Today, I chose

I’m Going Slightly Mad.

Before answering, I have to say something, tho: I have phases and listen to music to influence my own moods. Music is a way of surviving for me, so this hugely differs. There cannot be a favourite *anything* in music, because it depends what I want to achieve with it and which instrument of my soul needs to be currently played. But I’ll try my best.

Q: Favourite album of the year?

OK, there are dozens. I just name the first one that comes to mind, and that is special and original and amazing and I just love it: Guillemots, Through The Windowpane. Thanks so much, kittenz, for recommending it.

Q: Which song always makes you cry?

Actually, there are some. As I said, I use music as a catalyst for feelings. When I cannot connect to my own feelings, I use music to gently guide me. To make me cry when I need to cry. To make me happy when I need to feel well again. Someone who always touches me to tears (as well as the opposite) is Freddie Mercury. I already evinced my admiration and love for Queen in the Blog, I think. One of their songs that always makes me cry is “Too Much Love Will Kill You“. Another song that recently brought me to tears was Pink’s Conversation With My 13 Year Old Self.

Q: Favourite album ever?

Zomgwtf? Ever? How CAN you ask this of me? Omg, what to do, what to do? Something from Queen, perhaps? But which one then? *sigh* Or Sting’s Soul Cages? Or the Doors? Or… or… or… *dropsdedfromabundanceofpossibilities*. OK. I’ll go for a real classic, and out of modern music at all. Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, performed and directed by Nigel Kennedy. There. Phew.

Q: Favourite song this year/ever?

I’ll stop complaining and just pick one, ok? So, favourite song lately might just be Laleh: November. And, when I’m in a completey different mood, Lovex: Guardian Angel.

And ever? Ohmy… ok. If it’s about ever, I’ll venture back in time. What about Sammy Davis Junior, Mr. Bojangles? Or Aretha Frankling Say A Little Prayer? Or Janis Joplin? Summertime? Mercedes Benz? Hm… Oh. I’ll just say Try A Little Tenderness. Otis Redding, of course. Yeah, all you youngsters outside reading this Blog. Go to the music stores and get some real music.

Q: Most amazing live concert you’ve been too?

This should be easier now, right? It isn’t, though, because I went to concerts during my studies almost every week. There are 3 concerts which really stayed in mind, and I think the one I have to pick is one in my favorite music club in Cologne (The Prime Club). Actually, both top 2 concerts took place in there: Once, we saw The Ark and Kent (both Swedish groups for those who don’t know it), the other time, we saw Madrugada. And that was probably the most amazing concert. I remember their music taking me into a whole special world, into a trance, an abeyance between dream and real world… and that without taking any drugs. Not even a beer (I was the driver *g*). That was really, really special.

I still really, really want to go to Roskilde one day, and have an even more amazing live concert there. Pretty please.

Q: Best Swedish band?

Heh. Those who know me know that I know and love more Swedish bands than most Swedish people, probably. This is thanks to my wonderful friend Violetta, who hooked me up with Scandinavian music. So, who are the best? OK. They are not the best, but I really love them truly madly deeply, and thus I name The Ark.

Q: Best German band?

Erm yes. I’m not really into German music. Like, at all. There probably are some good German indipendent bands, but I don’t know them.

Of course, in the 80ies, I listened and danced to the “Neue Deutsche Welle” (New German Wave) of German pop music: Nena, Kraftwerk, Falco, Extrabreit and so on. They brought a new meaning to German pop music. But that was a long time ago.

We do have an active Hip Hop scene. Sido, Aggro Berlin and such. Lolz. Seriously, lolz. Hey, boys. You are WHITE. You can NOT rap. Like, at all. You are no ghetto homies, face it. D’oh. White kids playing at being Hip Hoppers. Honestly, I’m not too much into Hip Hop at all, one of the few music styles I do not really need to collect, but seriously. Only once did a white guy come anywhere close – and even got farther – with his Hip Hop music than those who invented it. And that was Mr. Marshall Mathers. Every time I hear those German Hippie Hoppies, it makes me cringe with pity. D’oh.

Ahem, ok, I digress. There is a new German pop scene with some good bands, or so they say. Wir Sind Helden, Juli, Silbermond and such. But I just cannot connect to them, so no.

OK, I’ll come to the point. Germany did have some great punk bands. I still kinda like them. The kings of German punk are, of course, Die Ärzte. Or wait. Perhaps Die Toten Hosen, after all?

Oh, and English singing: Liquido. Chose one of the three.

Btw, here is a nice link about German music for you English-speaking folk: German for travellers – music.

Q: What song makes you happy when you are down?

Fortunately, there are many, and I often use them as such. A real happyhappy song is Jimmy Cliff’s: I Can See Clearly Now. Ska is just sooo… funny. Oh, and Norah Jones, Sunrise. And Regina Spektor makes me happy, too. Hotel Song, or On The Radio, or almost everything. ‘Kay, I’ll stop now.

Q: What music do you listen to when you are mad and feel like staying that way?

Hah. Good one. Lovex or The Rasmus work well for that, but there is one album that really comes to mind before everything else, and that is Nick Cave, Murder Ballads. I listen to him when I want to get in the kind of mood that makes me write stories like The Apogee. The album is one of the most amazing things ever written, I think.

Q: Is there music that saved your sanity?

Yes, there is . Saved my life, even. There has been a time in my life when I’ve been completey alone (or felt that way). I was so lost and confused that my body refused to work properly. I couldn’t breathe. I felt strangled. I could inhale to a certain point, then nothing, as if my lungs just blocked. Docs had no idea where this came from, but it was frightening. Then one day, I was at a bar. And they played a song. And I took a deep breath. And another. I think no one can imagine how this feels like if they never had breathing problems. It was the best feeling in the world. “Oh my gawd, what’s this song?” I asked the barkeeper. It was Van Morrison, from his Album “Astral Weeks“. He usually does not make this kind of music. I bought the album the next day and listened to it every day for almost a year. It made me breathe. The symptoms vanished later, when I got my life back into order, but I still love the album. It might not classify as “best album ever”, but it does classify as “most important album ever for me”.

I prefer women’s voices to men’s. There are exceptions, of course.

I really hate high men’s voices. There’s usually no exception. Except, naturally, Freddie, whom I will love till the end of time (but he doesn’t count as a high voice, he just had an incredible range).

There’s seems to be another exception now. The summer has started with a song that is all I usually abhor in music – and which I, for some reason, am addicted to.

It’s Mika’s “Grace Kelly“. The newcomer from Beirut lives in London, a city that hatches the best in indie pop. That doesn’t say that the song IS indie pop. It’s … fun. I haven’t listened to the whole CD yet, so I cannot say much about him as a musician, but I will.

Is it just me, or does the guy sound a bit like Freddie? That would explain it.

I must admit that Master ‘Loot? has something to do with it, too. It seems he wanted me to write something about music, so I do.

I don’t think there is anyone in this wide world as influenceable by music as I am. Of course, music is made to manipulate our emotions, but with me, it works to the extreme.

I can be perfectly happy, but when I hear Freddie sing “Too much love will kill you” -? I will cry. I can be in a real deep depression – music will pull me out of it. (As depressions go, I don’t turn on my music when I’m depressive, but brood in silence – until I find enough strength to turn on the music).

I am doomed to fall in love whenever I hear Steven Tyler sing “I don’t wanna miss a thing” … my husband keeps the CD locked up at all times.

And when I’m really exhausted and my body refuses to work, give me some pushing music and I will continue until I drop, ignoring even my body functions. As said Master ‘Loot stated “Everyone has a price, and mine is a good beat” – so it seems to be for me, too. So here is my new music category, and I’ll put stuff in here from time to time. Enjoy.

Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest singers of our time.

Few people even know how much I loved the man – and still do. I admire his music and all that he stood for.? He was one of the few people who really gave their whole existance into their performance.

And though there always have been bands and singers I heard more often, music I cherished more than that of Queen, there is no other singer whose death still brings tears to my eyes whenever I think of him or hear his songs on the radio. Man, I miss you. I so much wish you’d still be here, sharing your talent and music with us.

I’m just the pieces of the man I used to be
Too many bitter tears are raining down on me
I’m far away from home
And I’ve been facing this alone
For much too long
Oh, I feel like no-one ever told the truth to me
About growing up and what a struggle it would be
In my tangled state of mind
I’ve been looking back to find
Where I went wrongToo much love will kill you
If you can’t make up your mind
Torn between the lover
And the love you leave behind
You’re headed for disaster
‘Cos you never read the signs
Too much love will kill you – every timeI’m just the shadow of the man I used to be
And it seems like there’s no way out of this for me
I used to bring you sunshine
Now all I ever do is bring you down
Ooh, how would it be if you were standing in my shoes
Can’t you see that it’s impossible to choose
No there’s no making sense of it
Every way I go I’m bound to lose
Oh yes,Too much love will kill you
Just as sure as none at all
It’ll drain the power that’s in you
Make you plead and scream and crawl
And the pain will make you crazy
You’re the victim of your crime
Too much love will kill you – every timeYes, too much love will kill you
It’ll make your life a lie
Yes, too much love will kill you
And you won’t understand why
You’d give your life, you’d sell your soul
But here it comes again
Too much love will kill you
In the end
In the end

Written by Brian May, Frank Musker, Elizabeth Lamers.
Sung by Freddie Mercury.
Released 26th February, 1996. Reached number 15.