Here is a short overview of a few LEM models with distinct local features:
Nachdem ich allerlei über den Film gelesen, war ich ausgesprochen positiv überrascht, als ich am Wochenende My Blueberry Nights im Kino sah. Der erste Akt gehört zum Schönsten, was ich auf der großen Leinwand bislang gesehen habe. Wohlgemerkt tritt Natalie Portman (die einmal mehr ihre Wandlungsfähigkeit demonstriert) darin noch gar nicht auf.
Ach ja, und mit mir in der Nachbarschaft hätten sich die beiden auf problemlos so kennen gelernt. Würde der Film My Marmor Nights heißen, sähe die Sache dagegen ganz anders aus.
Mike Oldfield hat mit seinem neuen Album “Music of the Spheres” ein Meisterwerk abgeliefert! Die elektronikfreie Instrumentierung hindert ihn nicht daran, mittels Orchester und Akustikgitarre üppige Klanglandschaften zu erschaffen, die voller Harmonien und Melodien sind. Wie das erste Wort des Albumtitels verspricht, gibt es reinste Musik; verträumt, verspielt, verzückend. Ich bin begeistert!
Hier ist eine völlig subjektive Top5-Liste. Dass die meisten Stücke darin schwer bzw. gar nicht (mehr) im regulären (deutschen) Handel erhältlich sind, ist in meinen Augen ein Indiz für die latente Unfähigkeit der Musikindustrie.
Und hier ist eine ebenso subjektive Top5-Liste der Stücke, die es nicht in die obige Liste geschafft haben.
Die Hooters haben ein Video zu ihrer aktuellen Single “I’m Alive” gebastelt. Und wie das Leben so spielt, hüpfe ich darin zweimal durchs Bild (nach 0:23 bzw. 2:05 Minuten). Klar, es gibt bessere Lieder und bessere Videos, aber als Hooters-Fan freut es mich. Nun bleibt zu hoffen, dass die Band im Sommer wieder in Europa tourt und ordentlich rockt.
Back in the early 90s I bought “Theatre of Fate” when it was first released in Europe (I was only 13!), and I followed Angra’s career rather attentively, but I never got around to see Andre Matos live. Last Friday, I finally got the opportunity to change this. Andre Matos and his guitarist Andre Hernandez played an acoustic show at a record store in Hannover. There were no more than 30 people and the musicians decided to play literally unplugged, transforming the melodic metal songs off the records into fragile ballads. I was surprised how great the songs sounded. The vocals were full of passion and covered an impressive dynamic range. The melodica was the spice in the songs, especially the middle part of “Carry On”. All through the event Matos made entertaining remarks in German and appeared to enjoy the intimate setting. (Einen längeren deutschen Bericht gibt es bei Vampster.com!)
Last minute line-up changes, lack of setlist changes (let alone surprises), and a rather reserved (but very attentive) audience impeeded the concert at the Café Hahn from becoming an outstanding concert experience. Still, the Brandos are still an outstanding band even under these circumstences. There were the amazing harmony vocals on songs like “The Keeper” and “Walking Home”. There was the inevitable Irish part of the show that gained a lot applause. There was dense atmosphere of old (“Nothing To Fear”) and new (“The Triangle Fire”) masterpieces. And, of course, there was Dave Kincaid’s performance which was up there among the Springsteens and Fogertys.
This one was inspired by another friend of mine – or rather by the Michael Owen poster above her bed. It’s basically a song about fandom and its possibly lethal side effects. I pirated the main melody from an old song of mine called “Victualia”. The lyrics came out quite effortless and influenced the arrangement a lot. I recorded the song on the 27th June 2002. All instruments appear courtesy of my keyboard. For the first time I double-tracked the vocals one octave higher, which came out pretty nice considering my total lack of singing talent.
Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the stadium’s gate
She’s his fan, owns a thousand pictures
He’s in her dreams at night
Watching him play makes her heart go boom
Yeah, he makes her feel alright
Yeah, he makes her feel alright
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the stadium’s gate
She attends every match and afterwards
She’s waiting at the stadium’s gate
Hoping that someday she will meet him there
To tell him “You’re so great!”
To tell him “You’re so great!”
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Stalking him at the stadium’s gate
Then one day, as if in a dream
She really met him there
He said: “Hi, I’m Michael! How are you?”
It made her grasp for air
It made her grasp for air
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Meeting him at the stadium’s gate
She was so excited, her heart stood still
She was happy as can be
But without her heart-beat she couldn’t live
So she died there instantly
She died there instantly
Cos she’s in love
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Cos he’s so cute and he’s so great
She’s in love with Michael Owen
Waiting for him at the heaven’s gate(words and music by Johannes Schult)
This is a song about graveyard tourism. It was inspired by a friend of mine, who thankfully isn’t as obsessed as the person in the song; but she does have the habit of visiting the graves of famous people. Tom Waits was a huge inspiration regarding the music and the vocals of this track. Who would have thought that? I made up the chords and melodies as I went along. I started out with the main rhythm and some minor chords on the acoustic guitar. The modulation after the first chorus is a homage to “Theme from Rawhide” by the legendary Blues Brothers. The initial song structure sounded way too nice, so I added lots of chromatic runs, all played on my keyboard. I do love the Wannabe-Mellotron-flute moment during the last chorus. The recording took place on the 5th and 6th October 2003. The second day was dominated by the vocals, which took forever. It also happened to be the day a new neighbour was moving in. It must have been rather confusing to hear my voice through the door. Anyway, the lesson learned during the making of “Graveyard Girl” was: there is no such thing as overdoing weird, noisy overdubs.
Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)
I saw her on the graveyard
Dressed in black
There between the tombstones
She was talking to the dead
Kurt Cobain, George Harrison
Mozart and Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As long as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
Yes she isI saw her at the grave of Freddie Mercury
I saw her at the grave of J.R.R. Tolkien
J.F.K., George Harrison
Beethoven, Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As long as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she isAnd then one day she realized that she’s been to every graveyard on earth. Still, she couldn’t get enough. So she bought a gun and went…
Johnny Cash, George Harrison
John Lennon and Jim Morrison
Famous people make her day
As soon as they have passed away
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl
She’s a graveyard girl, yes she is(words and music by Johannes Schult)
Ich bin von dem Film als Gesamtwerk schwer beeindruckt. Worum geht es? Die Geschichte erinnert mich immer wieder an “Das Versprechen” (von Dürrenmatt; den Film und die Neuverfilmung habe nicht gesehen). Es geht damit los, dass in Boston ein vierjähriges Kind verschwunden ist und dessen Tante und Onkel ein Privatdetektivpaar engagieren, welches zusätzlich zur bzw. mit Polizei nach dem vermissten Kind suchen soll. Regisseur Ben Affleck (der für Good Will Hunting einst einen Drehbuch-Oscar gewann) hat den Stoff mit einer Konsequenz verfilmt, wie ich sie zuletzt bei Spielbergs München erlebt habe; falls das als Aussage irgendwie Sinn macht. Auf alle Fälle ist Gone Baby Gone definitiv sehenswerter und aufwühlender Film geworden, den ich sehr empfehlen kann.