Yesterday, I received the news that the apartment I have been living in for 13 years has been sold. My landlord informed me 16 months ago that it was going to be sold. Since then, I have been hoping that an investor would be found who would allow me to continue living here as a tenant. However, this is no longer possible, and I will have to find new accommodation in the course of this year.
I'm far from complaining about this, but over the next few months I'll be looking around the competitive housing market and hoping to find an affordable apartment. I remain optimistic that I'll succeed. Until then, here are a few songs with moving or relocating in the title.
Today in the series two songs that are almost 50 years old and which was recorded when most of us played football with the kids next door on the street. Bob Dylan was always an artist whose songs were covered during the last decades. But Jimi Hendrix' version of All Along The Watchtower I've first recognized when I was at the cinema. In the 70's it was usual to show us some supporting movies before the main movie started. Most of them were very arty and we sat there waiting until the movie started. Some were inspiring others not. But I remember one afternoon when me and my mates went to see the latest Bruce Lee move and we sat down in our chairs and then no supporting movie started. Instead then they showed us a live version of this song with Jimi at the guitar. For me it was an epiphany to listen to this rough, clear and inspired sound. The movie was out of date and I felt for this sound. The next day I went to my local record shop to get me the first records. I still listen from time to time to his music. And I think that this version is much better than Bob Dylan's original.
As I told you some month ago I recognized Kris Kristofferson by his first movie Cisco Kid in the late 70's and from this time I was addicted to country-sized singer/songwriters. Me and Bobby McGee was a hymn to my generation and freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose was the slogan for us. For sure it is a song from the hippies but this could be also the slogan for every punk in the late 70's/early 80's.
I'm not a huge fan of country music but I always loved good voices and great songs in this genre. Although I'm not a great expert in this genre there some artists and songs that are very close to me. One of them is Maria McKee. I noticed her back in the early 80s when she came around with her band Lone Justice and gave us that pure and raw cow-punk sound. Since then I followed her career and was surprised many times about her ability to write great songs. So she wrote 'A good heart', a smash hit by Feargal Sharkey, and 'Show me heaven' that was a hit from the movie 'Days of Thunder'. I love her for the ballads she wrote and sung but today I want to introduce you a song that's got more power in it. It's an uptempo song in which she tells us about the time she has to spent until her love comes around. NME has written once about her: Their voice can take up it with the breakable passion of Patsy Cline, the glowing soul of Aretha Franklin and powerful blues of Janis Joplin, No more words to add.
