Review: The Kennedys - Dance a Little Closer

 Hello!

 As you may remember, I saw Pete and Maura Kennedy live in Southport in June performing a show of the songs of Nanci Griffith. I had previously seen this show in 2013. Both evenings were very enjoyable.

 In June I came away with the Kennedys' live album of Nanci songs, Dance a Little Closer, and it is my great pleasure to review it for you.

***

 The album opens with a lively rendition of Nanci's upbeat I Wish It Would Rain. It is followed by Trouble in the Fields, which the Kennedys manage to adapt slightly, yet keep completely true to the sentiment of the original: sad but hopeful.

 Next comes Across the Great Divide. I always find it so poignant and moving hearing the Kennedys perform this song, as they sang it with Nanci twenty years ago when they were her guitarist and backing singer, and it is great to see it come full circle.

 It is also interesting for being the cover of a cover - the Kennedys' version of Nanci Griffith's version of a Kate Wolf song. Through its reincarnations it has managed to stay anchored firmly to the the roots of the song: a sense of loneliness, of a haunting, of coming to terms with a loss with bravery and acceptance.

 Maura Kennedy's voice is always very beautiful but in this song especially, and in several others on this album, I noticed something extra in it - a deep kind of wisdom, of knowledge and sincerity, of someone who's seen many corners of the world. And so she has. It is very special to hear.

 The next track is Late Night Grand Hotel, which the Kennedys previously recorded for their album Songs of the Open road. That version was nice, but this song suits being live. Maura has mentioned how important this song is to her as it reminds her of when she first started touring with Nanci. It is also a favourite of mine.

 The original Late Night Grand Hotel is one of the more heavily produced Nanci tracks, so contrasts the most of any song on this album with the Kennedys' raw, emotional, acoustic trademark style.

 For me, the best part of the original was the way Nanci sang the line,

"No-one ever knows the heart of anyone else,"

 with such open sadness. I listened out to hear how Maura would do it, and was pleased to hear something similar in her voice.

 I like how the "no"s in the chorus were held back until the end. Something I think might have been nice is for no-one to sing them on the first chorus, then Maura on her own, then Pete on his own, then both of them, rather than nobody and then both. But the way they did it still works and I prefer it to Nanci's having them all the way through.

 The Kennedys also add a nice little bridge between the first chorus and second verse and an instrumental at the end, with lovely-as-ever guitar work from Pete. Overall, they did a great job on one of my favourite Nanci songs.

 Their version of Lone Star State of Mind - another cover-of-a-cover - is pleasant, although I'm not too keen on the jazzy feel they have introduced. Still, it is good that they made it their own. At the very end it reverts back to folksy with some more great guitar work.

 There's a Light Beyond These Woods is another song that is important to Maura as she witnessed a very emotional performance of it by Nanci which deeply moved her. She sings it beautifully; I especially like the way she sings,

"All the dreams we sang..."

 I'm Not Drivin' These Wheels is a song which I liked when I was younger, which I lost, and which I spent ages trying to find again by listening to snippets of songs on Amazon.

 I'm glad the Kennedys like it and identify with it as well - enough to include it not only on this album but also as their contribution on the Nanci tribute album by various artists, Trouble in the Fields, which they produced.

 Their version is perfect - it keeps everything good about the original and adds some very Kennedys guitar licks. A lovely piece of musicianship.

 I have sung the praises at least twice in the past of the Kennedys' version of Gulf Coast Highway, which I prefer to the original - theirs is softer, more gentle, while the original is sharper and more dramatic. The last verse, where Maura sings on her own and is then joined by Pete, is very lovely.

 They then go back up-tempo with Love Wore a Halo (Back Before the War). I feel this is often neglected as a Nanci song, and it's a good one. I'm glad the Kennedys are fans. Their version live is uproarious and great to sing along to, and the recording manages to capture that fun and spirit.

 We then have From a Distance. I don't really like Nanci's version of this, and I found the Kennedys' one very similar - it is probably the truest to the original of any song on the album. Still, Maura's voice is especially nice on the chorus.

 Ford Econoline moves in the vein of Love Wore a Halo: wild and joyful. I get the impression from the amount of applause that it may have been the final song in the concert and I agree that it is a great note to finish a night on - so happy and fun.

 The penultimate track is Love at the Five and Dime. I would really have liked this to be the ultimate track as I think it sums up all this album is about, plus it contains the line that forms the title of the album:

"Dance a little closer to me."

 It's slower than Nanci's version and I like it that way - they seem to put more focus on the story and the emotion than on the melody, although the melody is there and is strong.

 The final track is Hell No (I'm Not Alright). I don't want to comment on the song because I don't understand the politics behind it; even after watching the video I'm not sure what message Nanci is actually trying to give out. So I'll comment only on the musical side: the Kennedys play it well and with great enthusiasm.

 This album was very enjoyable to listen to - if there are a couple of songs I wouldn't listen to regularly, it's because I dislike the original, not because the Kennedys have done anything wrong. Maura's voice is gorgeous as ever; Pete's guitar playing is sublime; the two make an amazing duo. I've said these things many times before but they never stop being true.

 Overall, a lovely piece of work that is true to the person it is celebrating while incorporating the artists' own personalities, which is the best way to do a tribute.

 Rating: 8/10

Song: Across the Great Divide - Nanci Griffith - 1993

 More Kennedys pieces:

Amazing news and the Kennedys
Review: The Kennedys - Closer Than You Know
Interview with the Kennedys
A night with the Kennedys
A special night in Southport
A few more JSC songs
A magical evening

 Wow, I've written a lot about the Kennedys!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

A few more JSC songs

 Hello!

 You may remember that in July last year I started a song challenge. I used the prompts from a photo challenge but chose songs for them instead.

 I never finished this challenge due to travelling and generally being busy, but I had an unfinished post with three days worth which I just stumbled upon and thought I should post so it wouldn't be wasted. Here it is.

✈ ✈ ✈

 Prompt 2: Shoes

 I've picked Diamonds on the Souls of her Shoes by Paul Simon.

 I used to like this song but it always came second to You Can Call Me Al - recently, however, they seem to have switched places in my affections. It's just so upbeat and a song you want to run down the street dancing to. Well I do, anyway.

 It's also a song I imagine being played at the end of a film; an everything's-turned-out-okay kind of song. If I ever write a film I might include it.

♦♦♦

 Prompt 3: Cold

 I've picked Sun Burns Gold by Maura Kennedy.

 I've mentioned the Kennedys often on this blog and have even have the honour of interviewing them - I simply love their music. Sun Burns Gold is a solo effort by Maura and I found it on Retrospective, their best-of album on which I just keep finding new and wonderful songs.

 In the song, Maura describes very vividly and beautifully the wintery scene around her and wishes summer would come. It's an ode to the summer - yet it's an ode to the winter at the same time. It's very cleverly done.

 In the instrumental in the above live clip she does amazing things with her voice. I don't think this is as prominent in the album version where the instrumental is mainly the guitar, but it is still a lovely instrumental, simple but very powerful. All in all, I really like this song and am glad I found it.

☀☀☀

 Prompt 4: Red, white or blue

 I have chosen Red, and The Right Thing by Simply Red for my song.

 I first encountered this song on the way to college in the car - the fact that I was going by car rather than bus suggests I had an exam that day, and I have a strange feeling it may have been biology, though I can't say for sure.

 I have since been a big fan of this song. One of the top comments on YouTube says the best bit of the song is the key change at the end, but I actually much prefer the sound of it before the key change. The key change sounds like Stars a bit too much! Before that it sounds so sophisticated and jazzy and is a unique song, I feel.

✔✔✔

 So there you have it; days 2-4 of the challenge. I had picked songs for other prompts but hadn't written about them; maybe I will sometime. For now, I hope you enjoyed my song selection.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs: Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes - Paul Simon - 1986

Sun Burns Gold - Maura Kennedy - 2010

Simply Red - The Right Thing - 1987

Interview with Eddi Reader

 Hello all!

 In October I had the honour of interviewing Eddi Reader for The Mancunion ahead of her gig at the RNCM on 1st November. I was then given the chance to review that gig, which was brilliant, and afterwards I met Eddi! She came across as a lovely, down-to-earth person and the whole experience was fantastic.

 You can read my interview of her here and my review of the gig here. I hope you enjoy them.

Eddi and me

 Let me now share with you some Eddi Reader videos. 

 I wish there was a video for Married to the Sea, a gorgeous song she performed at the concert I saw. Look out for that song, it's wonderful.

 Bell, Book and Candle is probably my favourite song that she sings, and this live version is so beautiful.

 There's also Patience of Angels, which I heard in a music quiz last year and which I recognised but couldn't place. I'm sure I heard it when I was much younger. It's a lovely song and always has that sense of déjà vu for me.

 Here is Perfect. I never was a massive fan of this until she performed it live at the RNCM gig, and since then it's grown on me. I love this performance:

 Finally, here is one of my favourite music videos of all time, Is This Love? by Alison Moyet, in which she, Eddi and the rest of the band dance on the beach and look so happy and carefree - that's how all music videos should be!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz

Songs: Bell, Book and Candle - Eddi Reader - 1998

Patience of Angels - Eddi Reader - 1994

Perfect - Fairground Attraction - 1988

Is This Love? - Alison Moyet - 1986

Still following...

 Hello, my dear readers!

 I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post much recently, but I've had a very busy summer with various projects to complete and two wonderful holidays in Wales and Germany.

 I'm looking forward to the start of the new academic year - my second year at Uni! I remember my first post on this blog after I started Uni last year. How time flies! It really doesn't feel like a year ago.

 I wanted to share with you a song that has sort of defined this summer for me - I discovered it in May or June and have been listening to it since.

 It is... Follow You Follow Me by Genesis.

 It stirs up such emotion in me... It's so beautiful. The words, the singing, the music and the production are all brilliant.

 Listening to it now, I've realised just how many memories are now attached to it for me. I think it will always make me happy and remind me of the summer of 2013.

 I hope you enjoyed this post; you can look forward to me posting much more often in the weeks to come.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Song: Follow You Follow Me - Genesis - 1978

I am what I am ♥

 Hello!

 This blog post will be part music, part update of my life.

 What's happened in my life recently?

 I've nearly finished my first year of university. That went quick! I remember when I was blogging after hearing I had got a place at the University of Manchester - I was so happy.

 And Uni didn't disappoint: I've had an amazing year including a trip to China, meeting some wonderful people, completing my Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award, organising an exhibition and learning German, among many other brilliant experiences.

♪♫♪

 Now all my lectures and lessons have finished for the year; all I have left are exams. In fact, today I did my level one HSK exam, the internationally recognised Mandarin Chinese examination. I felt like it went well, touch wood, and I hope to progress through the different levels of HSK over the next couple of years.

 We also had our Hall photos taken today, and it reminded me how proud I am to be a member of my wonderful Hall of Residence, where I have made some friends for life.

 On Friday I went out for a German meal with my German class and it was lovely, and on the radio I heard I am what I am; I believe it was the Gloria Gaynor version, which I've been listening to a lot since.

 I find it a really empowering song which reminds me that I can be whoever I want to be without worrying about what anybody thinks.

♪♫♪

 In June I am going to see The Kennedys in concert, which should be a really nice treat - by then I'll have done the majority of my exams so it's something to look forward to at the end of all the hard work and revising!

Here is their song, "Listen."

 I love this song, which I only discovered quite recently. They've produced some truly amazing music over the years. If you want to know more about The Kennedys you can check out my recent interview with them - another thing that I've done this year about which I'm really happy and proud.

♪♫♪

 I mentioned in my last post on this blog that for me the next big excitement is the Eurovision Song Contest, which this year will be on 18th May in Malmö. As always I will be celebrating with my family; we will watch it together and have a Eurovision party. I'm really looking forward to it ♥

 I think that's all I have to report for now so I'll leave you with a really lovely Eurovision song from Niamh Kavanagh: It's For You.

 Beautiful song ♥

 Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed this post.

 Liz x

Songs: I am what I am - Gloria Gaynor - 1983

Listen - The Kennedys - 2005

It's For You - Niamh Kavanagh - 2010

Eurovision 2013: My first thoughts

 Hello!

 As you may know, Eurovision 2013 is almost upon us: the semi finals are on 14th and 16th May and the final is on the 18th.

 I am a huge Eurovision fan - it occurred to me recently that Eurovision is probably my favourite yearly event. I love the way it unites so many people and the fact that for a few hours people all over the world are watching the same thing. It's amazing; a real feeling of the numinous, which is perfectly summed up in this clip:

 Last year I did a Eurovision countdown, posting about Eurovision past and present in the run-up to the competition in Baku.

 This year I will be posting some Eurovision-y things, including my commentary on the two semi-finals and the final, and maybe some Eurovision history beforehand. In the meantime, if you are a Eurovision fan and you haven't seen my countdown from last year I recommend it.

 Here are my initial thoughts on this year's contest:

 The host county/city: Sweden is a country I have wanted for a long time to visit, and I don't know a lot about the city of Malmö, so this year's Eurovision is a good opportunity to see and learn more about both.

 The Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo in 2010 was probably my favourite that I've seen so I'm hoping that having it in another Scandinavian country might bring about similar success.

 The venue: Malmö Arena seems to be smaller than some recent Eurovision venues, which I think is meant to give the show a more intimate feel - although to be honest I don't personally mind the bigger venues and if you're watching on TV it doesn't make much difference anyway.

 The host: There is only going to be one main host this year, Petra Mede. This is a bold step after there being two or three hosts the last few years, but having looked her up I see she seems very feisty and has a lot of presence so hopefully she can pull it off.

 Eric Saade will be the green room host; this Swedish pop star represented his country at Eurovision 2011 in Düsseldorf with the song "Popular" of which I am not a fan. However, I won't judge his hosting abilities until I see them.

 I am convinced, however, that he cannot better Krisse in Helsinki in 2007: there was an amazing green room host.

 Participating countries: Most of Europe seems to be taking part in this year's competition; notable exceptions being Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey (among others). 

 I am particularly sad about the absence of Portugal as I love Portuguese-language music. Bosnia and Herzegovina also produced one of my all-time favourite Eurovision songs:

 However, we still have plenty of countries taking part, and hopefully those who can't this year will be able to return in the future.

 The UK entry: Being from the UK, I have heard a lot about our entry for this year; namely Bonnie Tyler with her song Believe in Me. 

 I like Bonnie Tyler's older songs such as Total Eclipse of the Heart, and although Believe in Me isn't quite up to that standard in my humble opinion, I do think it is a nice song.

 I'm really looking forward to Eurovision 2013 and I hope you are too, let the competition begin!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs: 

Glow - Madcon - 2010

Pokusaj - Laka - 2008

Believe in Me - Bonnie Tyler - 2013

Here and now

 Hello, my dear readers!

 I have discovered that one of my favourite artists and one of my favourite bands, both of whom were perhaps better known for their music in the 1980s/90s, have recently released new songs. They are, more specifically, Alison Moyet and Deacon Blue.

♪♫♪

 Firstly, I discovered "When I Was Your Girl" by Alison Moyet.

 What I have always loved most about Alison in her older hits such as "Is This Love?" and  "Invisible" is her amazing voice, the emotion she puts into her songs, which really feels genuine, and the good production - her records tend to be very pleasant on the ear with regards to the music as well as her voice.

 I came to this song half-expecting a belt-y ballad, and whilst it proved to be exactly that, it still quite surprised me. I think I had expected it to be looser and simpler, primarily a means of showcasing her voice, while in fact it is quite a complicated arrangement, which showcases her voice yet is also a really beautiful song with interesting lyrics and a catchy tune.

 At first listening I quite liked it, at second listening I liked it a bit more - basically it's grown on me very quickly. It's the first single from her new album "the minutes," which is set to be released in May, and from which I am looking forward to hearing more material.

 I like the video - the coastal theme provides a link back to her 1986 hit "Is This Love?" - one of my favourite songs - and they did a good job of finding a look-a-like who is also a good actress and presents the song well. 

 I was getting worried that we might not actually see the real Alison in the video, when happily she appeared. I love that unlike some artists who see a come-back as a chance to completely change their image, Alison is completely recognisable as the young woman who sang and danced about on the beach in "Is This Love?".

 And of course, her voice is amazing, as always. The emotion is clear and raw. The production is also good; I really like the instrumental particularly; it sounds like it could have come from a Cure song, which is high praise from me because I love The Cure's arrangements.

 All in all, I really love this new song; I had been doubtful as to whether it could match the sheer brilliance of some of Alison's older songs, but it is certainly one of the nicest songs I have heard in a long time. Welcome back, Alison ♥

♪♫♪

 The next song I want to share with you is Turn by Deacon Blue, from their late-2012 album, "The Hipsters."

 I heard this song on the radio a couple of days ago and quite liked it and wondered who it was by, then when the DJ announced that it was by Deacon Blue I was surprised and pleased.

 At first I liked it but thought it sounded like a lot of other songs. Having heard it a few more times, it's really growing on me and I now think it sounds quite distinctive. The video is slightly bizarre but I like it. 

 Also, assuming the backing vocals are by Lorraine McIntosh as usual, I like them on this song more than on some of Deacon Blue's older songs. I think they add more to this song, maybe as she is just singing rather than doing fancy things with her voice as in some other songs; perhaps the simplicity is what works particularly well here.

 I like the quieter, more lyric-based feel of this song, as opposed to some of the louder, faster material of Deacon Blue such as "Wages Day" and "Queen of the New Year" - although I still love these songs! I just think it's nice to have something more raw and stripped-back for a change, in addition to their brilliant back-catalogue.

 I like the reference to "Dignity" in the video! I predicted that the third card would say "work" and was quite pleased with myself when it turned out I was right. I also think the first guy on the bus looks like Marcus Bridgestocke... Is he Marcus Bridgestocke?

 I really like this song; it isn't my favourite Deacon Blue song - that would probably be "Your Swaying Arms" or "When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)," but I do really like "Turn."

♪♫♪

 So, two really good new songs from an artist and a group who have been about for years; let's hope they continue producing fantastic new material for many years to come.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs:

When I Was Your Girl - Alison Moyet - 2013

Turn - Deacon Blue - 2012