The Facts
Artist	John Ludi
Album	Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache
Musicians	Jodi J - Harmony/Background Vocals on Tracks 1-4 & 8-10 and Acoustic Guitar on Track 4 John Ludi - Everything Else
Produced, Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered By	John Ludi
Recorded At	Self-Recorded
Track Listing	1). All Dead Dictators 2). Progress 3). Cycles 4). The Complacent Song 5). Dysfunctional 6). Secret Serenade 7). Hell's Laughter and Heaven's Ache 8). Song Of Set 9). The Clear Light Of Day 10).A Late Night Argument With God 11).Kali Yuga
Record Label	Self-Released
Available At	www.johnludi.com
Reviewed By	Eric J. Olsen
The Opinion
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.
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