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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 12, 2015 19:10:46 GMT
Hello, guys! Last time I picked something really easy like the Beatles’ “Abbey Road”. Now I’m going to go to the other extreme and pick something really challenging, at least in one particular aspect. First of all, I’ll make use of two options Jim gave us: 1) Featuring a set of songs from a band instead of an album. It’s highly unlikely that anyone will ever come up with one particular album of theirs, so the idea is to have a contact with the band, not with an album. In any case, their musical leit motiv has remained pretty consistent through their extensive career. 2) Music in a language other than English. Regarding this point, it’s not Spanish as some of you may have suspected. Spanish is too easy. How about some Swedish? From the land of the Vikings comes Gyllene Tider (“Golden Times”), a 5-member band formed by Per Gessle (lead voice, guitar and songwriting), Mats Persson (lead guitar and songwriting), Anders Herrlin (bass), Micke “Syd” Andersson (drums) and Göran Fritzon (keyboards). The band was formed in 1976 in Halmstad and dissolved in 1985, with several temporary reunions after that. In 2004 their concert in Gothenburg set a record audience for the country with 58,984 fans in attendance. About their musical style and their lyrics, Wikipedia says: “ The band is well known for its catchy choruses and light-weight lyrics about summer, teenage love and life in a small town in Sweden”. en.wikipedia.org/?title=Gyllene_TiderI’m going to provide you with two links for each song, the first one with a good live version and the second one with the studio original version of the song so you can choose. I’d recommend you the live versions because Gyllene Tider’s music is not so much about the details but about the strength, vibe and energy, and they are fantastic playing live (plus you can watch images while listening), but of course it’s up to you. If you can, mention in the review if you opted for the studio takes or the live versions. 01- Det är över nu [It’s over now] LIVE02- Solsken [Sunshine] LIVE03- (Hon vill ha) Puls [(She wants) Pulse] LIVE04- När alla vännerna gatt hem [When all friends have gone home] LIVE * up to minute 4:30 S05- (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän [(Don’t dance as good as) Sailors] LIVE06- Sommartider [Summertime] LIVE07- Kung av sand [King of sand] LIVE * only Per Gessle, Matts Persson and Anders Herrlin with other musicians, not the full GT formation 08- Min tjej och jag [My girl and me] LIVE: I couldn’t find a complete live version of the song (they always play half of it). STUDIO09- När vi två blir en [When us two become one] LIVE10- Juni, Juli, Augusti [June, July, August] LIVE
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Post by jrmugz on Jul 12, 2015 19:32:33 GMT
Sounds very cool Helmut, looking forward to hearing what these guys are all about. Look for feedback in next few days from me!
Jim
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Post by Chippa on Jul 13, 2015 22:56:37 GMT
It’s Over Now – Very reminiscent of Cheap Trick. I use the term ear candy a lot in my reviews, but that’s what this is. Very catchy and hummable. Sunshine – The first thing that hits me is how much it reminds me of “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. Straight up power pop. Pretty good. Pulse- Kicks off sounding like “…And She Was” by The Talking Heads. Bouncy and fun. Good harmonies. When All Friends Have Gone Home – Anthemic, lighter waver. It reminds me, in parts, of another foreign language song, “Eres Tu” by Mocedades. Sailors – Some punk-like elements to this song. Nice, basic pop/rock. Summertime – “Mony Mony” meets The Bay City Rollers. Again, very catchy. King Of Sand – Had to listen to the live version of this one, cause the studio version is blocked in the US. Sounds A LOT like “First Cut Is The Deepest” by Rod Stewart. Decent song, if a bit long. Girl In A Cole Porter Song – Great title! The song, on the other hand, is forgettable. Very cheesy sounding, aside from some nice harmonies. When Us Two Become One – Generic sounding reggae. Not good. June, July, August – Again the studio version is blocked, so had to listen to the live version. Great melody. Nice hooks. Very summery song, for sure. Never heard of this band, until now, but I’m glad I gave them a listen. Some pretty interesting stuff. Sweden comes through, once again.
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 14, 2015 0:47:11 GMT
Thanks for the review, Chippa. A couple of comments about your comments: - I was waiting to see if anyone realized about the similarity between " Kung av sand" and " The first cut is the deepest" (the original is by Cat Stevens, although there were many covers like Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crowe, etc...) and it was spotted already on the first review. The verse is way too similar indeed. I think the credit of " Kung av sand" to GT goes just for the chorus, which I find very good and it's the part of the song which is not a ripoff. - " Juni, Juli, Augusti" is indeed, as you guessed (or understood ), about how life blossoms during the months of summer in Sweden, as opposed to the rest of the year which is really cold there.
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Post by queenofthehours on Jul 15, 2015 14:09:52 GMT
I haven't heard of these guys but I'm expecting great things!
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 16, 2015 6:05:16 GMT
Aiming at bringing back the "self-review", which I think provided some interesting insight and sometimes contributed a few facts about the album or band that you were posting (barring the obviety that you like it), here goes mine:
01- Det är över nu [It’s over now]: this song is pretty much it's chorus. The verse is not extraordinary and is just a buildup for the chorus, which is the point where everything explodes in an amazing way. The guitar solo is great IMO and adds to the climax of the final part of the song.
02- Solsken [Sunshine]: very warm, simple, happy song, puts me in a good mood every time I listen to it. No big harmonic pretentions on this one, just plain and simple pop energy with a well-shaped melody. The guitar solo pretty much reproduces what the voice does.
03- (Hon vill ha) Puls [(She wants) Pulse]: this song is simple to an extreme, yet somehow it works, at least for me. It features a verse which goes entirely over one chord (except for a few bass note changes) and a 3-chords chorus which repeats itself over an organ riff. I think it's secret is it's strength, provided very much by the bass drum, which (by chance or not) ressembles to heart pulsations.
04- När alla vännerna gatt hem [When all friends have gone home]: touching slow song (anthemic, as Chippa said) about what goes through your mind once the party is over and you are left alone in your bed looking at the ceiling. It has become the closing song for every Gyllene Tider live gig.
05- Sjömän [Sailors]: the oldest song of the set, this one belongs to GT's first album, and you can realize in the quite raw production of the studio version (that's why I recommend the live versions, because they give a more full dimension to the song and make them justice better). It's kind of a punk song, in which -contrary to most GT songs- the chorus is standard but the verse is what makes it great.
06- Sommartider [Summertime]: not one of my favourites, that's for sure (I find it cheesy), but I HAD to include it only because it's their biggest hit. I've got to admit, though, that I can understand why it was such a big hit: it's chorus is insanely catchy and sticky. In fact, if you give it a second listen tomorrow you are going to find yourself humming in Swedish for the rest of the day.
07- Kung av sand [King of sand]: as said before, you've got to credit GT only for the epic chorus of this song, as the verse is pretty much a ripoff of Cat Stevens' "First cut is the deepest" (which BTW is a good song IMO).
08- Min tjej och jag [my girl and me]: well, I left my favorites for the end. I freaking love this weird little song. It's childish (you'll notice the onomatopoeic babbling on the lyrics), yet groovy and fun, with a great melody and some nice harmonies. Nice instrumental work by the bass and the harmonica too. It is the only song which doesn't feature Per Gessle on lead vocals but drummer Mycke "Syd" Andersson.
09- När bit två blir en [When we two become one]: what can I say about this one? My favorite GT song and easily in my top-10 ever. Brilliant reggae-pop song, with an amazing melody and some quick chord changes which back that melody, providing it with an extra dose of strength. Also a very big GT hit. Again, don't waste your time on the badly produced studio version, go to the live one if you want to hear this song at it's best.
10- Juni, Juli, Augusti [June, July, August]: beautiful, beautiful song. Really inspired. No matter the lyrics, I could swear the concept of the song (precious summer months in Sweden) gets to me throughout it's music, a mixture of happiness, melancholy and hope. The guitar riff gives it a particular touch and the chorus makes for a great singalong.
When choosing something to share with you guys on this section, you never know what others may like or not, so my aim was choosing something that didn't bore you. In that aspect, I couldn't think of a better option than Gyllene Tider. Maybe you'll like them, maybe not, but I'm confident that if you dislike them it won't be because you fell asleep half way through.
Gyllene Tider is all about the melody. From a harmonic point of view, they rarely go through unexplored territory or try difficult things. Strange chords sequences, risky harmonies, countermelodies, many sound layers, style fusions and other innovations are not their thing, so it is likely that people who are more into, for example, progressive rock might find their stuff too simple. What they do is lively, energic, straightforward pop in which, as said, a strong melody should always be the star; no pretentions if intellectuality whatsoever. Of course sticking to harmonically simple formulas doesn't mean doing always the same thing or always sounding the same, as the songs are different and you'll notice some have influences from different genres.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 2:22:56 GMT
I listened to the live links your provided, Helmut, and was immediately impressed by the energy of this band.
Having never heard of them, I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked what I heard for the most part.
The best song here is When All Friends Have Gone Home. This could have been a radio hit here in the US, very easily. I have to wonder why they never made an impact here? ABBA did. Roxette did. So why not another Swedish group?
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Post by jrmugz on Jul 17, 2015 2:33:55 GMT
I'll try to finish my review tomorrow, Helmut. Been slammed all week at work, but knock on wood tomorrow may be a slight break in the action.
Jim
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Post by 88keys on Jul 17, 2015 6:05:29 GMT
I listened to the studio versions, and this is how they rank in my opinion.
The Great It’s Over Now June, July, August Sailors
The Good Sunshine King Of Sand Pulse
The OK Girl In A Cole Porter Song When All Friends Have Gone Home
The Bad When Us Two Become One My Girl And Me
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 17, 2015 6:40:55 GMT
I'm glad you liked it, Brax, thanks for the feedback. And I'm glad you chose the live versions, they really make a difference. I listened to the live links your provided, Helmut, and was immediately impressed by the energy of this band. Having never heard of them, I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked what I heard for the most part. The best song here is When All Friends Have Gone Home. This could have been a radio hit here in the US, very easily. I have to wonder why they never made an impact here? ABBA did. Roxette did. So why not another Swedish group? You know, I wonder the same as you: why didn't they make an impact outside of Sweden? In my opinion many of their songs could have been worldwide hits. At the same time, I think I know the answer to your question: they sing in Swedish. Both ABBA and Roxette sung in English, while Gyllene Tider remained stuck to Swedish. Few people around the world would pay attention to something which is not sung either in their local language or in English.
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 17, 2015 6:43:18 GMT
Thanks for the feedback, 88keys! I hope the fact that you found 3 songs which you qualified as great and a few others as good means the whole listen was worthy.
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 17, 2015 7:03:24 GMT
You know guys, Brax's comment confirmed me that I was right about the live versions being better and catching all the energy the songs should have had since the beginning (when they started they had a very limited budget for production and as a result many of their early songs sound feeble), so I'm going to go all authoritarian and remove the studio links. Trust me, it's better for you...
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Post by jrmugz on Jul 18, 2015 12:11:51 GMT
OK Helmut, here is my review of Gillette After-shave, aka Gylenne Tider. 01- Det är över nu [It’s over now] - All the ingredients of a great 80's rock song. Sounds really good. 02- Solsken [Sunshine] - Weird Al Yankovic hits Daytona Beach, though not sure if the lyrics are humorous or not. Ha ha. 03- (Hon vill ha) Puls [(She wants) Pulse] - Best one yet, wish I knew the English words. Nice keyboard rhythm. Great live version and guitar solo. 04- När alla vännerna gatt hem [When all friends have gone home] - I was expecting them to sing "Sister Christian know the time has come. ..." Nice one! Like it. 05- (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän [(Don’t dance as good as) Sailors] - Very cool tune. Like it a lot. 06- Sommartider [Summertime] - Man, these guys draw in the crowds and bring down the house! Straightforward summer fun tune. Thank God it was not mony mony! Love the chorus! 07- Kung av sand [King of sand] - Knock knock knockin' on the sandman's door! Very nice, really liked it. 08- Min tjej och jag - What happened to girl in a Cole Porter song? Anyways, this is a GREAT song. Manfred Mann meets The Beach Boys. Fits the summer mode perfect, beautiful summer day over here! [My girl and me] 09- När vi två blir en - A fun song about MARRIED love, no doubt. [When us two become one] - 10- Juni, Juli, Augusti - Good straightforward rock and roll tune that, per the video, captivates the audience! [June, July, August] - Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "She Wants Pulse", "King of Sand", "My Girl and Me", "It's Over Now" Bottom Line: The way rock and roll should be, straightforward, fun, and captivates the audience in it's 3 minute songs of authenticity. Thanks for sharing Helmut, now we just gotta get these guys to sing everything in English for us! But the fact that it was that enjoyable in a languare I don't understand says a lot. I agree they are a lot about the vibe, but fortunately it's not at the expense of the quality of the tunes! Another cool foreign band, thanks again Helmut. I will mark you down for next open slot which should be in a couple months. Jim
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Post by jrmugz on Jul 18, 2015 15:21:22 GMT
I'm glad you liked it, Brax, thanks for the feedback. And I'm glad you chose the live versions, they really make a difference. I listened to the live links your provided, Helmut, and was immediately impressed by the energy of this band. Having never heard of them, I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked what I heard for the most part. The best song here is When All Friends Have Gone Home. This could have been a radio hit here in the US, very easily. I have to wonder why they never made an impact here? ABBA did. Roxette did. So why not another Swedish group? You know, I wonder the same as you: why didn't they make an impact outside of Sweden? In my opinion many of their songs could have been worldwide hits. At the same time, I think I know the answer to your question: they sing in Swedish. Both ABBA and Roxette sung in English, while Gyllene Tider remained stuck to Swedish. Few people around the world would pay attention to something which is not sung either in their local language or in English. Yeah, definitely my thoughts, if they sang in English, they would be pretty big. Jim
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Post by Helmut83 on Jul 18, 2015 18:24:42 GMT
Thanks for the review Jim. I'm glad you found it good enough and that you shared my taste for that weird little gem called "Min tjej och jag". You can rest assured that Gyllene Tider's lyrics are quite on the innocent side. Much of it is about love but from a naive teenage perspective ("When us two become one" isn't a lust song, despite the title might make you think otherwise), while the rest is stories about Swedish imaginary characters: - "Sailors" is about a Swedish sailor that goes to New York to pursue a career as a dancer and finds himself dancing with New York ladies. -"King of sand" is a sad song about a poor guy that drifts around the town's harbor because he has lost a love (kind of like the town's madman, as I understand it): the chorus goes " Here comes the king of sand, here comes the king of nothing at all". -"My girl and me" is about the guy and his girlfriend having an own language that the rest of the world doesn't understand but they do. And so... 06- Sommartider [Summertime] - Man, these guys draw in the crowds and bring down the house! Well, this is what I was talking about. If you hear the studio version (with a very rough production) it tells you nothing, while in the live one you can see all the energy that this band brings while, as you said in another part, not losing quality. 08- Min tjej och jag - What happened to girl in a Cole Porter song? Eeehhmmm, maybe she became the guy's girlfriend and turned into "My girl and me"... haha, I cheated a bit here: I corrected another mistake I made (posting "Girl in a Cole Porter song"... I had made the whole set in a rush) and replaced it by "My girl and me" which is so much better. In case you are still curious about it (there isn't a full live version either): Flickan i en Cole Porter sångBottom Line: The way rock and roll should be, straightforward, fun, and captivates the audience in it's 3 minute songs of authenticity. Exactly, that's how I feel, only that I would change the term "rock and roll" for "pop". But when talking about good pop, I think this is the way it should be: straightforward, melody-based and full of energy. I'd really like to find more bands that do this kind of stuff.
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