PAUL'S THOUGHTS ON THE SOULSEC ALBUM 'END GAMES' - 11/02/2007


HELLO EVERYONE.....ALEX HAS ASKED ME TO WRITE A SMALL 'BIT' BASED ON A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS CONCERNING 'END GAMES'......ERM,IF IT GETS A BIT GUSHY PLEASE BLAME HER !!!!...HAHAHA...

O.K. THE TITLE 'END GAMES' AROSE VERY NATURALLY AND IS REPRESENTATIVE OF MY EXPERIENCES AND THOUGHTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS INCLUDING THE PROBLEMS IRAQ FACES,TO THE LONDON BOMBINGS....FROM LOSING FRIENDS AND NEARLY MY LIFE(ERM AGAIN!!),TO WATCHING OTHER,LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE,SUFFERING TERRIBLY AND SO ON.

INDIVIDUAL SONGS TELL THEIR OWN TALE I HOPE - SUCH AS 'DESERT SOUL'(AS YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS AN ASSYRIAN FROM NORTHERN IRAQ WHOSE FATHER READS THE CHORUS LYRIC IN THEIR ANCIENT LANGUAGE AT THE START AND END OF THE SONG)....BUT ALL OF THEM COVER SITUATIONS IN THEIR FINAL THROWS.
'HEATWAVE' IS ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD.
'SAD SOFT LULLABY' ABOUT THE END OF A WONDERFUL LOVE AFFAIR.
'MAKE BELIEVE'...THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER OUR DESTINY.HUGE AMOUNTS OF GOD FEARING FOLK - USUALLY IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES - WILL PUT EVERYTHING INTO THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS EVEN WHEN A CATASTROPHE LIKE THE RECENT TSUNAMI(I HAD FRIENDS DIRECTLY AFFECTED)OR ANY NATURAL DISASTER DESTROYS AND TAKES AWAY EVERYTHING THEY LIVE FOR INCLUDING THEIR FAMILIES AND LIVELIHOODS,IRONICALLY THOSE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE NOTHING TO START WITH.
'CAN'T STOP' IS DEDICATED TO A MAN'S ADDICTION - IN THE FEMALE FORM - OF ANY KIND.
'UNDER THE STARS'...THE INABILITY FOR MANY PEOPLE TO MAKE ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WORK.
'IS HEAVEN WORTH WAITING FOR?'....A SUICIDE BOMBERS' SAD PLIGHT...FOR US AND HIM/HER-SELF.
'KING OF THE WORLD',THIS IS ABOUT MISGUIDED SCHEMERS WHO INSTEAD OF IMPROVING THEIR LOT,ACTUALLY MAKE THEIR STUPIDEST MISTAKES.

ANOTHER REASON WHY THE TITLE IS RELEVANT IS THAT MOST OF THIS MATERIAL WAS CREATED FROM ORIGINAL IDEAS I HAD FOR THE STRANGLERS LAST C.D. SOME OF WHICH WERE PUT FORWARD AND REJECTED AND OTHERS WHICH WERE NOT PUT FORWARD AT ALL.
I HAD AN IDEA SOMETHING WAS 'AFOOT' AT THE TIME SO OFFERED A MIX OF SONG IDEAS THAT I THOUGHT COVERED A FEW BASES..(NOT INCLUDING 'SLIPPING AWAY' WHICH I WROTE IN IT'S ORIGINAL FORM ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND A SONG I BELIEVE ONLY GOT THROUGH FOR A SPECIFIC REASON).
THAT REJECTION CAME AS NO SURPRISE AND BECAME ONE OF THE DECIDING FACTORS IN MY EVENTUAL DECISION TO LEAVE THE BAND - AMONGST MANY OTHERS!
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD... EXCUSE THE PUN....I WAS ALSO - AND NEVER HAVE BEEN - UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT MERELY HAVING AN IDEA MEANT IT WOULD NECESSARILY BE OF INTEREST TO ANY BAND I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH AND,IN MY EXPERIENCE,AN IDEA IS MERELY A STARTING BLOCK AND NOT AT ALL NECESSARILY AN ATTEMPT AT A FINISHED SONG.

MAKING THIS C.D. HAS TAKEN ME THROUGH A LOT....I REALLY WISH I HAD HAD MORE TIME TO PUT THE OTHER TUNES ON IT BUT THAT IS HOW IT GOES....I NEEDED TO GET IT OUT OF MY LIFE AND HAVE DONE SO......THE END WAS A GREAT RELIEF AS I HAD TO ATTEND TO MANY OTHER THINGS BOTH PRACTICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BEFORE AND DURING ITS' WRITING AND RECORDING.
IT HAS ALSO BROUGHT ME CLOSER TO ANDY ELLIS WHO HAS BEEN FANTASTIC THROUGH-OUT AND BELIEVE ME,IS AN AMAZING GUITARIST AND ALL ROUND EXCELLENT BLOKE.
IT IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING THE PEOPLE AROUND ME WHO MADE ME WORK HARD TO GET IT DONE....I NEARLY THREW IN THE TOWEL A FEW TIMES SO THANKS TO AL PARKER,ALEX,PHIL,RUTH AND THE OTHERS(they know who they are)WHO I NEEDED TO LEAN ON AT TIMES.

I HOPE THAT IT DRAWS A LINE UNDER THE PAST FOR ME TOO,NOT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP MUSIC BUT BECAUSE I HAD NEEDED TO MOVE ON FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND AM NOW FREE TO EXPLOIT ALL MY IDEAS AND NEEDS.
FINALLY - ALTHOUGH DISAPPOINTED THAT IT HAS A FEW TUNES MISSING IT IS NOW MY FOURTH C.D. AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FIFTH WHICH WON'T BE HERE FOR SOMETIME BUT WILL TAKE ME ON ANOTHER TRIP,AND HOPEFULLY YOU TOO....SO LET ME JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT,'CAUSE IT AIN'T WORTH IT IF YOU AIN'T OUT THERE !!!!

ALL THE BEST,

PAUL.