1990
For the first time in memory, the US Ambassador was summoned to meet with Saddam Hussein; back then Iraq was the US’s long-time ally against Iran. Tensions were building between Iraq and Kuwait; Saddam was not happy that Kuwait was demanding full and rapid repayment of money borrowed from Kuwait to fight against Iran.
Iraq’s economy was in a bad spot and had expected oil revenues to help except that Kuwait kept overproducing oil keeping prices low. There was also accusations of slant drilling of oil from Kuwait which impacted Iraqi oil fields and the perennial border bickering. Saddam was also worried about the American’s suddenly doing military exercises in the Persian Gulf.
What was actually said on July 25, 1990 during this meeting will never be known for sure. The actual text of the cable sent from Glaspie to Washington DC afterward was entitled, Saddam’s Message of Friendship to President Bush and later released by Wikileaks.
1991
In the below-freezing cold of Chicago on January 17, 1991 the news was that the US had begun bombing Baghdad. War in the Middle East for America had broken out after months of building tensions. Several weeks later the original five-piece band was briefly formed as Proletariat Bondage and then renamed Strey Voltage.
Meanwhile, the rationale for the American led invasion never sat well. An undeclared war against Iraq, a former ally against Iran had suspicious timing. Classmates were being called up with some never to be seen again or changed upon return. War does that.
While hustling at multiple jobs (landscaping, accounting clerking, real estate agent-ing) and finishing college, a chance encounter with high school classmate that Spring made a lasting impression. George had returned late in the Spring from combat duty in Kuwait. He shared hundreds of 35mm photographs taken with his own camera from the battlefield. It was what they don’t show on the news and in the movies.
That was the germ of an idea for a new song for the band. At that point, prior names had been dropped and the four piece (minus vocalist) was now: Personal Bliss Machine. The song “Kuwait” would have a unique musical character and tell the story of just who did the fighting. It also questioned, why? No guitar solo but a spoken word bridge.
1992
Though several songs were dropped during the transition from the four-piece Personal Bliss Machine to the three piece band (The Bliss Machine), the song Kuwait endured…and with a groovier bass. The song tightened up over the ensuing months as captured across multiple practice session recordings.
The best was from the last recorded practice sessions on May 25, 1992 in the East Pilsen apartment.
2021
Almost 30 years later, the 2021 the original DAT recordings were transferred to digital audio and mastered for online release (Listen).
2022
With the reboot of The Bliss Machine, the new recording of “Kuwait” retains the same feel. Additional context is provided by the words of US Congressman from Texas, Ron Paul in his now prescient, The War that’s
Not a War speech to Congress in July of 2010.
In retrospect the ideas and questions in the song remain, enjoy (Listen or Purchase).
