Last night I watched the Champions League final between Manchester City and Internationale Milan. To my delight, although I am not a City supporter, the Italian team lost, because it would annoy me if a style of play that is only out to destroy were victorious. During the game I had to think several times of one of the best players in the Premier League from the past 30 years. Eric Cantona played for Manchester United in the early 90s and it was always great to see him play. After his professional career ended, he turned to acting and made his mark in several French films. Now he's back with a debut single that was released last week. A self-penned ballad with guitar, piano and strings. A tribute to people important to him who are no longer with us. I didn't expect Cantona to follow in the footsteps of Nick Cave. Chapeau.
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.
