Musical royalty

 Hello!

 This is a special post to celebrate the birth of Prince George of Cambridge, in which I am going to discuss musical royalty. 

 I don't mean amazing musicians who may be described as musical royalty; no, I mean royals who exist within songs. Perhaps they exist in real life, too, but a song was where I first met each of them. 

 An example is the the Queen of the Slipstream, in the song by Van Morrison, which is the first song I am going to share with you.

 From when I first heard this song I have regarded it as one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. The album it features on, Poetic Champions Compose, is also an exceptionally great album in my opinion; other well-written songs on it include I Forgot That Love Existed and Did Ye Get Healed?.

 This song is important to me as a memory holder, as listening to it invariably brings back very clear memories of listening to it in our car on the way to badminton practice when I was about sixteen. 

 We would drive past Trencherfield Mill, Wigan's big old cotton mill, with the sky beautiful; sunset or dusk or just turning to night time. I love badminton but have recently been too busy to play; hopefully I can find the time to play again some day soon.

♪♥♫

 The second royal song I want to highlight is King of Wishful Thinking by Go West.

 I had heard and liked this song without knowing what it was called or who sang it. Quite recently my father played this song and I heard it and thought, "Finally! I can find out what it's called." 

 I was pleasantly surprised at it being Go West; I was always underwhelmed by We Close Our Eyes, which is probably their biggest hit. I think King of Wishful Thinking is a lot better, just pure eighties - even though it was released in 1990 - and something you can really dance to.

♫♥♪

 The third royal song is The King of Rock 'n' Roll by Prefab Sprout.

 My mother for some reason always pairs this song in her head with Somewhere in My Heart by Aztec Camera, and one time I was listening to the latter and she said, "What's that other song, the one about Albequerque?" So we looked it up and found The King of Rock 'n' Roll, and I like it. 

 It's one of those songs I often forget about, then when I remember and listen to it, I think, "How could I forget this?" I really need to listen to it more often; it can put you in a good mood. 

 Listening to good music is always a mood-lifter, and the madness of the video really helps: a lot of songs try to do the "completely mad video" thing and it fails because they're making too much of an effort. 

 While I acknowledge that a lot of effort probably went into this video, it just emits such a chilled vibe; like the madness was accidental. Maybe it was. Either way, it's one of the most iconic and well-done videos I've seen.

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 The fourth song I want to share is Dancing Queen by ABBA. 

 When planning this post I'd been intending to leave Dancing Queen out on grounds of cheesiness, but then it came on one of the music channels on telly and I realise it's a lot less cheesy than I'd remembered; in fact, it's actually very sophisticated for a seventies song.

 Something else that struck me when watching the video was how the two women carry themselves: they seem completely confident and in control and enjoying performing the song, and they both seem so happy in their own skin. 

 Compare this to a lot of female artists today who seem so insecure and seem to think the only way to sell records is to submit to men - either with skimpy outfits, or provocative dance moves, or by having some male artist say degrading things while they dance devotedly around them, or saying degrading things themselves. 

 A lot of these women are essentially selling their bodies when they sell records - whereas Frida and Agnetha clearly had no time for that sort of rubbish and just sold songs, songs they sung brilliantly. I think modern female artists should aim to be more like Frida and Agnetha.

♫♥♪

 The final song I want to celebrate is Queen of the New Year by Deacon Blue, which of all these songs is probably the first I discovered, when I was young and we had a mix tape made for car journeys that featured a lot of Deacon Blue.

 I always heard this song as a country music, barn-dance type thing to be performed in cowboy get-up with a dance routine and spectators standing around in the barn and cheering and joining in.

 Having seen the video and learnt more about Deacon Blue, it's more Scottish folk than barn-dance, but other than that my mind's eye view of it performed seems accurate enough; they have a dance routine of sorts and a delighted and dynamic crowd.... They're just missing the cowboy get-up.

 I always liked the line, "All the stars in Heaven go dim," although I did used to hear it as "All the stars in Heaven go down," which left me with images of lots of stars falling beautifully to earth and sparkling around the lovers in the song. I still find that this song conjures up that image even now I know what the actual lyric is.

 While I love music videos and seeing live performances, I think it's nice with some songs to hear them for a while before you see them, if you know what I mean, so that you can create your own music video in your head; come up with your own interpretation of what the song means without a video telling you.

♪♥♫

 Well, I hope you liked this post about royal songs and the kings and queens in them. I like how apart from possibly Dancing Queen, which may have been written for the Queen of Sweden at the time, none of the songs refer to actual kings or queens - as far as I know - nor do they use "king" or "queen" in the literal sense, meaning monarch. 

 They mean them figuratively, and are used to describe a lover (Slipstream and New Year), or someone who's the best at something (Dancing Queen, Rock 'n' Roll, Wishful Thinking) or who epitomises something (New Year). It shows how words can evolve; that they can be used to mean so many different things, and also how important kings and queens can be in culture.

 I wish the British Royal Family, and especially Prince George, the very best for the future.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs:

Queen of the Slipstream - Van Morrison - 1988

King of Wishful Thinking - Go West - 1990

The King of Rock 'n' Roll - Prefab Sprout - 1988

Dancing Queen - ABBA - 1976

Queen of the New Year - Deacon Blue - 1989

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

Nanci Griffith and Deacon Blue - Love and Regret

 Hello everyone!

 In my last blog entry, the fiftieth post on this blog, I revisited my very first post which was about my favourite songs when it came to lyrics.

 I listened again to the songs I liked so much a year ago, to decide how I feel about them now - and I found  that I still really like them all, and that in some cases a song has taken on a new significance for me since I wrote that list back in March 2011.

 After listing specific songs by a range of bands and artists, I ended the list with, "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!)"

 And the sad thing is, although I adore both of these songwriters, and have listened to their music so much before and since starting this blog, I have not blogged about them nearly as much as I had expected I would.

 I have written one blog post that shares a few Deacon Blue songs among other music, and I have two entries where I discuss Nanci Griffith, but which also deal with other subjects, and I have a post about the Kennedys in which she is mentioned.

However, what I haven't done yet is a full post completely focussed on Nanci and just what her music has meant to me over the years, and I really want to do that. I also want to do a post all about Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue.

♥

 I listened to music from both Nanci and Deacon Blue throughout my childhood, introduced to their music by my parents. Among my favourite Nanci songs were Gulf Coast Highway, Goin' Gone and Tumble and Fall.


 My favourite songs by Deacon Blue were Queen of the New Year, Your Swaying Arms - at one point one of my favourite songs by any artist or band - and When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring).

 As I got older, I discovered more and more amazing songs by both Nanci Griffith and Deacon Blue. A few months ago I had Nanci's 1988 album Storms bought for me, and have come to love the songs Storms(written by Eric Taylor), Radio Fragile and Brave Companion of the Road.

 The latter I had heard before on what I'm guessing must have been a compilation tape that my family used to listen to in the car. I'd been searching a long time for that song when I found it on Storms and was very happy.

 The reason I had had such trouble finding it was because I had thought the title was something to do with roses, probably because of the first line of the beautiful second verse:

"Some days come up roses,

Some days just come and go.

Some nights are so ruthless that you can't recall the day before.

This love has seen better days, 

Come home for these holidays,

Cause this love has miles for sense of place,

Oh, my brave companion of the road."

 Normally I wouldn't quote an entire verse, but Nanci Griffith is a genius. Her lyrics are among the most moving and memorable I know. I love the whole song; it is easy to overlook a track like this on an album like Storms which has louder, catchier songs, but I feel that Brave Companion of the Road is quietly beautiful, and is quite possibly my favourite song on the album.

♥

 As for Deacon Blue, I got a new mp3 player recently, and onto it I put Our Town, their Greatest Hits CD. This meant I could listen to Deacon Blue on the bus on the way to and from college, and this way I came to really love some of their songs.

 Love and Regret will now always remind me of college bus journeys and, to a degree, so will Dignity. 

However, Dignity also brings back memories of writing for my college's magazine - I did a lyrics quiz for them, and one of the lyrics they had to guess was;

"And I'm telling this story in a faraway scene, 

Sipping down raki, and reading Maynard Keynes."

 Certainly unique lyrics! I love Dignity. I never used to because I found it too slow - I think the version I had heard was acoustic - yet recently I've begun to appreciate the beauty of the melody and the lyrics. Isn't that what everybody wants; dignity? To be respected? 

 I think that it is a very wise song. I'm glad that I learnt to like it and grew to love it.

♥

 I must write proper blog posts about both Nanci Griffith and about Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue as soon as I can. Both Nanci and Ricky are wonderfully gifted songwriters, and I want them to know how much I admire them and how much I love their music and always have done. Hopefully one day they may read this blog and know.

 I hope you enjoyed this post,

 Thanks for reading, 

 Liz x

Songs: Brave Companion of the Road - Nanci Griffith - 1988

Dignity - Deacon Blue - 1987

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 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