Great songs & Great lyrics: The Power of Love - Frankie goes to Hollywood

This song I have been thinking about blogging about such a long time, but forgot. This is one of the loveliest songs about love ever. It's very universal in it's lyrics and quite simple and somehow makes me shred at tear or too, but as you know by now I am a very easily moved person ;) And it somehow also felt like the right day to blog this one :) I also really like the fact that the music video has a slight Jesus-story going. To me the whole point of the Christian faith is love and the most important in my own strange interpretation of it. Care about others and they will care about you. Care about yourself and you'll care about others.
So here it is: The Power of Love.


LYRICS:

Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure

I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove

Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

It's also quite interesting that this song is on the same album of Frankie goes to Hollywood as "Relax". That is a very very different feeling song and video, but also great in it's own way :) hehe

Friday Fun: Liam Lynch - United States of Whatever

United States of Whatever came out when I lived at a student dorm about 5 years ago. Two boys in my dorm played it all the time and I still think it's very very funny and very lovely ironic and over the top. The perfect sing along song in many ways. Liam Lynch himself is also quite an interesting guy. Among tons of other stuff he has done has directed some quite amazing music videos like "Times like these" for Foo Fighters and "Tribute" by Tenacious D. Here is the video for United States of Whatever. Enjoy! :)

Great documentaries: J K Rowling

As you might know, if you have been reading my blog, I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I found this amazing documentary about J K Rowling and her last preparations before releasing the last Harry Potter book: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". It even covers the moment when she finishes the book and follows her for a year. It gives a very person and touching portrait of J K. You really understand how the books became what they did, when you hear her life story and more about her as a person. I especially love the beginning where she is asked what is her favorite virtue etc. It says so much about her as a person that I am not even sure she is saying herself. Me personally I have tears in my eyes again as I watch it... Such a beautiful human being and such an amazing story and creative mind. I just reread "The Deathly Hallows", and it's just amazing. So many details, such Shakespearian plotting and the talents equaling Agatha Christie when it comes to complex and thrilling writing, not revealing the truth until the last moment and bending and twisting what you think along the way.

Here it is: enjoy!

Film: Oscars 2009 - The musical is back!

I haven't been able to watch the Oscars yet, but I just found some of the amazing numbers that Hugh Jackman, this years host, does in the show. The first one is in the very beginning in the show and is fun, dramatic, beautiful and made me burst in to tears and remember why I love the theater.

And the second is from a genius musical medley later in the show with Beyoncé and several other :)

New music: Youthmovies

I have always liked the rhythms of prog-rock but it's been something about the sound of the whole thing that has killed it for me so far. Maybe it's just me that has been a bit ignorant, but it has often sounded so so very 70's and 80's rock in the way the instruments sound, the horrible keyboards and rock-80's-vocals.

Last night on Last.fm a miracle happened. I found the amazing band Youthmovies! They play crazy prog-rock-jazz music with a British rock of the 90's sound. At least I think so. Very exciting and surprising, because for the first 2 minutes or so it sounds quite ordinary and then suddenly very strange things start to happen and it takes you away and sends you for a strange and long trip and at the end you end up where you started. Definitively my kind of music!!! Love how they use a trumpet and love the vocals. Enjoy!

This is my favorite songs so far: If You'd Seen A Battlefield and on their homepage you can see a lot more fun stuff and a great interview very strange and very funny people. Makes you wonder if they are really high.

Apparently this is also Mathrock? I think that might be a really good genre for me, so more about that later :)



This is the video for "The Naughtiest girl is a monitor" (remember high quality) Not that exciting song, but thought it was time for you to see what they look like.

Euro song: the Norwegian winner: Alexander Rybak - Fairytale

"Euro Song" is a very strange European phenomena. All countries in Europe have a certain amounts of song in a national final and then the winner from each country go onto a European final. The winner is chosen by televotes from all of the nations that participate. The votes are given by calling up each country and then they give their votes. Earlier when eastern Europe was not really taking part, this would include every single point, but now the lover points appear automatically and is counted like that. Only the highest points (10 and 12) is given directly from the presenter of that country. I'll try to find some photos of this. For years and years the music was only one genre almost. Very very popy and "eurotrashy", but a few years ago everything started to change and then a Finnish metal actually won, so it's getting better. The whole thing has being going on for over 50 years with annual concerts. The shows are always big and you feel like some strange kind of unity when everyone around Europe gathers around their TVs at the same.

In Norway Euro Song is known as the program that everybody love to hate. Everybody say they hate it, but at the same time they sit down and watch it. Norway that generally is a bit of an underdog-land in Europe always wants desperately to win and the last years we have had some quite good songs. Last year we got all the way to 5th place :D

This weekend the Norwegian final was held and the Norwegian winner: Alexander Rybak, won by over 600 000 votes!!!! :) So he has the country behind him.

Alexander Rybak has made such an amazing blend of eastern folk music and Norwegian folk music that this has to be good. Very charming guy and the most amazing dancers doing Norwegian folk dancing, that suddenly remind me a lot of break dancing. Alexander has written the song himself, singes with amazing feeling and plays violin like a little good. Such a charming young man, so we hope he can charm his way all the way to the victory :) Here is a clip from the national finals Here is a bit of the voting, where the swedes make fun of the fact that they can't vote for themselves.

Great bands: Phoenix

Great introduction to a great band with the making of a great album. Can't believe I forgot this one in my top 15. LOVE IT :) - Phoenix - Alphabetical - French elegance.

Great songs: Ole Paus - Mitt Lille Land

"Mitt lille land" by Ole Paus is one of the most beautiful songs about Norway I know. It's something quintessential Norwegian about it. The music through the use of the Hadingfele (fiddle), but most of all the amazing lyrics. It says something about the small, strange, great and beautiful little things in life and how it is to come from this "Mitt lille land"- "My little country". For the news on Norwegian TV2 the singer Kurt Nielsen has also made a very good cover that is accompanied by very Norwegian images.

(Intense response to this post after the 22th of July 2011. I am glad I can help and humble.)

Here is the original version and this is the Kurt Nielsen version.





Mitt lille land
Et lite sted, en håndfull fred
slengt ut blant vidder og fjord

Mitt lille land
Der høye fjell står plantet
mellom hus og mennesker og ord
Og der stillhet og drømmer gror
Som et ekko i karrig jord

Mitt lille land
Der havet stryker mildt og mykt
som kjærtegn fra kyst til kyst

Mitt lille land
Der stjerner glir forbi
og blir et landskap når det blir lyst
mens natten står blek og tyst

Mitt lille land
Et lite sted en håndfull fred
slengt ut blant vidder og fjord

Mitt lille land
Der høye fjell står plantet
mellom hus og mennesker og ord
Og der stillhet og drømmer gror
Som et ekko i karrig jord

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My little country
A little place, a handful of peace
thrown out among mountain plateau and fjords

My little country
Where high mountains are planted
among houses, people and words
Where silence and dreams grow
Like an echo in barren earth

My little country
Where the sea pats mild and soft
like it's caressing from coast to coast

My little country
Where stars glide by
and becomes landscapes when it gets lighter
while the night stands there - bleak and silent

My little country
A little place, a handful of peace
thrown out among mountain plateau and fjords

My little country
Where high mountains are planted
among houses, people and words
Where silence and dreams grow
Like an echo in barren earth

15 albums of my life

This is really a facebook thing, but since I wanted to share it with all of you, I put it here, and this will also end up in facebook notes, so all is good :)


Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!


---------------------------------

As chronological as possible

A-Ha - Hunting High and Low
This is the first album I remember buying at the age of 6 and I totally loved it. It was the perfect clever pop-synth of a 6 year old. Still love the album

Guns n' Roses - Use the illusion I
I think this started my craziness for guitars and guitar solos. Amazing rock album and I still love it. November Rain is still one of the greatest albums ever made. Perfect for a 12 year old :)

Nirvana - Live in NY MTV acoustic
This changed the whole way me and all my generation looked on music I think, though we didn't heard about Nirvana before Kurt was dear, I think ;)

Aerosmith - Living on the Edge
Oh, how we loved Crazy and Cryin'. Record listening and taping of videos onto vhs when I was 14.

The September When - Hugger Mugger
Opened my eyes for the great Norwegian band The September When and made me go out and buy everything they ever made and obsessively love it forever and know all the lyrics. Nice for a 15 year old.

Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill
Girlpower in a cool way not the stupid spice girl way. Lovely for a 16 year old.

Blur - Blur
This album opened my head and ears to a whole musical world. I had never heard anything like the guitar on Essex Dogs, and still love it.

R.E.M - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Started my relationship with R.E.M. I loved this album and we liked it so much that we even used it for a theatre performance, how advantage of us ;)

Radiohead - Ok Computer
Amazing, mind numbing, and so so filled with love on all levels.

Kent - Isola
Bought on a Swedish gas station outside Gothenburg on the way to Praha by bus with my high school senior class. Listened to it all the way there and back. Turned out to be the foundation of a friendship a few years later.

Jeff Buckley - Grace
So beautiful, so clever, so sad. Bought in Poland on another study trip and listened to all the way home.

Elliott Smith - XO
Not sure if this was the first one I bought of Elliott, but I pretty soon loved all his stuff and this is one of the albums I love most of all.

Travis - The Invisible Band
Remember buying it and sitting on the train station and thinking how much I loved ever song.. Amazing :) Sparked my whole love for Travis.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Amazing energy and cool guitars and vocals. Just a very very good debut album

The Raconteurs-Broken Boy Soldiers /Consolers of the Lonely Bought these two at ones. Lovely nice to the soul, deep, blues sound from the heart. listened to this all through the summer of 2008.

Great Musicians: Johnny Marr and guitars

I found a very very cool clip of Johnny Marr ( The Smiths guitarist) so I had to add this as a follow up on the last post. Johnny talks about how he fell in love with guitars and plays a little bit of... "There is a light the never goes out" This is the man that all the guitarists of the Brit-pop wanted to be, so I need to listen to him more and also check out that Rickenbacker. Loves the kind of double thing he does in the beginning... Almost sounds like two guitars at once. What is that? Anyone that can help an effect novice out? :)

Musical Memories: The Smiths - There is a light that never goes out

Back in the early days of the internet, when IRC was the cool thing and long before mp3's an American that I randomly talked to sent me two songs of a band I had never heard before. The songs where "There is a light that never goes out" and " How soon is now" by The Smiths. Little did I know how legendary these two songs all ready were in the world and how they still are. I just remember totally falling in love with the lyrics of There is a light that never goes out and also the melody and the softness of Morrissey's voice. This lyrics was written for a person of about 16 years old with all it's dreams of never ending love and the naivety of that. It's somehow really tragic, but also about teenage love. At least I felt so. I half wanted to be the person in that, half was glad I didn't die like that. This was before I heard more songs of The Smiths and realized something really irritating, but I still love the softness of the voice and the lyrics.

Take me out tonight
Where theres music and theres people
And theyre young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one
Anymore

Take me out tonight
Because I want to see people and i
Want to see life
Driving in your car
Oh, please dont drop me home
Because its not my home, its their
Home, and Im welcome no more

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

Take me out tonight
Take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
And in the darkened underpass
I thought oh god, my chance has come at last
(but then a strange fear gripped me and i
Just couldnt ask)

Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one, da ...
Oh, I havent got one

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

Oh, there is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out

Radiohead at the Grammys

Sometimes old institutions and traditions needs a bit of shaking up, and not surprisingly did Radiohead just that when they played at the Grammys last night. 15 step was performed by Thom and Jonny and The USC Marching Band. . Amazing stuff!! I wish it had been better sound at this clip though so I could hear the details. Hope someone posts that later, while we wait for that: here.

And OHH!!! The won Best Alternative Album! YEEEAH!!

Great music videos: U2 -Sweetest Thing

This weekend is U2-weekend on WH1 in Norway and even maybe all over Europe? Anyways.. They have so so many great videos (and songs of course) but it's one that always breaks my heart and makes me shed a tear or two. It's the very very sweet song "Sweetest Thing".

The song was allegedly written by Bono as an apology to his wife Ali Hewson for forgetting her birthday during The Joshua Tree sessions. At Alison's request, proceeds from the single went to her favored charity, Chernobyl Children's Project International. In the video, directed by Kevin Godley, the phrase "I'm sorry" (and some variations) can be spotted. Cameo appearances in the video include Riverdance, Boyzone, Steve Collins, the Artane Boys Band, and the Chippendales. The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Norman Hewson (Bono's brother), Dik Evans (The Edge's brother), and Alison Hewson, appear in the video as well, along with Bono. More here

Bono really shows how expressive his face can be and he really has his heart on his sleeve and are not so much the usual very cool and untouchable. You can really tell how much emotion it is connected with this song and it's so so cute and so funny. I think my favorite moment might be the little dog with the white flag. A very great idea for a video for a very very cute song. I think any wife in the world would melt when she got such an apology. Enjoy! (And yes, that is his wife in the beginning)

Australian awakening and Great covers: Sia - Paranoid Android

Grettings from an extreemly snowy Norway! Been out walking through lots of snow with guitar, bakcpack and handbag for two days now.. Sigh.. Good to be home..

Sia is another of the great Australians.. I was really glad I found out that it was her singing Electric Bird. I have heard that song for so long and wondered who it was. On Spotify I found this amazing version she does of Paranoid Android. The intensity of her voice in this one reminds me a bit of Beth Gibbons and Tori Amos and the strings in the bakground is perfectly "sick", strange and creepy.. Might be the best Radiohead cover I have ever heard. Gives me chills :) Here

New music: Australian awakening - Spiderbait

Sometimes one is just very lucky when it comes to finding new music and this has happily happened to me again. A few days back "inuitwomb" on Last.fm (great nick by the way ;), or Benn as he is really called, posted me a shout. He had found at that we had a quite similar taste in music and it's always good to meet people like that, that like a lot of the same thing as you and also a whole lot of other great things that you have never heard.

For a long time I have had this thought in the back of my head that it has to be a lot of great Australian music out there that I have never heard. The only thing I know that is Australian is Kylie Minouge and AC/DC... There had to be more than that coming from down under. So as Benn is Australian I asked him for some new cool Australian music and my oh my! I am glad I did. He on the spot gave me about 15 bands I have never heard of. I am now on my third band and I have LOVED everything so far, and that is very rare...

So people.. brace yourself for a lot of Australian coming from me to you in the time ahead!

First up is "Spiderbait" an amazing rock band.. One of the coolest things is that the drummer is actually also the bands singer and they have a guitarist and a female bass player. I must have heard them before, at least their single "Black Betty" was very familiar to me. It's very typichal down to earth bad ass rock, and I think they have music that are not just like that, but I haven't heard anything yet. They kind of remind me of a mix between The Pixies and Foo Fighters and PJ Harvey, Audioslave and Ida Maria right now... And there is some old school rock ala Ac/dc in there too. Great stuff. I give you Black Betty...

Ah.... and I of course now realized that Black Betty is really a classic song covered by tons of people.. that's why I knew it... Stupid me (Slap of hand to the head). But anyways Spiderbait's version is definitively the best one I have heard (and I have now heard quite a few as I have been looking for their version .. hehe) (You can see the video in HQ if you have Last.fm on the Last.fm page)