Florence + The Machine to sing in Twilight: Eclipse? Gulp.

Yep.  It's confirmed.  Florence Welch shall sing "Heavy In Your Arms" in Twilight Eclipse.  And yes, I will watch the movie.  Just for her though.   Nothing else.

Florence And The Machine leads MOJO Honour's List Nominees

This time last year her debut album, Lungs, hadn't been released. Since then Florence Welch has enjoyed a meteoric rise and clearly made her mark among MOJO readers as she scooped four nominations when the shortlists for this year's MOJO Honours List were unveiled last night. No other act in the seven-year history of the MOJO Honours List has ever been nominated in four voted-for categories.

Florence And The Machine are nominated in the MOJO Best Album category (sponsored by Ford Transit) for Lungs, MOJO Breakthrough Act, MOJO Best Live Act (sponsored by Red Stripe) and MOJO Song Of The Year for You've Got The Love.

Elsewhere, Kasabian are nominated three times for MOJO Song Of The Year (Fire), MOJO Best Album (sponsored by Ford Transit) for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, and MOJO Best Live Act (sponsored by Red Stripe), while Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys are nominated in the latter category as well as in MOJO Song Of The Year for Crying Lightning. Fellow Steel City hero Richard Hawley receives two nominations in the MOJO Song Of The Year category (Open Up Your Door) and the MOJO Best Album category (sponsored by Ford Transit) for Truelove's Gutter.

The full list of nominees reads as follows:

MOJO BEST ALBUM
(sponsored by Ford Transit)

Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (Columbia)
Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter (Mute)
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (Drag City)
Florence And The Machine - Lungs (Island)
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation (Island)

MOJO BREAKTHROUGH ACT

The Jim Jones Revue
John Grant
Florence And The Machine
The Low Anthem
Mumford And Sons

MOJO BEST COMPILATION

A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind - Volume 2: Pagan Love Vibrations Compiled And Mixed By The Amorphous Androgynous (Platipus Records)
Can You Dig It? The Music And Politics Of Black Action Films 1968-1975 (Soul Jazz)
Where The Action Is: Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 (Rhino)
Charlie Gillett's Radio Picks From Honky Tonk (Ace)
Island Records Reggae Box Set - War Ina Babylon (Universal Music Catalogue)

MOJO BEST LIVE ACT
(sponsored by Red Stripe)

Kasabian
Midlake
Rufus Wainwright
Arctic Monkeys
Florence And The Machine

MOJO SONG OF THE YEAR

Richard Hawley - Open Up Your Door (Mute)
Florence And The Machine - You've Got The Love (Island)
Kasabian - Fire (Columbia)
Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning (Domino)
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name (Sony)

In addition to these contemporary categories the MOJO Honours List will also include a host of merit awards bestowed by the magazine itself. These will include The MOJO Inspiration Award (sponsored by HMV), The MOJO Les Paul Award (sponsored by Gibson), The MOJO Hall Of Fame award (sponsored by Universal Music Catalogue) and the MOJO Catalogue Release Of The Year (sponsored by HMV).