ohhh-oh/ where do we go from here?

mm too much. Been buying and borrowing too much from hmv for the past couple of weeks. I count 8 albums to mix into my mp3 player and only one hour each day listening to them on the trip to work and back. Give or take maybe one or two hours more depending how long I dally with the computer before going to sleep each night.

Tired actually too. Tired of biting off more than I chew. Or rather, going for what I know there isnt much chance allowed for me to hold onto.

So it's always back to songs. Oh these jangly ghosts of emotion and feeling that are only lent existence by a simple twitch of a string, or a knock on a bar. So terribly insubstantial, yet at times so much more reliable than anyone can ever be. Just think about it, what we call music is nothing but air bouncing around in a certain way down our earholes in a seemingly random way. But the thing with music is that more often than not *you simply dont know what's going on*. You cannot exactly pinpoint a particular chord, or progression, or twang that means oh that's it for me, that particular bit makes me happy.

The only real reason, I think anyway, why humans always have a thing for music is that here then, finally is something that we can never really understand or more importantly control, but strangely *dont need to fear* which runs so contrary to a fundamental need in humans to adjust and maintain their surroundings as much as possible to their liking. It's the sole solace in a world of scary unpredictability, whether be it from others or just simply how things work. For once unpredictability is welcome, but more importantly *so easily enjoyed*. The only price to pay is that we can never fully understand it, never able to fashion something that can create the same feeling within us again in another way. In the same way everyone leaves a different memory in you, every single tune leaves a different imprint too, sometimes similar, but never wholly alike.

There is no such thing as a ' perfect' song, because no one really knows what that means right? But sometimes along come one that feels just right. Why and how? You can never really say. Saying I like that harmonica intro standing in the middle of two guitar strums by itself doesnt really mean anything. It doesnt explain why. What possible good can a harmonica intro standing in the middle of two guitar strums do to a human body that we enjoy it?

Why do we then, allow something we dont really understand to control us so much for once? The touchy topic of religion sounds close here, but really it's not really an apt comparison for there are many out there simply flabbergasted at how a human can allow something they cant see ( in the loosest terms here) to control so much. Not with music though. Find me a person who doesnt have any single *tune* out there that is unable to move him, not even a flicker in the heart or brain, not even a twitch or nod. Sweeping generalization it may be, but I think in this case it's warranted.

Because sometimes along comes a song that comes along that just feels *right*, like a person, but you can give everything to it never fearing of any consequence, which a person might just do.

Taken By Trees - Sweet Child O' Mine ( Cover)

absolutely gorgeous.

i let my music take me where my heart wants to go

take that generic Hillsong song!

I normally would not use the word ' pure' to describe a song, but *pure* this is, and utterly searing too. What melody, and lyrics, strung together by a simple guitar strum that has never failed to hook my ears and heart despite countless repeats.

" The Wind" was sent to me by a friend on a compilation, which has really impressed me very much so. The song was featured in the movie ' Rushmore', which I mentioned once before, at the point in the show where Max finally stops being a complete idiot. Fitting in more ways than one.

The one thing that stands out most about this song are its lyrics. Simple, evocative, and most importantly honest. It is not overtly a " religious" song, but for me it speaks to me so much more than any of the rather bland and directionless ( for me anyway) ' praise/ worship' songs out there so liked by many. I mean just take a look at the line " Where I'll end up well I think/ Only God really knows". Simple, utterly unpretentious, and rarest to find of all, sung with a pure humility that kinda sums up how silly people can be when they think too much of anything.

Yusuf Islam wrote this in the mid seventies, just when he was about to retreat from the whole pop music scene to sort himself out. I'm amazed at how such simple lyrics can conjure up such a dazzling evocative journey. The title - The Wind, speaks volume by itself already, segues perfectly with a melody that slips along nicely. There's a certain unforgotten quiet mischievousness that carries the lyrics along very well too, which adds real life and intimacy from the singer.

I don't know but I think this would be the kind of song I'd like to be able to sing truthfully and fully when I'm old and wizened. hah. For really the overwhelming sense of ' The Wind ' ( wonderfully paradoxically dont you think) is one of sheer plaintive -peace.

You know how sometimes, being around a certain person brings a certain sense of ' just right'? well it's the same with this song too.

i like the sweet life and the silence/

but it's the storm I believe in

Not a bad two weeks at the shopfloor. Due to the onset of chinese new year, and probable slowing down of the local distribution channels for the next few days, the higher ups decided to push for as many shipments to be brought forward. The result?

A natural bottleneck of the back room processing side that is starting to fray everyone's nerves. The good thing is that out of the many new releases, there are a couple of gems that finally make for fresh airplay choices.

You cant go wrong with more Swedish pop though, so just a week or so back the Cardigans finally released a ' best of' that came into store. I have not fully explored their old stuff yet, so this is a godsend though I have a faint feeling that they are the kind of band whose strength lies in an overall strong catalogue instead of a few chart burning singles. Eh ' Lovefool' not withstanding.

There is nothing like basking in the tune of the Cardigans' ' Rise & Shine' as one opens the shopfloor in the morning. My whistling has improved ( I think. Hope) over the past few weeks, and even as the usual few morning millers go about the aisles I still cant resist whistling a quick Cardigans chorus as it comes on the airplay.

There was a song in the collection that struck me over while I was behind the counter. It wasnt the usual ones like ' erase/rewind' ( I love you but it's best to forget it), for what's it worth ( I love you even though I dont really have a reason to anymore) or even 'connection ' ( a classic of classic break up song), oh arent the Swedes good at being sweet, but a song that was hidden halfway through entitled ' You're The Storm'.

You know how there are some songs that can just pass you by, but plain amazing when played * loud*? Well this is one of those songs. Don't believe me? Try it. Put the song on the right on, and turn the volume way up. Wait till the bit where Nina Persson blasts into the chorus..

and there you go. The lyrics are not particularly jaw dropping as songs on such a traditionally touchy topic go, but Nina has a way with words that go very well with her voice. I mean if you look at the lyrics of ' lovefool' and 'you're the storm' they can be too sweetly cringey if you want to look at it that way . Somehow she gets it right pat down and never goes aboard, resulting in an overall tune that you just cant say no to. I think this might be a Swedish secret racial trait.

If you watched ' across the universe' and remember the last part where the guy picks up the microphone on the roof and starts singing ' all you need is love', well if there ever was an occasion for me to do the same thing, which in all likelihood wont happen since im not that sort, I guess it would be this song, strong and full, blasting across the air in all its glory, not some pansy ' all you need is love'.

The Cardigans - You're The Storm

I read in the liner notes that it was awhile before Nina Persson stopped cringing at playbacks of her recorded voice. Im glad she did not give up then, for hers is a very unique voice that deserves to be appreciated very much so. Are there more people like that out there? Possibly possessing something that really is very attractive just that do not know it, and thus subsequently fade?

try this live set of the same song on a KCRW recording too.

The Cardigans - You're The Storm (Live)