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Source: http://www.aeschtunes.com/rss.xml

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<title>Song Review: Bon Jovi – “Legendary”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/26/song-review-bon-jovi-legendary/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/26/song-review-bon-jovi-legendary/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bon Jovi]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Legendary]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19660</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Back in the mid-to-late 80’s, I became a fan of Bon Jovi after hearing songs like “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Edge of a Broken Heart,” and I continued to like what the band put out with the New Jersey and Keep The Faith albums.… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/26/song-review-bon-jovi-legendary/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Bon Jovi – “Legendary”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Back in the mid-to-late 80’s, I became a fan of Bon Jovi after hearing songs like “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Edge of a Broken Heart,” and I continued to like what the band put out with the <em>New Jersey</em> and <em>Keep The Faith</em> albums. My interest began to wane a little with the <em>These Days</em> album from 1995 and the <em>Crush</em> album from 2000, although I did like an occasional song on those two albums. I basically quit paying attention to Bon Jovi after 2000, although I saw that the band had released new material over the past 20 years. However, when it was announced that the band was putting out a new song in 2024, I decided to give it a chance and to hear what the band is sounding like at this point in their career.</p>
<p>Musically, “Legendary” is a very nice sounding upbeat pop rock song, which is basically what I would expect from the band at this point in their career. We’re never going to hear the arena rock they were releasing during their youth, and I didn’t go into this expecting to hear that. “Legendary” is a nice sounding song, but it’s pretty standard and sounds like something that just about any band could record and release. Since I haven’t really listened to any of Bon Jovi’s newer material over the past 20 years or so, the change in Jon’s voice took me by surprise at first. His voice has definitely changed with age, but it doesn’t sound bad. It just sounded different from what I was used to, but I had adjusted to it by the time “Legendary” finished.</p>
<p>Lyrically, I caught on to the music references that appeared in the chorus (“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison). This wasn’t a surprise to me, though, since we’ve seen this before on Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” (the reference to Frank Sinatra that appears in the chorus). When it comes to what the lyrics are saying overall, they seem to be from the point of view of a speaker that’s saying even though there may be problems and issues, they realize that they have the things they need to be happy and to know that they’re alive. With the way the world is right now, this is a message that needs to be heard.</p>
<p>I found “Legendary” to be a nice song, but it just isn’t quite enough for me to rush out and buy the band’s forthcoming album, <em>Forever</em>. But I’ll keep my ears opens for more material from the album and give it a fair listen.</p>
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<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 26, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>Set Review: Ace Of Base – “All That She Wants: The Classic Collection”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/25/set-review-ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/25/set-review-ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1990s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1990s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2000s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2000s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[90s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[90s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ace Of Base]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[All That She Wants: The Classic Collection]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19901</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In 2020, Edsel Records released All That She Wants: The Classic Collection, an 11 CD and one DVD box set of material released by Ace Of Base during the group’s career. While this box set includes a lot of the remixes and rarities, there’s still some content from the singles that are missing. This missing… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/25/set-review-ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Set Review: Ace Of Base – “All That She Wants: The Classic Collection”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-attachment-id="19900" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg" data-orig-size="425,425" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Ace Of Base All That She Wants The Classic Collection" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg?w=425" class="size-full wp-image-19900 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg?w=825" alt="Ace Of Base All That She Wants The Classic Collection" srcset="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg 425w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg?w=150&h=150 150w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/ace-of-base-all-that-she-wants-the-classic-collection.jpg?w=300&h=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px" /></p>
<p>In 2020, Edsel Records released <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em>, an 11 CD and one DVD box set of material released by Ace Of Base during the group’s career. While this box set includes a lot of the remixes and rarities, there’s still some content from the singles that are missing. This missing material is available on an Ace Of Base singles box set that Edsel Records released in 2023. The set also comes with a 52-page booklet that includes photographs, an interview with Ulf Ekberg, lyrics, a discography of singles and albums, and credits.</p>
<p>The first disc is labeled as being <em>Happy Nation (US Version)</em>, which was a reissue of the <em>Happy Nation</em> album internationally to coincide with the album’s release in North America under the title, <em>The Sign</em>. For this version of <em>Happy Nation</em>, new tracks were added (“<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/03/12/song-of-the-moment-ace-of-base-the-sign/">The Sign</a>,” “Living In Danger,” and “Don’t Turn Around”), as well as a remix of “Waiting For Magic” and a version of “Voulez-Vous Danser” with revised vocals. It also includes “Hear Me Calling,” a song that was not on the original version of <em>Happy Nation</em> or on <em>The Sign</em>. The songs “Munchhausen (Just Chaos)” and “Dimension Of Depth” were removed from this version of <em>Happy Nation</em>, but are included on the first disc of this set as additional bonus tracks.</p>
<p>When it comes to the material on the album, there can be a sense of “sameness” to a bit of the material. But after reading the band’s history about what led up to the release of the <em>Happy Nation</em> album, you understand why the album sounds as it does. When Arista picked up Ace Of Base for the North American market and Clive Davis became involved, he did have some alterations made to the album, but it was likely though that the new tracks he wanted for <em>The Sign</em> needed to sound like they could work with the material that remained from <em>Happy Nation</em>, which likely would have limited how much variation they could do musically. Also, they were likely under a time crunch to deliver that material to Arista, which wouldn’t have helped. Even with the “sameness” to a lot of the material, you can still hear a lot of potential on many of the songs on this album.</p>
<p>For me, my favorite songs on <em>Happy Nation (US Version)</em> are: “All That She Wants,” “Don’t Turn Around,” “The Sign,” “Living In Danger,” “Happy Nation,” and “Wheel Of Fortune.”</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d73tiBBzvFM?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
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<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoybSNHMtMY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>The first disc also includes six bonus tracks. The first two are the tracks that were removed from the original <em>Happy Nation</em> album when it was released in North America under the title, <em>The Sign</em>. “Munchhausen (Just Chaos)” is an interesting track, but I can hear why Clive Davis wanted it left off of the album. It wouldn’t have worked for the North American market, and it sounds too different from the other material on the album. “Dimension Of Depth” is an instrumental with very minimal vocals that’s slightly under two minutes in length. Again, I like the sound of the track, but I can hear why Clive didn’t want to include it on <em>The Sign</em>.</p>
<p>The remaining bonus tracks on this disc are 12” mixes of “Wheel Of Fortune,” “All That She Wants,” and “Happy Nation,” as well as “The Sign [Long Version].” As the designations on these mixes indicate, they’re extended versions of their respective tracks.</p>
<p>The second disc in <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> contains additional remixes from the <em>Happy Nation/The Sign</em> era. The one exception here is that the original version of “Waiting For Magic” is here, since the 7” version of the remixed version was included as part of the main album. This disc also has the Total Remix 12” version of “Waiting For Magic.”</p>
<p>The standout on this disc is the first track, “Don’t Turn Around [12” Aswad Mix].” Before Ace Of Base covered this Tina Turner B-side, Aswad had recorded their own cover of the track, and I thought it was kind of cool to see another artist who had covered the song doing a remix of the Ace Of Base cover. I really liked how this remix gave the track even more of a reggae feel, and I think this remix works quite nicely.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MK5D9JOXFiY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>“Living In Danger [D-House Mix – Long Version]” is an interesting mix of the song, and I like how it sounds. While it would have been nice to have an edit, it appears that an edit of this mix doesn’t exist on any of the commercial formats of the “Living In Danger” single. I also liked “Wheel Of Fortune [Club Mix],” because it gives the track an interesting feel and vibe. “Happy Nation [Gold Zone Club Mix]” also deserves a shoutout.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I84NknXppTY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
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<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vwZQNdtrCcU?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>Unfortunately, the remaining remixes included on this disc are either “meh” or didn’t do much for me. Fortunately, most of those mixes are included in the latter half of the disc, so if I want, I can shut off the disc after getting through the mixes that I enjoy.</p>
<p>The third disc in this set is Ace Of Base’s second album, <em>The Bridge</em>. The only real differences that the U.S. version of the album had was the fact that the acoustic version of “Lucky Love” replaced the original version of the track, the song “You And I” was removed, and “Whispers In Blindness” was moved to later portion of the tracklist.</p>
<p>With <em>The Bridge</em>, you can hear that Ace Of Base was beginning to make some progression musically. You hear a lot less of the reggae influence that permeated a lot of <em>Happy Nation/The Sign</em>. While there are still some songs you can dance to on this album, you can hear that musically, Ace Of Base was starting to move into more of a pop direction with their material.</p>
<p>For me, my favorite songs on <em>The Bridge</em> are: “Beautiful Life,” “Never Gonna Say I’m Sorry,” “Lucky Love,” “Edge Of Heaven,” “My Déjà Vu,” “Wave Wet Sand,” and “Que Sera.”</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wh-07BzfgYY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
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<p>There are four bonus tracks on this disc: the acoustic version of “Lucky Love,” as well as extended versions of “Beautiful Life,” “New Gonna Say I’m Sorry,” and “Lucky Love.” While I do like the original version of “Lucky Love,” I get where Clive was coming from when he replaced that with the acoustic version of the track and had the acoustic version promoted as a single. With the way pop music was evolving in 1995, the acoustic version had a much better chance of being embraced by U.S. pop radio than the original version of the track. Of the four bonus tracks, the acoustic version of “Lucky Love” is my favorite.</p>
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<p>The fourth disc in <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> contains some remixes that were released during this era of the group’s career. Since there are only three songs represented, I was glad to see that the tracks were sequenced in a way where mixes of each song are spread out, rather than having the mixes for each song being sequenced back-to-back by single release. To me, the standout mixes on this disc are: “Beautiful Life [Junior’s Retro 12” Mix],” “Beautiful Life [The Euro-Vogue Mix],” “Lucky Love [Lenny B’s Full-A-Love Mix],” “Never Gonna Say I’m Sorry [Lenny B’s Total Reconstruction],” and “Lucky Love [Todd Terry Remix].”</p>
<p>The remaining mixes on this disc were either “meh” or didn’t really do anything for me. I did want to highlight one particular mix in this section: “Beautiful Life [Vission Lorimer Anthem Mix].” This mix actually starts out with a really cool intro, but once the actual mix kicks in, it falls apart very quickly. It was disappointing to hear a mix start out strong but fizzle out in a relatively short amount of time.</p>
<p>Discs Five through Seven of this set cover Ace Of Base’s third album, <em>Flowers</em> (known as <em>Cruel Summer</em> in North America, Japan, and Latin America). This is another album that Clive Davis decided to make major changes to before Arista would release it. The lyrics to the song “Life Is a Flower” were re-written to turn it into “Whenever You’re Near Me,” a new version of “Donnie” was put on <em>Cruel Summer</em>, a different version of “He Decides” was used, it included the song “Everytime It Rains,” “Travel To Romantis” was remixed by Love To Infinity, and “Always Have, Always Will” was edited for U.S. release.</p>
<p>With <em>Flowers/Cruel Summer</em>, Ace Of Base primarily produced a pop album, although the material also touches on Motown and dance. It’s an interesting combination, but it works.</p>
<p>My favorite tracks on the album are: “Life Is a Flower,” “Always Have, Always Will,” “Cruel Summer,” “Travel To Romantis,” and “Tokyo Girl.”</p>
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<p>This disc includes eight bonus tracks. The first five are additional songs: “Everytime It Rains” (a song recorded for the <em>Cruel Summer</em> version of the album), “C’est La Vie (Always 21)” (a new song for the greatest hits album the group released in 1999), “Hallo Hallo” (another new song from the greatest hits album), “Love In December” (another new song from the greatest hits album) and “Whenever You’re Near Me” (the re-working of “Life Is a Flower” that appeared on the <em>Cruel Summer</em> version of the album). I have to say that I enjoyed all of these tracks, and I’m glad to see the new tracks from the 1999 greatest hits album were also included here.</p>
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<p>The remaining three bonus tracks on the disc are remixes: “Cruel Summer [Big Bonus Mix],” “Cecilia [Ole Evenrude Radio Mix],” and “Everytime It Rains [Metro Radio Mix].” The most interesting of these is the Big Bonus Mix of “Cruel Summer,” because this is actually the way the group originally recorded the cover, but it was decided that it just didn’t quite work, and Cutfather and Joe were brought in to work on the track. I think the Big Bonus Mix of “Cruel Summer” has an interesting sound to it, and I do like it, but this version wouldn’t have become the hit that the Cutfather and Joe version ended up being. The other two remixes are OK, but they don’t stand out to me as much as “Cruel Summer [Big Bonus Mix].”</p>
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<p>The sixth and seventh discs include remixes of tracks from the <em>Flowers/Cruel Summer</em> album, as well as the three new tracks from the 1999 greatest hits album. There’s also a version of “Cruel Summer” that’s done by Ace Of Base and a French boy band named Alliage, but I can’t really find any information about where exactly this version came from or how it came about. However, it should be noted that the single version isn’t included here. Instead, you get the Extended Mix and the Garage Mix Extended. I think this is an interesting rendition of “Cruel Summer,” and it’s a little disappointing that the single version is only available on this release on the DVD.</p>
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<p>Outside of that, the standout mixes on Discs Six and Seven of <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> are: “Travel To Romantis [Love To Infinity Mix],” “Love In December [Alternative Disco Version],” “C’est La Vie [Skeewiff’s Full Biffter],” “Cruel Summer [Hartmann & Langhoff Club Mix],” “Hallo Hallo [Alternative Version],” “Travel To Romantis [Wolf Mix],” “Life Is a Flower [Sweetbox Remix],” “Whenever You’re Near Me [Giuseppe D’s Extended Remix],” “Cruel Summer [Hani Num Club Mix],” and “Life Is a Flower [Milk Inc. UHT Radio Mix].”</p>
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<p>A lot of the remixes from this era aren’t necessarily bad, but there’s not a lot to make the remaining mixes on these discs stand out from other remixes being released during the late 1990’s.</p>
<p>The eighth disc of <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> is Ace Of Base’s fourth album, <em>Da Capo</em>. Unlike the other albums in this set, all of the material from this era of the group’s career is included on one disc. This album was supposed to be released in the United States in 2003, but it never came out. Instead, it was only available in Europe and Japan. “Da capo” is a musical term that means “back to the beginning,” and this album was meant to be a return to the group’s initial sound. The tracks on <em>Da Capo</em> have a mixture of dance and pop, and to me, it sounds like they were starting to work toward returning to where the group started from.</p>
<p>My favorite tracks on <em>Da Capo</em> are: “Unspeakable,” “Beautiful Morning,” “Remember The Words,” “Da Capo,” “Wonderful Life,” “What’s the Name of the Game,” and “Hey Darling.”</p>
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<p>This disc also includes nine bonus tracks. Four of these tracks are alternative versions of songs on the album, while the remaining five are remixes. Of the four alternative versions, I thought that “Da Capo” and “Change With the Light” were the most interesting, because you could really hear how different they sounded from the versions of these songs that appear on the album.</p>
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<p>Of the five remixes included, the big standout to me was “Hey Darling [Bells Version].” I love how the bells are incorporated into the mix, and I think they add an interesting layer to the track. Other mixes on this disc that deserve a shoutout are “Beautiful Morning [Groove Radio Edit]” and “Unspeakable [Junk & Function M12 Club Mix].”</p>
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<p>Disc Nine of this set is <em>Hidden Gems Volume 1</em>, which is a compilation album that was released in 2015. It includes previously unreleased material and B-sides recorded by the original lineup of the group between 1991 and 2006. The version of this release included in <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> has eight bonus tracks. Of the bonus tracks, the most notable is the inclusion of “Mr. Ace,” which is the original version of “All That She Wants” before producer Denniz PoP became involved and helped shape it into the track that we know from <em>Happy Nation/The Sign</em>. After hearing this, it’s a good thing that Denniz PoP gave his input, because “Mr. Ace” would have never been a hit.</p>
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<p>Other standouts on <em>Hidden Gems Volume 1</em> are: “Would You Believe,” “Into the Night of Blue,” “Don’t Stop,” “Make My Day,” “Mercy, Mercy,” “Come To Me,” “Prime Time,” and “Moment Of Magic.”</p>
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<p>The standouts among the bonus tracks on this disc are: “Kings And Queens” and “Love For Sale.”</p>
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<p>The 10th disc is <em>Hidden Gems Volume 2</em>, which was made for the <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> set. Even though this was a disc first made for this release, it still includes three “bonus tracks.”</p>
<p>The standouts on this disc are: “Girl in the Line,” “Love in the Ghetto,” “Stranger To Love,” “Kyrie Eleison,” “For a Thousand Days,” “All Temptations,” “She Was Thinking of You,” “The Challenge,” “Reality (In Black and White)” (a track by Tech Noir, the original name for Ace Of Base), and “Couldn’t Care Less.”</p>
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<p>The three “bonus tracks” on this disc are alternate versions of tracks that appear on the two <em>Hidden Gems</em> discs: “Stranger To Love,” “Giving It Up,” and “Moment Of Magic.”</p>
<p>The last CD in <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> is “Edge Of Heaven,” which is split into four sections: “Edge Of Heaven,” “Remixed,” “Revisited.” And “Live In Gothenburg, 1990.”</p>
<p>“Edge Of Heaven” includes three mixes of this song, which was originally included on <em>The Bridge</em>. Of the three mixes included here, my favorite is the Monte X 2 Ballad Re-Mix. The other two mixes aren’t necessarily bad, but they just don’t stand out to me like the ballad mix does.</p>
<p>The next six tracks are newer remixes of some of Ace Of Base’s material: “All That She Wants,” “Always Have, Always Will.” “Beautiful Life,” “Never Gonna Say I’m Sorry,” and “Cruel Summer.” The standouts here are “All That She Wants [Moombahteam Remix],” “Never Gonna Say I’m Sorry [Singlewave Remix],” and “Cruel Summer [Niv Cohen Remix].”</p>
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<p>The “Revisited” portion pf the disc includes four tracks that were re-recorded around 2009, featuring only Jenny on vocals (since Linn had left the group by this point). Jenny does a decent enough job, although it’s obvious there’s a different singer, since her enunciation is noticeably different from Linn. Although, I have to be honest and say that I’m likely not going to go out of my way to listen to these versions of “The Sign,” “Lucky Love,” “Don’t Turn Around,” and “Wheel Of Fortune” very much.</p>
<p>The final four tracks are a live performance that the group made in 1990. However, at this time, they weren’t officially Ace Of Base. They were performing under the name Tech Noir. At this point, the band was Jonas, Linn, Jenny, and Niklas. However, instead of showing up for this particular gig in 1990, he sent his friend Ulf Ekberg to fill in for him while he attended a Rolling Stones concert. So, in a lot of ways, this can be considered the first Ace Of Base show (although they didn’t officially have the name at that point). Admittedly, the sound quality isn’t the best for these tracks, but at the time, no one ever thought that this recording would ever be released commercially for any reason, so I can’t fault the release for this. I appreciate the inclusion of these four tracks for the historical significance that it has for the group and how they became what we know.</p>
<p>The DVD included in <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> is split into two sections: “The Videos” and “Bonus Videos” (which also includes a photo gallery). “The Videos” includes 16 music videos covering the eras that are included in the box set. “Bonus Videos” include eight alternate versions of some of the music videos, as well as a video for “Would You Believe.” Here, there are two alternate videos for “Lucky Love,” as well as alternate videos for “Cruel Summer” (both the original version and the version of the song with French boy band Alliage), “Happy Nation,” “Don’t Turn Around,” “Living In Danger,” and “Beautiful Life.” I’m grateful that these alternate videos were included in this release, because it helps to make the video portion feel a little more complete.</p>
<p>The photo gallery is tacked on to the end of the “Bonus Videos” section, and it’s the kind of gallery where the viewer has no control over when the pictures change. To be honest, though, I think the photo gallery probably should have been its own menu option, instead of being tacked on to the end of the bonus videos.</p>
<p>Both the video and audio quality are good for a DVD. While it may not look quite as good as a Blu-ray, it actually comes kind of close.</p>
<p>Overall, I have to say that <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> is a pretty impressive set, but for Ace Of Base fans who are track collectors, this release is still missing material from the albums that are represented here. If you’re not concerned about owning all of the tracks from these eras on CD, then <em>All That She Wants: The Classic Collection</em> is a great way to acquire a lot of the group’s material, including rarities.</p>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 25, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>Album Review: Sheena Easton – “The Definitive Singles 1980-1987”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/24/album-review-sheena-easton-the-definitive-singles-1980-1987/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/24/album-review-sheena-easton-the-definitive-singles-1980-1987/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sheena Easton]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Definitive Singles 1980-1987]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19883</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In 2021, Cherry Red released Sheena Easton’s The Definitive Singles 1980-1987. This release is a three CD set includes 7” singles, 12” singles, and dub mixes from this era of Sheena’s career. The first disc includes most of the 7” singles that Sheena Easton released between 1980 and 1987. Because there wasn’t enough space on… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/24/album-review-sheena-easton-the-definitive-singles-1980-1987/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Album Review: Sheena Easton – “The Definitive Singles 1980-1987”</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>In 2021, Cherry Red released Sheena Easton’s <em>The Definitive Singles 1980-1987</em>. This release is a three CD set includes 7” singles, 12” singles, and dub mixes from this era of Sheena’s career.</p>
<p>The first disc includes most of the 7” singles that Sheena Easton released between 1980 and 1987. Because there wasn’t enough space on the first disc to include all of the 7” singles, the remaining seven singles make up roughly half of the second disc in the set.</p>
<p>Before listening to the first disc, I was already familiar with “Modern Girl,” “Morning Train (Nine To Five),” “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair),” “Almost Over You,” “Strut,” and “Sugar Walls.” Not only was I already familiar with these tracks, they are also songs in Sheena’s catalog that I enjoy. Although I have to admit that while I find “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)” to be catchy, I can’t shake how part of the track’s music feels like it’s trying too hard to sound like Laura Branigan’s “Gloria.”</p>
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<p>One of best discoveries on the first disc, though, is Sheena Easton’s duet with Kenny Rogers, which is a cover of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s “We’ve Got Tonight.” Sheena and Kenny sound good together, and they made the song work as a duet. I have to admit that before I listened to this track, I was unsure of how it would work, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it. I was also impressed with Sheena’s cover of Martha & The Vandellas’ “Jimmy Mack.”</p>
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<p>Another highlight for me was “Swear,” because it didn’t sound like something I would have expected Sheena Easton to have released during this era of her career. It’s got more of a “rock” sound to it, and she’s got the voice to carry a song like this. This disc also introduced me to “Do It For Love,” and I found that I enjoyed it.</p>
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<p>Admittedly, I had no familiarity with the remaining 7” singles that appeared on the second disc of <em>The Definitive Singles 1980-1987</em>. From what I’ve read, most of the 7” singles included on Disc Two weren’t released in the United States due to EMI America being absorbed into EMI Manhattan Records, and the upheaval involved in that caused the label to miss the two scheduled release dates in the United States. Now knowing this, I understand why I never heard of any of this material at the time it was released.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to note that among the singles included here is the Shep Pettibone version of “Sweet Talker,” which was meant for a single release in 1987 but was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. The inclusion of both the 7” and 12” versions of the Shep Pettibone mix of this song on this release marks the first time that they have been released. After listening to the 7” version, it’s a shame that this was never released at the time. It’s a fun and upbeat track that likely would have gotten some attention in the dance clubs in the mid-to-late 1980’s.</p>
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<p>Outside of “Sweet Talker,” though, the only other 7” singles that grabbed my attention were “So Far So Good” and “Anything Can Happen.” The other tracks were decent, but they didn’t grab me like the three I highlighted here.</p>
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<p>The remainder of Disc Two includes some of the 12” singles. Here, we get a club mix, dance mixes, and extended versions of some of the singles. The mix for “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)” is labeled as being a club mix, but it feels more like an extended mix. It’s a good mix, and I like it, but I was expecting something a little different with it being designated a club mix.</p>
<p>“Strut [Dance Mix]” is a good mix, and it feels like it’s more than simply an extended mix of the original track. Other standout mixes on this disc are “Sugar Walls [Dance Mix],” “Swear [Dance Mix],” and “So Far So Good [The Red Mix].”</p>
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<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLzr5b-61Vc?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>Disc Three includes the six remaining 12” mixes and the nine dub mixes. For the 12” mixes, the highlights on this disc are “So Far So Good [Extended Dance Mix],” “Anything Can Happen [12” Extended Version],” and “Sweet Talker [Shep Pettibone Long Version].”</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_tFvi7cixcY?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/54a__Ba-yn4?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b66lPJIPs5w?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>Also included here is the previously unreleased 12” Remix of “Ice Out in the Rain.” It was an OK mix, but it just didn’t do a lot for me personally.</p>
<p>When it came to the dub mixes included on this disc, I went into them expecting the worst, since the phrase “dub mix” tends to be associated with a style of remix that I don’t particularly care for. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the dub mix of “Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)” is essentially an instrumental version of the song that includes some of the background vocals. Personally, I thought this was one of the more interesting mixes to be included in the dub mixes portion of Disc Three. The dub mix of “Strut” is also in a similar vein.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e77UcrP3R9E?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TN-WymCaQ5c?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>“Sugar Walls [Red Mix]” is a little closer to what I think of as a dub mix with some of what’s done with the vocals, but this isn’t anywhere near as annoying as traditional dub mixes. It’s not until you get to the dub mix of “Swear” that you finally hear something that sounds like what I think of when I see the phrase “dub mix.”</p>
<p>After this, though, there are two instrumental mixes: “Do It For Love” and “Jimmy Mack.” I found this to be a little puzzling, since this section of the release is clearly marked as “The Dub Mixes.” The instrumental mixes for both “Do It For Love” and “Jimmy Mack” appeared on their respective 12” singles so to me, it would have made more sense to include these with the other mixes in “The 12” Singles” section of this release.</p>
<p>We return to the dub mixes with “So Far So Good [Dub Mix]” and “Eternity [Dub].” While neither one is necessarily a bad mix, there also really wasn’t anything to these to make them stand out to me.</p>
<p>The third disc closes with a previously unreleased instrumental remix of “Ice Out in the Rain.” This basically sounds like an instrumental version of the 12” remix.</p>
<p>While <em>The Definitive Singles 1980-1987</em> includes a lot of material that Sheena Easton released during that time period, this release is still missing tracks. For example, this release does not include any non-album B-sides that were released on the singles released between 1980 and 1987. There’s also a remix of the song “Can’t Wait Till Tomorrow” that appeared on the “Do It For Love” single that was also excluded from this release, as well as an instrumental version of “So Far So Good.” Between the B-sides and the missing mixes, they probably could have put together a fourth disc for this release, although it likely would have been shorter than the three discs that are included here.</p>
<p>In the end, I have to say that <em>The Definitive Singles 1980-1987</em> is good for what it is, it’s not quite as complete as I would have personally hoped for. While I appreciate the inclusion of the previously unreleased material, it feels like that this release isn’t as “definitive” as it could be due to the missing B-sides and mixes.</p>
<p>For readers who have an appreciation for Sheena Easton but aren’t as concerned about getting all the remixes and tracks released during this era, this release would be worth it for the 7” versions of the singles. However, for Sheena Easton collectors, <em>The Definitive Singles 1980-1987</em> will help get a lot of her material from this era on CD, but it’s still missing content that track collectors would want to have in their music library on CD.</p>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 24, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>Digital Single Review: Pet Shop Boys – “Dancing Star”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/digital-single-review-pet-shop-boys-dancing-star/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/digital-single-review-pet-shop-boys-dancing-star/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dancing Star]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[On April 3, 2024, Pet Shop Boys released “Dancing Star,” the second single from their album, Nonetheless. The single opens with “Dancing Star,” a song inspired by the life of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. This upbeat track tells Rudolf’s story, and once again, the Pet Shop Boys have done a great job with this “story… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/digital-single-review-pet-shop-boys-dancing-star/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Digital Single Review: Pet Shop Boys – “Dancing Star”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-attachment-id="19908" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png" data-orig-size="1000,1000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pet Shop Boys Dancing Star" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=825" class="size-full wp-image-19908 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=825" alt="Pet Shop Boys Dancing Star" srcset="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png 1000w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=150&h=150 150w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=300&h=300 300w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/pet-shop-boys-dancing-star.png?w=768&h=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></p>
<p>On April 3, 2024, Pet Shop Boys released “Dancing Star,” the second single from their album, <em>Nonetheless</em>.</p>
<p>The single opens with “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/07/song-review-pet-shop-boys-dancing-star/">Dancing Star</a>,” a song inspired by the life of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. This upbeat track tells Rudolf’s story, and once again, the Pet Shop Boys have done a great job with this “story song.” It’s a catchy track that tells a compelling story.</p>
<p>Next on the single is the B-side, “Sense Of Time.” This is an electronic club thumper that also has a bit of an “ethereal” feel to it. This vibe for the song makes sense, since in the very first line of the lyrics, the speaker says, “I was thinking about a dream I had.” And that one line sets up the song, which sees the speaker ruminating over this dream. The lyrics include images and thoughts that you would expect to be connected with an unusual dream, as well as the concept of having no sense of time in a dream. Neil’s vocals are great here, and really sell the idea of running through an unusual dream in your mind. This is a great sounding B-side, and to me, it’s as strong of a track as “Dancing Star.”</p>
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<p>This is followed by another B-side, “If Jesus Had a Sister.” Musically, this one alternates in dynamics between slow and laid back to a more midtempo track. Lyrically, this one takes a look at the story of Jesus Christ and has the speaker wondering if he might have done things differently if he had had a sister. I’m sure these lyrics may not necessarily go over well with religious fundamentalists, but I think it’s an interesting idea to contemplate. This song sees the speaker wondering about a “what if” scenario, and I personally don’t see anything wrong with that. It’s also interesting to note that these lyrics don’t utilize the typical verse-chorus-verse structure. Considering how the song goes, though, I don’t think that a typical lyric structure would make sense. It’s an interesting track, but I have to admit that I don’t find this B-side to be quite as strong as “Sense Of Time.”</p>
<p>This single also includes three remixes, and the first is “Dancing Star [Solomun Extended Remix].” This remix turns “Dancing Star” into a club track, and I really like the feel that this mix gives to the song. For a song about a dancing star, it makes sense to turn it into even more of a dance track than the original. I have to give the remixer credit for not only turning “Dancing Star” into a club stomper, they retained almost all of the vocals while doing so. Overall, I thought that this is a pretty good mix of the song.</p>
<p>Next is “Party in the Blitz [Superchumbo Remix],” which is a remix of the B-side of the “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/01/31/song-review-pet-shop-boys-loneliness/">Loneliness</a>” single. Musically, this mix is very bass-driven, which is a sound that I really don’t care much for because it tends to be headache-inducing for me. While this sound actually works with the lyrics and the vibe of the track, it’s just a style of remixing that I personally don’t care much for. However, if you enjoy very bass-heavy remixes, then “Party in the Blitz [Superchumbo Remix]” might be up your alley.</p>
<p>The single closes with “Dancing Star [Solomun Remix].” This is a shorter version of the Solomun Extended Remix, and I think I like this one a little better because it feels tighter. While the extensions added to the extended version of the remix aren’t bad and that mix is enjoyable to listen to, I felt that this original version of the mix was a little stronger.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9rtVQ6s60DQ?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>Picking up this single, either digitally or physically, is worth it to fans of the Pet Shop Boys in order to get the B-sides and remixes included here in their music collection.</p>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 23, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>DVD Review: Queen – “Greatest Video Hits 1”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/dvd-review-queen-greatest-video-hits-1/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/dvd-review-queen-greatest-video-hits-1/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1970s]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[1980s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[70s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[70s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Greatest Video Hits 1]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Queen]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19304</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Queen’s Greatest Video Hits 1 is a two-disc set, which features the band’s music videos from 1973 to 1980. In addition to the two discs, the release also includes an 18-page booklet. Inside the booklet are write-ups for the videos included in this release, as well as accompanying relevant photographs. It’s a nice addition to… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/23/dvd-review-queen-greatest-video-hits-1/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">DVD Review: Queen – “Greatest Video Hits 1”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="19303" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/queen-greatest-video-hits-1/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg" data-orig-size="316,316" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Queen Greatest Video Hits 1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg?w=316" class="size-full wp-image-19303 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg?w=825" alt="Queen Greatest Video Hits 1" srcset="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg 316w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg?w=150&h=150 150w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/queen-greatest-video-hits-1.jpg?w=300&h=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px" /></p>
<p>Queen’s <em>Greatest Video Hits 1</em> is a two-disc set, which features the band’s music videos from 1973 to 1980. In addition to the two discs, the release also includes an 18-page booklet. Inside the booklet are write-ups for the videos included in this release, as well as accompanying relevant photographs. It’s a nice addition to include, especially since a lot of DVD videos compilations like this that were released went to this much effort for an accompanying booklet.</p>
<p>All of the videos are restored and shown in 16:9 widescreen format, and the audio has been remixed for optimal DTS 5.1 Surround Sound. Unfortunately, in order to achieve the 16:9 widescreen format, the top and bottom of the original 4:3 frame were cropped. This is my biggest disappointment of this release, since we’re not getting the complete images for the videos. Outside of that, the video quality is pretty decent for a DVD release, although it obviously doesn’t look anywhere near as sharp as a Blu-ray would.</p>
<p>If you decide to use the menu to decide which music videos to watch on a disc instead of selecting “Play All,” a splash screen comes up first with information for the video before the actual video begins. If you select “Play All,” you get a splash screen that simply has the title for the song before each the video begins, rather than the more detailed information that you get when you watch the videos individually.</p>
<p>Disc One also features an option to hear audio commentary from Queen. For me, at least, the audio commentary was rather disappointing, because there were a lot of long, silent spots in it. While I don’t expect talking over a whole video without stopping, I felt there were quite a few silent spots that lasted at least 45 seconds, if not longer. Outside of the long gaps, I have to give the band members credit for the insights they provide for the videos in their commentary.</p>
<p>The first disc contains the videos for: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Killer Queen” (taken from <em>Top of the Pops</em>), “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Bicycle Race” (a new edit from rediscovered lost footage), “You’re My Best Friend,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Save Me,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Somebody to Love,” “Spread Your Wings,” “Play the Game,” “Flash,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions.”</p>
<p>Disc Two features six videos: “Now I’m Here [Live],” “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” (from <em>Top of the Pops</em>), “Keep Yourself Alive,” “Liar,” “Love of My Life,” and “We Will Rock You [Fast Live Version].” Also included as a hidden Easter Egg is an alternate edit of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video. This alternate version includes some rather cheesy-looking CG flames during the opening shot of the video, an alternate angle shot of Freddie at the piano, and more cut aways from Brian during the guitar solo. Personally, I felt that, for the most part, the changes to the video weren’t highly noticeable, and question whether this alternate edit was worth including on the set. I guess die-hard Queen fans would want every version of the music videos that exist, though, so in that regard, perhaps this should be included.</p>
<p>There is also a documentary called, “Inside the Rhapsody,” with Brian May and Roger Taylor talking about making the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video. Included in the documentary is Brian in a studio sharing the elements from the original audio master tape of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” footage of Brian and Roger accepting an award for “Bohemian Rhapsody” being the #1 British single of all-time, and discussion about how the song became so successful. The documentary is broken up into four parts, and there’s no way to watch the entire thing back-to-back. But with the way the four parts are done, it would have been rather hard to have a “Play All” feature for this and have it flow together well, so this is understandable. The first part runs for a little over eight-and-a-half minutes, the second part runs for six minutes, the third part runs for around 27 minutes in length, and the fourth part is about two-and-a-half minutes. These documentary pieces are pretty good for what they are. To me, the documentary was one of the highlights of the set.</p>
<p>Also included on disc two is a picture gallery featuring rare and previously unseen photographs. However, the picture gallery is more like a slide show than a gallery. It runs for almost two-and-a-half minutes, and it has music going with the images. Again, this makes sense, since this is a DVD release for a rock band. It would have been stranger not to have some of Queen’s music playing in the background during this feature. There’s also a link to QueenOnline.com included on Disc Two as well.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to note that several of the videos that appear on this set are different from versions released on previously available videocassettes. The most notable of these are “Bicycle Race,” “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy,” and “Now I’m Here.”</p>
<p>In the end, the two main issues I have with <em>Greatest Video Hits 1</em> are the fact that the original 4:3 image was cropped to create this 16:9 presentation and the fact that the music videos are not sequenced in chronological order on this release. But even with these faults, this set is a good collection of Queen’s early videos. Unfortunately, as far I can tell, the only way to get these videos is on DVD. I wish this set (or an entirely new release of Queen videos) was available on Blu-ray, because I think it’s a disservice to not remaster these videos and to have higher quality versions of them available for Queen’s fanbase. As of this writing, we have to settle for this DVD release of <em>Greatest Video Hits 1</em>.</p>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman in September 2012, re-worked by Lesley Aeschliman on April 23, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>Digital Single Review: Depeche Mode – “People Are Good (Remixes)”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/digital-single-review-depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/digital-single-review-depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Depeche Mode]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[synthpop]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[On April 5, 2024, a digital single of remixes was released for “People Are Good,” a song from Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori album. With this being the fifth digital remix single released for the album, how does it stack up in comparison to the others? The single opens with “People Are Good [AC Fool Mix].”… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/digital-single-review-depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Digital Single Review: Depeche Mode – “People Are Good (Remixes)”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="19888" data-permalink="https://aeschtunes.com/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes/" data-orig-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg" data-orig-size="500,500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Depeche Mode People Are Good Remixes" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg?w=500" class="size-full wp-image-19888 aligncenter" src="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg?w=825" alt="Depeche Mode People Are Good Remixes" srcset="https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg 500w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg?w=150&h=150 150w, https://aeschtunes.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/depeche-mode-people-are-good-remixes.jpg?w=300&h=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<p>On April 5, 2024, a digital single of remixes was released for “People Are Good,” a song from Depeche Mode’s <em>Memento Mori</em> album. With this being the fifth digital remix single released for the album, how does it stack up in comparison to the others?</p>
<p>The single opens with “People Are Good [AC Fool Mix].” This mix opens with an atmospheric intro, and ultimately slows the track down. Even though this mix slows down the track and brings it up to six minutes and 45 seconds in length, it’s not the longest mix on the single. When the lyrics kick in after the intro, the music becomes much more minimal. I thought this was an interesting interpretation of the track, and I really liked the vocal breakdown that takes place around halfway through the mix. In this section, as well as near the end of the mix, we get to hear Martin Gore singing instead of Dave Gahan, and this helps add to the feel and vibe of the mix. I love how this mix gives the track a significantly different feel and vibe yet retains the intent that Dave and Martin had for this song. I hope this is indicative of the quality of the mixes of this release. I’d hate to think that this is an outlier.</p>
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<p>Next is “People Are Good [Ludwig A.F. Heaven Help Us Mix],” which is actually about 40 seconds shorter than the original track. This mix picks up the tempo of the track a little, bringing it to a BPM that helps to make it more friendly for dance clubs. Most of the lyrics for the song stay intact for this version, although the final lines of “People are good / Whisper it under your breath / People are good / Keep fooling yourself” only show up once instead of four times, and the one time it does appear, it’s more in the background right at the end. However, I’m not going to fault the mixer too much for this. In the original song, that section at the end does get a little redundant, so cutting it down to one appearance right at the end makes sense.</p>
<p>This is followed by “People Are Good [Depeche Mode v SiGNL – The Good People’s Mix],” which comes in at almost seven minutes in length. SiGNL provided a remix on the “Before We Drown” single, which I thought was an OK remix, so I’m keeping my hopes a little lowered with this mix. The first minute of the mix is simply a loop of Dave singing the word “people,” and after a 20 second break, we get another loop of vocals before we get an actual line of vocals. Unfortunately, it seems this mix is mixture of the vocal loops and occasional lines of vocal. This style of remix might work for the dance club, but it’s not really one you can just sit down and listen to at home. I’m glad I kept my expectations for this one low, because this helped to make this remix of “People Are Good” be less disappointing to me than it would have been. While I think there’s some interesting things going on musically with this mix, I didn’t like the decisions that were made regarding the vocals. The length of the mix doesn’t help it, either, because this makes it feel more obnoxious than if it had been a shorter mix.</p>
<p>“People Are Good [Obskur Remix]” is only about 10 seconds shorter than the original track. This is another mix that picks up the tempo of the track, with a BPM that makes the song more dance club friendly. However, unlike the Ludwig A.F. Heaven Help Us Mix, the Obskur Remix essentially keeps all of the lyrics intact. In that regard, I do rank this mix a little higher than the Ludwig A.F. Heaven Help Us Mix, but not by much. They’re both good dance mixes, but I think this one is just a little bit stronger.</p>
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<p>The single closes with “People Are Good [Indira Paganotto Twilight Remix].” This is the longest mix on this release, clocking in at almost nine minutes. Musically, this mix gives the track more of a psychedelic feel. This mix is definitely unique, especially with the Arabic-inspired music thrown in at times. The Indira Paganotto Twilight Remix also seems to be a mixture of techno and trance, which helps to contribute to the interesting feel that this mix has. This may sound like an odd combination, but it actually works. My only real disappointment is the fact that even with its long runtime, this mix doesn’t utilize all of the vocals from the original track. It’s also a little frustrating that Martin’s vocal contributions to the track are completely removed from this remix. While I give this mix a lot of props on a musical level, I have to mark it down a little due to how much of the vocals ended up being cut.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe class="youtube-player" width="825" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C8qJA0t5Z00?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></div>
<p>After being as impressed as I was with the remix single for “<a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/02/09/digital-single-review-depeche-mode-before-we-drown-remixes/">Before We Drown</a>,” I have to say that this remix single for “People Are Good” surpasses that one. For me, there was only one truly bad remix on this release. While I had a minor complaint with a couple of the remixes on here, those minor complaints weren’t enough to drastically diminish my enjoyment of those mixes. But having said that, though, I really hope that this will be the last remix single released for <em>Memento Mori</em>, because this would end this era of the band’s career on a high note.</p>
<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 22, 2024)</em></p>
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<media:title type="html">Depeche Mode People Are Good Remixes</media:title>
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<title>Song of the Moment: Madonna – “Like A Prayer”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/song-of-the-moment-madonna-like-a-prayer/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/song-of-the-moment-madonna-like-a-prayer/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Like a Prayer]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Madonna]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19270</guid>
<description><![CDATA[By 1989, I considered myself a fan of Madonna’s music, so I was rather excited when I learned that she would be releasing a new album that year. The first time I heard the lead-off single (which was the title song for the Like A Prayer album), I was blown away. From the guitar solo… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/22/song-of-the-moment-madonna-like-a-prayer/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song of the Moment: Madonna – “Like A Prayer”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>By 1989, I considered myself a fan of Madonna’s music, so I was rather excited when I learned that she would be releasing a new album that year. The first time I heard the lead-off single (which was the title song for the Like A Prayer album), I was blown away. From the guitar solo intro to the choir that appears in it, as well as everything in between, I hadn’t heard anything like it on pop radio at that point in my life. Yet, it was still a pop song and it fit in with the other songs being promoted to the format at the time. This is just one example of how Madonna was an innovator in pop music.</p>
<p>The music video was controversial, of course, but even at almost 14 years old, I picked up that Madonna was trying to convey a message to it. As I got older, I understood the message even better than I did as a young teen, and I realize that that message is just as relevant now as when the video was made 35 years ago. I really like how director Mary Lambert was able to use the section of Madonna being in the church to show how it parallels what happened with the black man being wrongly arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. And showing that the whole thing was a play at the end is just the chef’s kiss.</p>
<p>I turned 14 about a month before “Like A Prayer” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 22, 1989. At the time, I wasn’t surprised that the song became a big hit, since Madonna was such a huge name at the time and this was the lead-off single for Madonna’s first album of all-new material in almost three years. There was obviously going to be a lot of anticipation and curiosity behind the track, so it was easily going to get the radio and MTV airplay to the top of the chart. But “Like A Prayer” is also a strong song in its own right, and that helped propel the song to number one and stay there for three weeks straight.</p>
<p>I think of its strengths is the fact that “Like A Prayer” doesn’t sound obviously dated, so listeners who don’t remember if it from the time aren’t likely to hear it and automatically pick up on the fact that it was released in the late 1980’s. When compared to Madonna’s more recent material, this song has more of a “timeless” feel to it. </p>
<p>35 years later, “Like A Prayer” ranks among my all-time favorite songs by Madonna.</p>
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<title>Song Review: Moby featuring Lady Blackbird – “Dark Days”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-review-moby-featuring-lady-blackbird-dark-days/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-review-moby-featuring-lady-blackbird-dark-days/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dance music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dark Days]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[electronic music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lady Blackbird]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Moby]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[“Dark Days” has been released to promote Moby’s forthcoming album, Always Centered at Night. This track is a collaboration with Lady Blackbird, a singer-songwriter who had previously provided vocals on a track on the Resound NYC album. As someone who has listened to Moby for nearly 20 years and has heard how much his sound… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-review-moby-featuring-lady-blackbird-dark-days/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Moby featuring Lady Blackbird – “Dark Days”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“Dark Days” has been released to promote Moby’s forthcoming album, <em>Always Centered at Night</em>. This track is a collaboration with Lady Blackbird, a singer-songwriter who had previously provided vocals on a track on the <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2023/05/22/album-review-moby-resound-nyc/"><em>Resound NYC</em></a> album. As someone who has listened to Moby for nearly 20 years and has heard how much his sound has evolved during that time, I was quite curious to hear what he has to offer in 2024.</p>
<p>Musically, this midtempo track has the sound and feel I would expect from Moby. In a lot of ways, I kind of hear that this track takes some ideas musically from the <em>Play</em> and <em>18</em> eras, but modernizes it to sound more modern. During a musical break in the track, you can hear a section that adds a psychedelic feel to that portion of the song, and near the end, you can hear sounds that conjure up images from science fiction. I thought these added nice touches to the track musically. Admittedly, the song doesn’t go much of anywhere musically, but this doesn’t hurt the track for me. Lady Blackbird’s vocal performance on “Dark Days” is also fantastic, and I think her delivery really helps to sell the song’s lyrics.</p>
<p>Lyrically, the song seems to be from the point of view of a speaker who seems to be examining the beginning and ending of future days on Earth. It’s not a cheery song by any means, but I think that it’s appropriate for the times that we’re currently living in. Personally, I think that the lyrics, along with the musical arrangement of the track, capture the idea of the world potentially heading into dark days in the future.</p>
<p>I enjoyed “Dark Days,” and I really hope that this track is indicative of what we can expect to hear when <em>Always Centered at Night</em> is released on June 14, 2024. If you’ve listened to and enjoyed Moby’s material over the past 20 years or so, then I suspect that you can find an appreciation for “Dark Days.”</p>
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<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 21, 2024)</em></p>
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<title>Song of the Moment: Phil Collins – “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-of-the-moment-phil-collins-against-all-odds-take-a-look-at-me-now/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-of-the-moment-phil-collins-against-all-odds-take-a-look-at-me-now/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[1980s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[80s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Against All Odds]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Phil Collins]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19203</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I actually don’t remember Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” from the time that it was originally released in early 1984. I became aware of the song probably around late 1984 or 1985, when the song and music video would have still likely been getting recurrent airplay on radio and… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/21/song-of-the-moment-phil-collins-against-all-odds-take-a-look-at-me-now/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song of the Moment: Phil Collins – “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I actually don’t remember Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” from the time that it was originally released in early 1984. I became aware of the song probably around late 1984 or 1985, when the song and music video would have still likely been getting recurrent airplay on radio and on MTV. I would have heard “Easy Lover,” Phil’s collaboration with Philip Bailey, by the time I heard “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” for the first time, and I had fallen in love with “Easy Lover.” So when the opportunity to hear something else by Phil Collins came up, I took the time to listen to it.</p>
<p>What I’ve always loved about this song is how it starts out with minimal instrumentation, and that both the instrumentation and the intensity increase over the course of the track, before backing down right at the end. And Phil’s vocal delivery on “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” works in the same way, and these vocals emphasize the speaker’s emotions throughout the song. Even at nine or 10 years old, I could still understand the emotion behind the song, even if I lacked the life experience to truly understand what Phil was singing about.</p>
<p>“Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” is a song that I gained even more appreciation for as I got older and started obtaining the life experience to understand the song on more than just a surface level. And with that increased understanding, I came to truly appreciate how effective this song is. Looking back, it isn’t surprising that this song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 21, 1984. To be honest, it would have been more surprising if it hadn’t become a number one hit.</p>
<p>I have to admit that I’ve never seen the film <em>Against All Odds</em>, which this song was written for, so I don’t know if it was used in the film at all or exactly how it fits in with the film if it is. This song has a universal theme, so it’s really not necessary to have any knowledge of the film in order to appreciate it.</p>
<p>40 years later, “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” is still a great song. This track is among my favorite songs by Phil Collins, and if I had to give it a number on where it would rank, I would likely place this as my number one favorite song by him.</p>
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<title>Song Review: Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”</title>
<link>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/20/song-review-taylor-swift-featuring-post-malone-fortnight/</link>
<comments>https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/20/song-review-taylor-swift-featuring-post-malone-fortnight/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Aeschliman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[2020s music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Fortnight]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[music review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Post Malone]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Taylor Swift]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aeschtunes.com/?p=19850</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I have to admit going into this review that I’m not a Swiftie. I also have to admit that the only song I have any familiarity with is “Shake It Off,” thanks to hearing it regularly while I worked at a grocery store about three or four years ago. I find “Shake It Off” to… <a href="https://aeschtunes.com/2024/04/20/song-review-taylor-swift-featuring-post-malone-fortnight/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Song Review: Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have to admit going into this review that I’m not a Swiftie. I also have to admit that the only song I have any familiarity with is “Shake It Off,” thanks to hearing it regularly while I worked at a grocery store about three or four years ago. I find “Shake It Off” to be catchy, but it never made me want to go out and discover more of Taylor’s musical output. However, with all of the buzz behind her new album, <em>The Tortured Poets Department</em>, I decided I needed to check out the song “Fortnight” and review it.</p>
<p>This song is a collaboration with Post Malone, an artist that I only know by name. As far as I know, I’ve never heard anything by him prior to listening to “Fortnight.” I have to say that Taylor’s voice sounds great on this track, and Post Malone’s voice melds so well with hers. I admit that with my first listen, I wasn’t sure if the song really needed to be a duet, but with a second listen, I realized that it wouldn’t work nearly as well if it was just Taylor singing on this track.</p>
<p>Musically, there’s an atmospheric feel to “Fortnight” that I really liked, and the sound of the synths conjures up a feel of the late 1970’s/early 1980’s. Admittedly, the song doesn’t really progress anywhere musically, and normally this is something that I don’t like when listening to a track. However, with the lyrics and the mood Taylor was going for with this track, it actually works to have a musical arrangement that doesn’t really go much of anywhere during its runtime.</p>
<p>Lyrically, “Fortnight” seems to be from the point of view of a speaker looking back at a romantic relationship that ended badly. Even so, the speaker seems conflicted about their feelings about that relationship. On the one hand, you can hear a wistfulness in both the musical arrangement and Taylor’s vocal delivery, but when you listen to the lyrics, you can also see that the speaker also feels some bitterness toward it. The vocal delivery of both singers helps to sell the lyrics of this song.</p>
<p>Before listening to “Fortnight,” I really didn’t know what to expect and I wasn’t able to anticipate how I would react to the song. But I’m happy to say that I found myself enjoying this track much more than I thought I would. I was impressed enough with “Fortnight” that I’ll need to find some time to check out other tracks from <em>The Tortured Poets Department</em>, as well as Taylor’s earlier musical output.</p>
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<p><em>(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on April 20, 2024)</em></p>
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