my First Music Horse Race of 2014

I try to figure out which FOURTEEN SONGS fought the hardest to ride close to my heart. Among them I've listened to during first four weeks of this very year, well, now already five weeks.

My potential love for country grows again, so I believed every horse trotting along here would be a country song. But other styles from any time always runs in parallell. Especially strange contrast is my attempts to grasp pop music from 1983. 1983 seems to be the most bad year in music history, but of course there are gold runners even there.


We start from the bottom. Stones can roll, but can they make country? COUNTRY HONK [Honky Tonk Woman] brings up some amusing energy. Stones play, but do they sing? This still too bluesy horse gets stuck in the jam, falls asleep in 14:th position. Doesn't help how much Stones shout - the music bleeds to death and Brian Jones don't come back to save the body.


13:th horse at least gets alive from the race, though galloping so bad (more than allowed in a trot competition). Probably because this 2013 jewel is so new, eager and unexperienced? Nonetheless Alice Smith has a good grip on oldish vibes, played with fresh soulfulness. CABARET could as well have won the race, especially if it had been held in Motown.


Many car drivers must've been heading for Detroit City (or riding out from). Now this is a horse race, so the classic diamond DETROIT CITY (I WANNA GO HOME) doesn't go far. To slow the track down further, we let dear Gunnar Wiklund sing it in swedish here. Wiklund is often compared to Jim Reeves. I love the whole feeling, but it gets nowhere, just clings on to the crowd.

Same goes for I'M GETTING GOOD AT MISSING YOU, though it's more alert and amusing. Sung by Don Williams, an old country boy from the 70's, and composed by Wayland Holyfield who has made more country pearls, G.G. Miss anyhow seems to be very unknown..? I don't understand why - and I'm ashamed of myself to leave it by just the last four horses ;-)


The crowd they follow mostly consists of (the backside of) LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE, an up-tempo song which has existed in many forms, even reggae and punk. A new wave version was performed by Paul Young + female "choir" pushing it with enthusiastic nerve. Long before that Waylon Jennings sung the most soulful and elegant version (reminding me much of my favourite Gordon Lightfoot). Even if Waylon's country mode gets this horse unable to run full ahead, it's satisfied here with a 10:th position.


9:th horse is incredibly slow, but usually a surprisingly mighty spurter. This time it begins to gallop too early, a totally confused and slow gallop, following it's own STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. What could've happened if Led Zeppelin instead had send in one of their straight, down-to-earth tracks? It could've blend in well into the field of rustique country, or gone from UK all the way to California. But they were blinded by Camille & Kennerly, who makes a sweet harp cover of this stairway. Like ghosts in a castle these Harp Twins completely takes over the horse body. The girls plays it so beautiful that they forget to rock, even though otherwise both Harp Twins and Zeppelin are not afraid to use their bodies.


In the middle of the field dwells a mysterious one, by a band I've waited to experience until this very moment. Marillion makes such a unique thing as progressive rock in 1983. Suddenly it finds a track outside of the whole group, tryin' to pass them all in it's own clear line. Yes, my immediate Marillion darling seems to be GARDEN PARTY, though impossible to tell in just some rounds, since many pieces runs for 7-8 minutes. Gets a bit tired, started too late to get in time for the top right now. Maybe by summertime it's ready to shine like the most majestic flower in our deep grass.


6:th + 7:th place seems to go to Dolly Parton and/or Bellamy Brothers. By B.B. you maybe would've bet on the song we can call Rodeo Road (or Rainy, Windy, Sunshine). But for me NOTHING HEAVY (just my Baby in the Back of my Chevy) feels like an even more comfortable ride. About young and curiuos love, still too comfortable to get to position six. Parton puts up much more speed with TRAVELLING MAN, who sweaps by so fast that her mother gets picked up by mistake, instead of Dolly herself.


KEEP FEELING FASCINATION has been on the track before, but so many years ago that I had forgot it's existence. Keeps though a high position out of pure positivity. Where other 83-singles dwell in just rythms, K.F.F. really combines creative rythms with melodical harmonies. The same goes for KARMA CHAMELEON, a bright cloud full of colour and mixed culture, as close to Beatles one can come with a typical 80's tune. Becomes hard to see which melody takes the 4:th and which gets the 5:th place. But neither is a winner, since they're still too soft and superficial in some way.


A little more stuff actually lies within WHY'D YOU COME IN HERE LOOKING LIKE THAT, which ain't performed by Dolly Parton now again, but swedish Jill Johnson. Written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas, the country has moved into late 80's in this case.


Through last listening curve, the fight becomes harder and harder between our two remaining master pieces. BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS seems to hold the gold medal just by it's name, not to mention it's witty pace. Kris Kistofferson has furthermore composed the horse by himself. However, in this world he gets second best.


Wins the whole great race does, to my cool surprise, a man I haven't really appreciated until now. We're talking 'bout no one less than Johnny Cash. Maybe his horses is going all the way to Memphis (or from), but here we're just trotting straight round and straight round, as he runs I WALK THE LINE.


Result list:


1
I WALK THE LINE
driven by Johnny Cash

from Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar -57


2
BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS
driven by Kris Kristofferson

from Kristofferson -70


3
WHY'D YOU COME IN HERE LOOKING LIKE THAT
driven by Jill Johnson
(with help from Nina Persson)

from Music Row -07


4
KEEP FEELING FASCINATION
driven by Human League

from single/EP -83


5
KARMA CHAMELEON
driven by Culture Club

from Colour By Numbers -83


6
TRAVELLIN' MAN
driven by Dolly Parton

from Coat of Many Colors -71


7
NOTHIN' HEAVY
driven by Bellamy Brothers

from Let Your Love Flow -76


8
GARDEN PARTY
driven by Marillion

from Script For a Jester's Tear -83


9
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
driven by Camille & Kennerly = Harp Twins

from youtube -10
cover of Led Zeppelin


10
LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE
driven by Waylon Jennings

from Love of The Common People -67


11
I'M GETTING GOOD AT MISSING YOU
driven by Don Williams

from collection Just A Country Boy


12
DETROIT CITY (Nu Reser Jag Hem)
driven by Gunnar Wiklund

from a collection, recorded -65


13
CABARET
driven by Alice Smith

from She -13


14
COUNTRY HONK
driven by Rolling Stones

from Let it Bleed -69








wWw

REFLEKTOR

with and by Arcade Fire,
their fourth (or in my collection fifth) album
released in the end of 2013


Only on tracks like "Afterlife" or "Normal Person" I partly recognize my former favourite band from 7-8-9 years ago. We seem to be some people who wonders if this is a lazy step further down, missing crazy nerve as well as beautiful lines - or if we just can't hear the creativity in their transformation... Anyhow the whole Reflector of course has grown some stars after seven listenings.


Appreciate the bands initiative of making a "double album" rather than too many tracks in a row. Still this actual material would work enough as one record, if some numbers should'ven been stripped off. In other words same story as for almost every other double ambition in the world. Accordingly it would've been nice with more shorter pieces (in the relatively superficial spirit of "Flashbulb Eyes") to make the long songs deeper and more majestic.



most Amusing song: JOAN OF ARC

most Beautiful song: AWFUL SOUND (OH, EURYDICE)

most Sexy song: FLASHBULB EYES

most Loving song: AFTERLIFE

most Growing Strong song: NORMAL PERSON

most Melancholic song: PORNO

most Smart song: YOU ALREADY KNOW

most Mysterious song: REFLEKTOR




as my Autumn Album 14 : 55


5 sound

2 melodies

6 accompaniment

4 rythms

3 singin' feeling

6 playin' dynamics

5 concept

5 variation

4 lyrics

4 titles

3 order of tracks

6 cover picture

5 historical importance

= 58


I now give 1 to 7 in thirteen cathegories
where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 13 = 91 never exist(?)






wWw

Latest "French Café" in Gothenburg

No Parlez with Paul Young

1983 is for me an obscure time in music history, which I've never really dived into. Maybe just my lack of experience is the main reason - why I can't see more than a handful of great records?! But of course there are some (more than just by the established masters like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Yes' Jon Anderson):

Now I happen to discover Paul Young, who was given fresh material in the strange zone between soul pop and post new wave. The result compares almost to Duran Duran. A bunch of different composers, like Jack Lee and even Marvin Gaye, lies behind these pieces. "Love of The Common People" has been performed by even more different artist.



most Amusing song: LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE

most Beautiful song: BROKEN MAN

most Sexy song: COME BACK AND STAY

most Loving song: LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

most Growing Strong song: IRON OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS

most Melancholic song: WHEREVER I LAY MY HAT (THAT'S MY HOME)

most Smart song: TENDER TRAP

most Mysterious song: KU KU KURAMA



as my Autumn Album 14 : 53


4 sound

5 melodies

6 accompaniment

4 rythms

3 singin' feeling

3 playin' dynamics

2 concept

7 variation

2 lyrics

2 titles

3 order of tracks

1 cover picture

6 historical importance

= 48


I now give 1 to 7 in thirteen cathegories
where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 13 = 91 never exist(?)





wWw

RANGO

as you know a wonderful sort of western movie with animated animals

by Gore Verbinski 2011



as my SnowBlack Movie # 1452


Happy role: THE NARRATOR OWL with his accordion players

Grumpy role: RATTLESNAKE JAKE

Crazy role: RANGO the chameleon himself

Shy role: THE BATHTUB FISH


Explosive role: BEANS the cowgirl /desert iguana

Exhausted role: BUFORD a cactus juice bartender toad

Wise role: ROADKILL "the metaphor"
or SPIRIT OF THE WEST [like Eastwood]


Beautiful role: PRISCILLA the yellow-eyed aye-aye /mouse with braids


http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Rango/




7 Characters
6 Scenery
6 Camerawork

5 Thrill
3 Conflict
6 Humour

2 Psychology
4 Philosophy
7 Fantasy

4 Composition
3 Music
7 Concept

= 60


I now give 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 12 = 84 never exist(?)





wWw

my Favourite 41 Country Songs

or kind of. Among them made before the 80's started...

There's still thousands of country classics I've never heard, and even more among contemporary country. Anyway I'm so in love with this music style, right now again, so I dare to make an all time list of my darling songs!!!!

Maybe you wouldn't define everyone as country? And maybe you're angry since I got no examples of every really big country singer - but those I have I really have.





1
COTTON JENNY

with Gordon Lightfoot
by Gordon Lightfoot


2
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD

with Charlie Rich
by Bourke, Wilson, Sherill


3
KENTUCKY RAIN (or maybe INHERIT THE WIND)

with Elvis Presley
by Eddie Rabbitt


4
DON'T PASS ME BY

with The Beatles
by Ringo Starr


5
TUMBLING TUMBLEWEEDS

with The Platters
by Bob Nolan


6
AND THE GRASS WON'T PAY NO MIND

with Neil Diamond
by Neil Diamond


7
THERE'S A RUGGED ROAD

with Judee Sill
by Judee Sill


8
DETROIT CITY (I Wanna Go Home)

with Bobby Bare
by Danny Dill and Mel Tillis


9
GUITAR MAN

with Jerry Reed
by Jerry Reed


10
MEXICAN JOE

with Jim Reeves
by Mitchell Torok


11
STOP IN NEVADA

with Billy Joel
by Billy Joel


12
THE END OF THE WORLD

with Skeeter Davis
by Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee


13
ANGEL OF THE MORNING

with many different artists
by Chip Taylor


14
I'M GETTING GOOD AT MISSING YOU

with Don Williams
by Wayland Holyfield


15
HONEYMOON ON A ROCKET SHIP

with Hank Snow
by Hank Snow


16
HE'S AN INDIAN COWBOY IN THE RODEO

with Buffy Sainte-Marie
by Buffy Sainte-Marie


17
TRAVELING MAN

with Dolly Parton
by Dolly Parton


18
HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.

with Jeannie C. Riley
by Tom T. Hall


19
BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS

with Kris Kristofferson
by Kris Kristofferson


20
EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL

with Connie Francis
or swedish version with Siw Malmkvist : "Tunna Skivor"

by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield


21
RAINY, WINDY, SUNSHINE (RODEO ROAD)

with The Bellamy Brothers
by David Bellamy & Howard Bellamy(??)


22
BOULDER TO BIRMINGHAM

with Emmylou Harris
by Danoff and Harris


23
BIMBOMBEY

with Jimmie Rodgers
or swedish version with Sven-Gösta Jonsson
by Jimmie Rodgers


24
OLD KENTUCKY HOME

with Randy Newman
by Randy Newman


25
OKLAHOMA HILLS

with Hank Thompson
or swedish version with Gunnar Wiklund : "Snart så Kommer Åter Ljusa Tider"
by Woody Guthrie /Jack Guthrie


26
(I Had an Uncle Called) MATTHEW

with John Denver
by Roy Buchanan and John Denver


27
I'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU

with The Seekers
by Tom Springfield


28
WASN'T BORN TO FOLLOW

with The Byrds
by Carole King & Gerry Goffin


29
KING OF THE ROAD

with Roger Miller
by Roger Miller


30
RINGO

with Lorne Greene
by Don Robertson


31
ROCKY RACCOON

with The Beatles
by Paul McCartney


32
(IT'S JUST MY) FUNNY WAY OF LAUGHIN'

with Burl Ives
by Hank Cochran


33
WE'LL SING IN THE SUNSHINE

with Bobby Bare & Skeeter Davis
by Gale Garnett


34
RING OF FIRE

with Johnny Cash
by Merle Kilgore and June Carter


35
ROSE GARDEN

with Lynn Anderson
by Joe South


36
(The Roses Grow) WILD IN THE COUNTRY

with Elvis Presley
by Weiss, Peretti and Creatore


37
SNOWBIRD

with Anne Murray
by Gene MacLellan


38
LOUSIANA BAYOU

with Marie Osmond
by Sonny James and Carol Smith


39
RED RIVER ROCK

with Johnny & The Hurricanes
or swedish version with Sven-Gösta Jonsson : "Vid Foten av Fjället"
by traditional


40
NORTH TO ALASKA

with Johnny Horton
by Mike Philips


41
MAMAS, DON'T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS

with Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings
by Ed Bruce & Patsy Bruce






wWw

Well-played Covers by Harp Twins

Harp Twins are Camille & Kennerly
who has made at least 50 covers
of rock ballads and other themes
beautifully presented on youtube.

Here's 14 pieces they has captured most gloriously:




First Half
the seven ones I feel LOOKS best, as videos


14
GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY
orig. Johnny Cash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5mOtXCBTs0


13
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
orig. Led Zeppelin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U7TDOtfxts


12
DREAM ON
orig. Aerosmith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF7itA64C6I


11
ONLY TIME
orig. Enya

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCOFFwh7XbI


10
LORD OF THE RINGS, medley
orig. from movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUnIe2tVUrU


9
NOTHING ELSE MATTERS
orig. Metallica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvI5oy25QO4


8
SEND ME AN ANGEL
orig. Scorpions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaNsG9ja4nQ






Second Half
the seven ones I feel SOUNDS best, as interpretations


7
OH, HOLY NIGHT!
orig. countless singers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6OhomKA678


6
ZOMBIE
orig. Cranberries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_jZ_Ie9Vck


5
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA : ALL I ASK OF YOU
orig. many musical artists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNxowL6utbQ


4
FEAR OF THE DARK
orig. Iron Maiden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPb20fK0R94


3
SWEET CHILD O'MINE
orig. Guns 'n' Roses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIPj3hLNYls


2
BAD ROMANCE
orig. Lady Gaga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQHGxJqE-5c


1
PAINT IT BLACK
orig. Rolling Stones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMcs4zPR-gg




wWw

Wherever I put my feet, that's my hat

another Poetry Pirouette

spins further on the melody title
by Marvin Gaye /Paul Young




Wherever I lay my hat
that's my home

Wherever I hang my head
that's my tomb

Wherever I drop my eyes
that's your face

Wherever you wind your hair
that's my place

Wherever we stick our tongues
that's the word

Wherever you've lost your blouse
that's my house

Whenever you stop my heart
that's our time

Forever my taste gets pleased;
that's my fat

Wherever you change your skirt
that's my dream

Wherever I fly my cock
that's your broom

However you lay your legs
that's my room

Wherever we turn our back
that comes back

Whoever I give my shoe
that is you

Wherever I put my feet
that's complete






wWw

DJANGO UNCHAINED

Pretending to Be a Black Slave Trader and More

According to imdb viewers now, this is the # 51 best movie of the world. To me it hardly rides that high, but of course it's a strong, extremely serious, very funny and tasteful piece of Tarantino.



as my SnowBlack Movie # 1450


Happy role: DR. KING SCHULTZ (Christoph Waltz)

Grumpy role: STEPHEN (Samuel L. Jackson)

Crazy role: LARA LEE CANDIE-FITZWILLY (Laura Cayouette)

Shy role: BROOMHILDA VON SHAFT (Kerry Washington)


Explosive role: BILLY CRASH (Walton Goggins)

Exhausted role: BIG DADDY (Don Johnson)

Wise role: DJANGO (Jamie Foxx)


Beautiful role: SHEBA (Nichole Galicia)


5 Characters
6 Scenery
6 Camerawork

7 Thrill
5 Conflict
5 Humour

3 Psychology
4 Philosophy
2 Fantasy

4 Composition
6 Music
5 Concept

= 58


I now give 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 12 = 84 never exist(?)





wWw

my Favourite 41 Songs by Gordon Lightfoot

...as I feel for them in another return. Maybe it's the fourteenth time or something I'm in a great Gordon period.

Now got some completely other favourites than during my first listenings seven-eight years ago... Among his songs from 1967-80:




1
APPROACHING LAVENDER


2
(I'm not your) ORDINARY MAN


3
THE WATCHMAN'S GONE


4
(Back in the city or) ON THE HIGH SEAS


5
COTTON JENNY


6
SATURDAY CLOTHES


7
SEVEN ISLAND SUITE


8
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND


9
TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP


10
TOO MANY CLUES IN THIS ROOM


11
LOVE AND MAPLE SYRUP


12
ALL THE LOVELY LADIES


13
BRAVE MOUNTAINEERS







14
WHEREFOR AND WHY


15
REDWOOD HILL


16
ROSANNA


17
RACE AMONG THE RUINS


18
CAREFREE HIGHWAY


19
BEND IN THE WATER


20
CIRCLE IS SMALL  [both versions]


21
SUMMER SIDE OF LIFE


22
RAINBOW TROUT


23
SEA OF TRANQUILITY


24
SONG FOR A WINTER'S NIGHT


25
LOOKING AT THE RAIN


26
MAGNIFICENT OUTPOURING


27
THE LIST







28
SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL


29
AFFAIR ON 8:TH AVENUE


30
CIRCLE OF STEEL


31
MIGUEL


32
FAREWELL TO ANNABEL


33
CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY


34
(That's What) WALLS  (Are For)


35
HANGDOG HOTEL ROOM


36
SUNDOWN


37
THE MOUNTAINS AND MARYANN


38
THE PONY MAN


39
DON QUIXOTE


40
POOR LITTLE ALISON


41
(That's What You Get) FOR LOVIN' ME


Gordon Lightfoot Live 1972 with Good Guitar








wWw

Animated Sci-Fi from French creators made in Czechoslovakia

LA PLANÈTE SAUVAGE
[THE WILD PLANET /"FANTASTIC PLANET"]

directed by René Laloux
designed by Roland Topor
based on novel by Stefan Wul

produced by among others Krátký Film Praha
in french
France & Czechoslovakia 1973




5 Characters
7 Scenery
7 Camerawork

3 Thrill
4 Conflict
2 Humour

4 Psychology
6 Philosophy
7 Fantasy

4 Composition
7 Music
8 Concept

= 64


I now give 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, where 3 is good
and total possible 7 X 12 = 84 never exist(?)




Seen it with original french sound of course, though here is an english speaking example clip:
middle of Wild Planet : Playing with Humans [Oms]





as my SnowBlack Movie # 1451

including some spoilers


most Beautiful scene:
as four Om girls with half-bare breasts makes a boy get new clothes woven by slimy animals, then dancing around him while laughing


most Happy scene:
as the relatively wise Maître Sinh tells daughter Tiwa she can keep the baby Om, which this very om Terr in retrospection tells saved his life - and maybe a whole civilisation

most Grumpy scene:
as Terr gets a necklace and Tiwa gets the bracelet with a control stick to steer Terr back to her

most Crazy scene:
as a big bird seems to be caged, but still in the middle of nature, easily kills many other birds

most Shy scene:
as the small Om happens to see the grownup Draags meditate, and must wonder why they change shape?


most Explosive scene:
as big Draag children plays with little Oms, making two women fight tied together in their hairs

most Meditative scene:
as we're finally shown the Draags rocket graveyard, where Oms want to build a new city, with magic machines inspired by Draags knowledge

most Wise scene:
as the Oms tests the gigantic headphone (after had dragging it around in nature) which transmits knowledge memories into ones brain




wWw

on Clarion Post into 2014 by "Port du Soleil"