Jonas, Dick (FSH vol 2 - YGBSM)

"Answers the question: 'Who would Jesus bomb?'...".

Obscure and unbelievably surreal God-and-country songs by Vietnam fighter pilot! Surreal not so much because of the content alone, but because of how it's presented - so naively and sincerely. According to the liner notes, Capt. Dick, like all fighter pilots, "...believes in God, the United States Of America, his wingman...and himself". The notes go on in tribute to the men of his combat outfit: "That I was one of 'Satan's Angels' means to me that I have invaded the portals of Hell with you and there severely chastised the evil of tyranny in its abominable womb. That I was one of the 'Wolf Pack' means that I have learned of you to be vicious and merciless in defense of Holy Freedom...".

Hmmmmm. I guess I missed that part of the Bible where Jesus talks about being "vicious" and "merciless"...

Anyway, even if you accept the "bombs for peace" metaphor, the songs themselves are beyond the pale. Each tune (all originals) starts with a little spoken intro, featuring Jonas' sweetly southern voice, discussing combat in sanitized, even friendly terms, almost as though he were speaking to kids at a school assembly. Really, really WEIRD! Then there's the music – upbeat country and country-folk, sung quite nicely by Capt. Dick. But the lyrics are about such pleasantries as killing, getting shot at, extreme danger, loneliness, fear, pain, death, etc. - to music making it seem like it's all a fun little adventure! The juxtaposition is as CREEPY as it is MINDBOGGLING! And I get the impression he couldn't imagine anyone disagreeing with him, or thinking his music is unusual! Plus, he includes strange holy-war imagery (like "Satan's wicked fiery darts" for enemy fire) and such straightforward verse (like "I've seen mothers' sons blown apart") with these happy-go-lucky little tunes – the more you listen, the more dumbfounding it becomes. Just SICKLY SURREAL stuff!!!

Oh, and in care you're wondering - "YGBSM" is military-ese for "You gotta be sh!tt!n' me". Now what verse of the Bible is that from???...

$20