R.E.M. and Paul Young

 Hi

 I know you may be wondering what R.E.M. and Paul Young have to do with each other; the answer is: not a lot, really, except that I've recently been listening to and enjoying music from both of them.

 When I first heard that R.E.M. had split up, it didn't really mean a lot to me. I wasn't really familiar with R.E.M.; the only song I could have named as being by them was Everybody Hurts.

 However, I quickly found out that they were the ones who sung Losing My Religion; a song that has gained special significance for me this summer. And further investigation revealed that they were also the band behind Bad Day, the iconic video for which I had seen once on TV; I had enjoyed the song since but never really knew who it was by.

 So, it turns out I have enjoyed R.E.M.'s music for a long time without realising it. Bad Day, I am so happy to have rediscovered. It is what it says on the tin really; just the perfect song to listen to when you've been having a bad day.

 And I still find the video really impressive. It is one of those where you keep spotting new things everytime you watch it. I would post the official video if I could but it seems you can't post it on Blogger : ( So you will just have to YouTube it, I'm afraid.

 Losing My Religion I first heard properly on a minibus on the way to a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition in the Lake District. It therefore stuck in my head the whole time I was there; trekking through forests, scrambling over walls, fighting my way through ferns taller than me which made me feel like a fairy or a pixie.

 The group I was in were really lovely, and so were the places we walked through. But the weather was terrible the second day, and I was slowly losing the will to live and wishing I could go home, and this song was in my head, playing over and over, the only bit I really knew...

 "I thought that I saw you laughing,
I thought that I heard you sing,
I think I thought I saw you try..."

 Except I thought the last line was, "I think I thought I saw your smile."

 And those few lines became the soundrack to that D of E expedition for me. It has a special significance for me now. I don't know what the supposed religious connotations are; I haven't listened to the whole song enough for that, nor seen the video properly. I listen to it because of what it means to me. It gave me hope and it kept me going. It will always be special to me now.

 I also like Shiny Happy People, which I discovered through Bad Day, and I really like it and especially the female singer(Kate Pierson?)'s voice, which I think is beautiful and adds so much to the song.

 Now for Paul Young... I was listening to Senza Una Donna, which I have enjoyed since I was a child, even before I understood what the Italian lyrics meant, and I saw in the related videos Everytime You Go Away, which I was pretty sure I had heard once on the radio in the car, and which I had liked. 

 So, I listened to it, and yes, it was the same song, and yes, I did enjoy it - even more, in fact, now that I heard the intro, which I think is one of the the most beautiful intros to a song that I have ever heard (it also reminds me of Love and Regret by Deacon Blue), and which epitomises the very best of the synth sound of the 80s. It is a simply beautiful song.

 So, this week I have discoevered - or re-discovered, a great deal of good music. It's just a shame that it took R.E.M. breaking up for me to realise how good they were, and how much I had always enjoyed their music without even knowing who they were.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

Songs: Bad Day - R.E.M. (2003)

           Losing my Religion - R.E.M. (1991)

           Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. (1991)

           Senza Una Donna - Zucchero and Paul Young (1991)

           Everytime You Go Away - Paul Young (1985)

P.S. I hadn't realised they were all from 1991! Must have been a good year for music! But then I guess every year is.

 Liz x

Strictly good music

 Hi!

 Yes, Strictly Come Dancing is almost upon us once more, so I thought I would do a blog post about songs I have discovered through the programme. I watched it on-off for the first few series, then started watching it regularly the year Tom Chambers won. Over the years I've supported Denise Lewis, Colin Jackson, Tom Chambers, Ricky Whittle, Scott Maslen and Matt Baker - as you will probably have noticed if you are an avid fan, my favourites do tend to come second for some reason : (

 Probably the best musical discovery I have made through the show is this song:

 Through this dance:

                                          

 Come on, you have to love it! I would learn to salsa just to be able to do that dance! As for the song, I had heard bits of it previous to it featuring on Strictly, but this was the first time I heard a good amount of it, and I realised it's a really good song - whether performed by Deniece Williams or the Strictly band. And I love the instrumental, and what they do with it in this salsa! Plus, the lyrics are just so sweet.

 Secondly, I discovered this through another of Natalie Lowe's superb dances: her waltz with Ricky Whittle.

 This is so beautiful; I loved this pair and was deperate for them to win (they came second overall). And I love the song, and I think this dance makes perfect use of it. It's truly mesmerising.

 There is also this gorgeous dance - again Natalie Lowe; this time with her professional partner Ian Waite.

 I have seen this pair live and met them afterwards, and they are both lovely : ) This dance is so moving. It also led me to the song, which I am now a huge fan of. And her dress is so stunning! I wish I had a dress just like that! Overall, an amazing song and dance, united perfectly by two brilliant dancers and choreographers.

 This final song is one I mentioned a while ago on this blog as being a real favourite of mine. I discovered it through the Strictly Come Dancing tour, where Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan danced to it. I had never heard it before, and now I don't know how I ever managed without it. It is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever come across.

 So, roll on the new series of Strictly! As a Natalie fan I will have my eye on Audley, and I am also looking forward to seeing Edwina Currie; I have met her and she is lovely. I think Harry Judd and Jason Donovan are my favourites to win. I know a lot of people have their money on Holly Valance, but I don't know much about her, so I will have to wait and see how she dances on her first Strictly show.

 I know how I have to finish this, cheesy as it may be...

 Keeeeep listening!

 (I know, I know.)

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

 Songs: Let's Hear It for the Boy - Deniece Williams (1984)

            Kissing You - Des' ree (1997)

            You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand (1978)

            Don't Know Much - Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville (1989)

Hope and Céline Dion

 Hi

 I love this song by Céline Dion; it is such a message of hope; not just in love,which seems to be the main focus of the song, but in life generally. It's a song which tells us not to give up, never to give up. Plus it's a nice song musically too!

 Because Dion does a lot of covers, I thought before hearing this song that it would be a cover of The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range (which I like), yet it is a completely different song. A very nice song, too.

I quite like how basic and minimalist the video is; in fact I generally approve of Céline Dion videos more than those of similar artists whose videos are often over-the-top and not worthy of the song they are supposed to be showcasing. Yet Céline's videos tend to be sensible and show the song in it's best light - they let the song do the talking instead of distracting from it.

 I love Céline Dion's voice. It is simply amazing. So beautiful and distinctive. She deserves a lot of the credit as she must have spent so long training it and taking care of it, yet to have a voice so unique I believe is something you have to be blessed with. And some people just are: Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Nicks and Marie Fredriksson from Roxette to name a few.

 Anyway, I will sign off for now, and remember, never give up hope.

 Liz x

 Song: That's the Way It Is - Céline Dion (1999)

Roxette and others

 Hi!

 I am back at college after the long summer, and I am enjoying it.

 Recently I have been listening to a lot of music by Deacon Blue, as well as by Céline Dion.

 I also like some of the music that is in the charts at the moment, my favourite songs in the current Top 40 being Set Fire To the Rain by Adele, and The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga.

 I have started to appreciate the sad but quite beautiful The A Team by Ed Sheeran; I didn't think a lot of it at first, but the I went to a party where I heard it a lot. I'm not complaining; I have really come to like this song.

 And, of course, there is always Roxette. They are probably my favourite band, and I will never grow weary of hearing their amazing songs such as Almost Unreal, Dangerous, It Must Have Been Love, How Do You Do, Neverending Love and Soul Deep.

 There are also the forgotten album tracks that I think are amazing and often better than their big hits.

 These include: Turn To Me, From One Heart To Another and Secrets That She Keeps from their first album Pearls of Passion and Dance Away and Half a Woman, Half a Shadow from their second album (and arguably their breakthrough album) Look Sharp!.

 There is also Small Talk and Perfect Day from Joyride and Bringing Me Down To My Knees from their 2001 album Room Service.

 Here is Turn To Me; probably my favourite Roxette song of all time. It is so chirpy and hopeful, and Marie Fredriksson's voice is stunning, as always.

 It's strange to think that this song was left off the original album of 1986, and was only included as a bonus track when Pearls of Passion was re-released in 1997. 

 I personally believe that Turn To Me is the best song on the album - a strong accolade from me, as I believe this whole album is a true gem, forgotten for too long. 

 It mixes the classic synth sounds and strong beats of the 80s with the unique Roxette sound, and in my opinion it may well be Roxette's finest album.

 That's not to say I don't love the others! Roxette went from strength to strength, and are still doing so to this day. Here is one of their recent songs, wheich I love, especially the official video.

 As you can see, I love Roxette, and I will probably tell their whole story on this blog sometime. For the time being, though, I'll sign off.

 Back to work!

 Adios.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz 

 Songs: Turn To Me - Roxette (1986)

            Way Out - Roxette (2011)

Two good old love songs

 Aloha!

 I have always been a fan of old songs; to me old songs being anything before 1995. I was brought up on compilation albums from the 80s and 90s, and the late 80s/early 90s country music of Nanci Griffith and of Alison Krauss and Union Station.

 Something; I can't remember now what it was; reminded me of this song, which I first discovered not that long ago; maybe a couple of years ago.

 This is a song I often forget about, but when something reminds me of it I always listen to it and it puts a smile on my face. The rhythm is infectious; it is hard to resist the temptation to clap the beat like the mysterious gloved hands do in the video. 

 It is a nice, laid back song to listen to, which can really put you in a better mood. The story is also told well and with real emotion. I've just looked the song up and found out that it was number one in America for four weeks, which I think was well-deserved.

 For me, it is absolutely impossible to think of Jack and Diane without thinking of this next song, which I discovered around the same time, and which somehow I find to be very similar to it.

 Both songs have the two people the song is about as the title, and both songs are very raw; with quite a basic tune and not a huge number of instruments, and with lyrics that are well thought-out and sung with real passion. 

 In fact, I find this next song to be lyrically one of the most beautiful I have ever heard. Anyway, here it is:

 Every word is carefully chosen and the song is something really quite special - well, I find it to be, anyway. If you're not familiar with this, have a listen and see what you think.

 I also personally love the video; I think it is well-made and very poignant and symbolic.

 My favourite lyric has to be; "When you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold." So poetic. I have my own theory on what it means, but I guess lines like that could mean different things to different people. 

 Also, "I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you." Beautiful. Although I don't recommend jumping off walls like he does in the video.

 I love it when I come across a decent love song that so clearly came straight from the heart of whoever wrote and sung it. There is so much pretentious rubbish about - but this is a song of real love, and it has won my heart.

 Liz x

 Songs: Jack and Diane - John Cougar Mellencamp (1982)

            Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits (1980/81)

My songs of the summer: Part 2

 Hello!

 I said I would update this blog ages ago, and I'm sorry that I haven't, but I've been on a spontaneous holiday.  As you do. More about that later.

 Anyway, I'm ready to finish my, "Songs of the summer," post now, but first I wanted to say something - that it was with huge shock and sadness that I learned of the death of Amy Winehouse last Saturday.

 She was an amazing singer and songwriter, and she died so young - it is such a horrible thing to happen. My thoughts are with her family and friends, and I know without a doubt that because of the wonderful music that she gave to the world, she will never be forgotten.

 I will now continue my blog entry on my songs of the summer.

 After my visits to Oxford and Cambridge, and to Newcastle, I had a couple of weeks at home just relaxing, catching up with some fantastic friends of mine, and commuting to and from Manchester once a week for a project I am part of there.

 During this time, I rediscovered this song, after hearing it on the radio:

 It is even better than I remembered it to be, and I had it in my head for quite a while. I love the chorus, and the beat of the whole song - it is so 80s, and I love 80s music.

 This next song I heard twice in a few days; once was on the radio in a shop; I can't remember when I heard it the other time, but it was probably on the radio somewhere. 

                                       

 Anyway, I remember enjoying this when it first came out, and wanting Rebecca to win the talent competition in the video.

 I still don't know whether it was ever a real contest, or meant to be a spoof of reality TV shows generally. Either way, I think the video is really clever, and is always a pleasure to watch.

 I also love the song - it has a real message of hope. I now think if I was ever feeling unhappy, I would probably listen to this song to cheer me up. It's wonderful.

 Anyway; the spontaneous holiday: I went to the Lake District with my family for a few days. It was a lovely trip; we visited some incredible places, including Honister Pass, which I find to be one of the most magical places in the world.

 At some point someone made some comment; I think it was about mountains, and it reminded me of this: another 80s classic.

 If you don't like it the first time you hear it, then I advise that you listen to it again - I didn't think much of this song the first time round, but when I subsequently listened to it, it became one of my favourite songs of the 80s. Funny how things work out like that sometimes.

 When I got home after a brilliant holiday, I listened to some Deacon Blue songs. 

 I love Deacon Blue - here are some of my favourites:

                                                                                                           

                                           

                                           

   

 I only found out after researching these songs for this blog that Love and Regret, Wages Day and Fergus Sings the Blues are from the same album: When the World Knows Your Name, released in 1989. Maybe I just have a taste for the style and tone of music they were producing at that particular time.

 So... these are the songs I have enjoyed listening to so far this summer.

 I hope you enjoy them too.

 From now on I will try to add to this blog as often as I can.

 Thank you very much for reading my blog.

 Liz x

Songs: The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and the News (1985)

           Something Beautiful - Robbie Williams (2003)

           St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) - John Parr (1985)

           Love and Regret - Deacon Blue (1989)

           Dignity - Deacon Blue (1987)

           Wages Day - Deacon Blue (1989)

           Fergus Sings the Blues - Deacon Blue (1989)

My songs of the summer

 Hi!

 I'm really sorry that I haven't updated this blog for quite a while. I will now do my best to blog as regularly as possible.

 This summer I have been listening to several songs, some old and some new.

 First, as my college year was ending and I was spending a lot of time editing videos, I rediscovered this song. I was looking through music I had so I could choose music for a video I was making, and I found this.

 I had heard this already, but just bits of it. When I heard the whole thing, it enchanted me. It is just so beautiful.

 Therefore it didn't really surprise me to find that the song was written by Diane Warren, the American songwriter who wrote many songs that I like, such as "Because You Loved Me," "There You'll Be," "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," and, "If I Could Turn Back Time," songs made famous by, respectively, Céline Dion, Faith Hill, Starship and Cher.

 In the end I didn't use this song in my video; it wasn't really appropriate for it; but I was so glad that through my video project I had rediscovered this lovely song that I had overlooked for so long.

 Between college ending and the start of my summer holidays, I went on a college trip to see the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. We stayed one night in each city. In Oxford, a group of my friends and I were having a sort of party in one of our rooms, and someone played this song which they had on their iPod, on an iPod docking station so we could all hear it.

                                         

 I don't know if I had heard it before. It did sound vaguely familiar. But I really liked it, and I remember thinking, "I must look that song up when I get home."

 And I did, and I have listened to it many times since. Not only is it a really nice song, but it reminds me of the amazing trip to Oxford and Cambridge; of the great time I had there, of the old friends I got to spend time with, and the new friends I made.

 Just after this trip, I was on a car journey and I heard this:

                                     

 Normally I don't have much interest in Lady Gaga's music, but for some reason I really like this. It might be the really catchy chorus, the passion with which she sings the song, the 1980s-esque video, or the sublime saxophone solo by the late, great Clarence Clemons; or probably it is a combination of all of these factors. I just love this song.

 There are a few other songs that have been important to me this summer so far, and I will try to add them to this blog tomorrow.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

 Songs: How Do I Live - LeAnn Rimes

            In This City - Iglu and Hartly

            The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga

Lovely song!

"There's a melody in my head, and I ain't stopped humming it since I saw your face..."

This is lovely, I discovered it a few years ago and it is one of my favourite songs. The lyrics are gorgeous, and she has a really good voice. I love the video too; Katrina is so sweet and the landscapes in the video are so wild and natural and beautiful.

"I wanna laugh, I wanna live, 

I'm gonna love you like there is...

like there is no end in sight..."

So adorable!

And she reminds me so much of Ola Jordan from Strictly Come Dancing! And Helen Skelton!

I love this song, it's one of those happy songs that just makes you smile 

Liz x

Song: No End In Sight - Katrina Elam

One of my other favourite songs!

With just about every music video I see, I think, "If I was directing this, here are the things which I would do differently..."

Yet this video is actually just about perfect. The way such a huge story - the story of a man's life and love - is portrayed so clearly in just four and a half minutes, and all in the same setting. I love it!

Also, the lyrics of the song are lovely and the melody has such an upbeat and hopeful tone to it, that it can really cheer me up if I am unhappy. 

It is also a great song to sing along to - it is so catchy! And it is so tempting to get up and dance!

I love this song; in my opinion it is one of the best songs ever written.

"Don't you dare give up... love changes everything."

Liz x 

Song: Love Changes (Everything) - Climie Fisher

Probably my all-time favourite song!

I love this song!

I first heard someone singing it on Stars In Their Eyes, and I liked the song but could only ever remember the chorus as I had only heard the song that once.

A long time passed and I forgot about it, then I heard it on the radio and I loved it and I looked it up and found the video on YouTube.

And what a lovely video! I adore seeing musicians enjoying themselves in music videos; just having a laugh and making you, the viewer and listener, smile with them.

And it goes without saying that Alison's voice is just sensational.

A lovely song, an adorable singer and a band who look like they are a great lot to hang around with, judging from the video.

Long live Alison Moyet! She is just amazing.

I hope that you enjoy this song as much as I always have done.

Liz x

Song: Is This Love? - Alison Moyet

Bonjour!

Hi!

Having got back from a week in the South of France, I am now obsessed with French music!

Here is a sample of what I have been listening to:

I study French and I love the French language and culture, and I love French music! I know that I have only just scratched the surface; that there is a whole world of French music out there, and I am truly looking forward to many happy years of discovering it.

Liz x

Gorgeous song!

My mum recommended this to me and, like most songs she recommends to me, it is amazing.

Gorgeous song, just exquisite. Roberta has a fantastic voice and sings this beautifully and with so much soul and feeling. The lyrics are lovely and the tune is mesmerisingly beautiful and emotional.

The arrangement on this LP is amazing; the sound is clear and sharp and the instruments and Roberta's voice go together perfectly and create the most gorgeous harmonies.

I will sign off before I have used the word "gorgeous" a million times! But it describes this song to a T!

Be warned: this video is a bit psychedelic towards the beginning!

Song: Oasis - Roberta Flack

I am in love with this song

I discovered this via Strictly Come Dancing, and now I love it! Truly beautiful lyrics and music, and two amazing voices which suit each other gorgeously. I love this song! I can't get it out of my head! Just wonderful.

Song: I Don't Know Much - Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

My top songs lyrics-wise

This is not my ultimate list; I would have to put a lot of time and thought into that. But here is what I can think of at this moment in time. All beautiful songs with very poignant and memorable lyrics.
REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling

The Waterboys - The Whole of the Moon - just beautiful. Like a poem.

Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet

Fleetwood Mac - Songbird (I love Christine McVie! She is my inspiration for becoming a better pianist); Sara

Pretty much anything written by Nanci Griffith, or by Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue (two very different people but both extremely gifted songwriters in my opinion. You'll be hearing a lot about them in this blog!)

I like to think that I enjoy a wide range of musical styles, from country to pop to soft rock. I also like both current tunes and music from the past.

I have spent most of my life with a song stuck in my head, and I don't think that is likely to change! Music is a deep passion for me.

I'll sign off for now, but I'll be back with more music and groups and artists and songs and lyrics!

Until then,

Liz