40 Records In 40 Years (20/40 - 1993)

In the review I must confess that in 1993 another year has been with many stamping changes. The slightest one was that we have bought ourselves a domestic animal. A small West-Highland terrier. Never had a pet before but I loved him from the first day we got him - not knowing that he will accompany me for 16 years. The really drastic event was the birth of our daughter. She was planned and we and we have brought the months of the pregnancy like millions more different behind ourselves. What I will never forget, nevertheless, in my life is the birth of my daughter. The most moving moment in my present life was when I might hold her for the first time in my hands. At this moment I was indescribably happy and tears of the joy are running down my cheeks. I was so happy that I could take the world in my arms. Of course, you are not able to sleep after this emotional birth so I went to my mates to celebrate the birth of my daughter. My god, was I hammered. A few month later we finished the renovation in our house so we could move into it before the winter comes.

Another thing I remember this year was the World Championship in Athletics that was held in Stuttgart. I'm into football but me and my mates have decided to watch the games at one day. I can remember that Thursday when we arrived at the competition site. It was warm and a clear sky and full of visitors. We had good seats to watch the pole vault and the men and women short sprint as well. It was also the first day of the men's decathlon. I've never been to a crowded place where thousands of people are happy and peaceful watching the competitions. Simply said, it was fantastic.

Didn't found much new music this year and when I look back I remember this ones:

• Cypress Hill - Black Sunday: Dope reggae
• Iggy Pop - American Caesar: The old man is back as good as ever
• Penelope Houston - The Whole World: Hit me with a flower - San Fransisco calling
• Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzi: Laid back songs from the American underground
• Jamiroquai - Emergency On Planet Earth: Brought us back to dancefloor
• Guru - Guru's Jazzmatazz Vol. I: Fantastic sounds with this crossover 
• Donald Fagen- Kamakiriad: Another great record from the former Steely Dan member
• V.A. - Judgement Nights: If it should be loud - it should be in this way
• Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Live Seeds: Great document of his tour I was able to see him

Here are just a few songs from this year:

Yes, we had the time to watch some movies as well:

• The Fugitive: Great parts by Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford
• Schindler's List: Excellent drama about a true story
• Sleepless In Seattle: If you were engaged at this time you had to watch it
• Philadelphia: Very good drama about to be HIV positive
• In The Line Of Fire: Clint Eastwood gets even better the older he gets
• Sommersby: Fine story / great actors
• The Piano: Excellent movie with fantastic pictures
• Groundhog Day: Every day is the same
• Falling Down: It could happen if everything gets too much
• True Romance: Excellent road movie, written by Quentin Tarantino
• Grumpy Old Men: Just funny to watch real actors

In the Sri Lankan Civil War 100 people were killed by the navy in Jaffna Lagoon // A Liberian-registered oil tanker runs aground off close to Shetland, causing a massive oil spill // 900 Muslims and Hindus die during the Bombay riots // Bill Clinton succeeds George Bush as the 42nd President of the United States // Vaclav Havel is elected President of the Czech Republik // WTC bombed by a van bomb // The enclave Srebrenica is declared as a UN-protected 'safe area' // Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia // Large protests erupt against the regime of Slobodan Misosevic in Belgrade - opposition leader Vuk Draskovic and his wife Danica are arrestet //  GSG 9 troopers arrest Birgit Hogefeld and kill Wolfgang Grams, two Red Army Faction terrorists, in a train station in Germany // Handshake between Arafat and Rabin in Washington after signing a peace accord // The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union // Manchester United win the inaugural English Premier League title (their first league title in 26 years) and Bobby Moore dies // World Championship in Athletics held in Stuttgart

I followed Paul Weller from the start with The Jam over to The Style Council. With every band he wrote history in modern music. Starting with The Jam to reanimate the mod era he gave us a lot of songs that were monumental. With The Style Council he slipped into another sound. Now we could here more soul and jazz in his music. On their records are a lot of songs as well I played again and again all over the years. In the early 1990s he decided to start a career under his own name. His second record by his name is Wild Wood. Weller finds the on Wild Wood his own personal sound. In rock history only a few artists found their own sound - to me occur only Neil Young and partly Jimi Hendrix. Let me formulate it in this way: earthy, crashing guitar sounds, broken and aggressively. And over the sound his fantastic voice: smoky, furious and emotionally loaded. I can't imagine that someone else could sing this songs like he did. And finally his superb lyrics.  I think this is his masterpiece.

Paul Weller - Sunflower
Paul Weller - Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)
Paul Weller - Wild Wood
Paul Weller - Shadow Of The Sun
Paul Weller - Wild Wood - Shared Wood (Portishead Remix)