When I started this series, I didn't really have any great expectations as to which songs would appear on these pages. In the meantime, I really enjoy listening to these songs again after many years or even just watching the videos.
1972: At the height of glam rock, you can't get past Gary Glitter and I thought long and hard about whether I should give a pederast a forum.
1978: Warren Zevon released his masterpiece Werewolfes Of London
1979: Frank Zappa released Bobby Brown and his reckoning with the American dream so bluntly that it was banned in the United States.
1969: A Song from The Who's rock opera Tommy. Still nice watching Elton John playing pinball.
1965: A classic song by Them with the very young Van Morrison.
1970: The movie Easy Rider started when the when the main characters bought drugs for their journey and accompanied this with a song by Steppenwolf.
1965: Bob Dylan and a rare video
1962: A little bit of soul by Arthur Alexander. Willy DeVille made a fantastic cover of this song.
1979: The Pointer Sisters were successful with Bruce Springsteen's Fire. But I prefer the version by Robert Gordon with the great Chris Spedding on guitar.
The worries we made about what happened two years ago vanished in normal life. We used to live like nothing happened before and stored it in another file. So me and Christiane decided to take our next step an buy an apartment closer to the main city of our little town. We prepared everything for the move and the day before it should take place Christiane got a lighted appendix. So we had to do the move without her advices and finished it in time. Later this year we started for a longer trip to Thailand. Also a place I haven't been before. We did it close to our trip to India and traveled the country from north to south in local buses or trains. This yourney might be the reason why I am so addicted to South East Asia. Not only the people that are most friendly and helpful it is also the scenery, vegetation and meals. And these countries makes it easy to me to recreate and load up my battery. What else do you need sometimes more than sitting with a cold beer and a lovely woman by your side at pretty beach watching the sundown?
Another year with very good records:
Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood: 4 brothers bring us back classic rock
The White Stripes - Elephant: It's the record I noticed them
Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress: Another album with great songs
The Rapture - Echoes: Dance punk at it's best
Calexico - Feast of Wire: Their next one on high level
Ben Harper - Diamonds on the Inside: Fantastic songs
The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love: Simply great
Warren Zevon - The Wind: See my words below
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore: His legacy
Sons and Daughters - Love the Cup: Superb Scottish music
And songs as well:
And as ever - some remarkable movies:
Mystic River: Great story and a fantastic Sean Penn
Monster: Charlize Theron shows us the darkest sides
Cold Mountain: Wonderful western according to the novel
Love Actually: One of the every years christmas movies
Bend it like Beckham: Nice story about women and football
Once Upon a Time in Mexico: Classic drama
Kill Bill 1.: The revenge of the bride
What happened in the world and was necessary to recall:
Another African Drama: The war in Dafur begins // Global protest against the Iraq war // The Indonesian military starts a operation in the Aceh province // A lot of east European countries join the European Union // The Concorde makes his last commercial flight // Saddam Hussein is captured at the end of the year.
Once more it was hard to decide which record I should feature on this series. The record that touched me most emotional was Warren Zevon's The Wind. Not because it was his last one. He recorded it while he was sick of lung cancer and he told us in his words to say good bye. I'll feature this record in another series these days. So let's go to todays record. It is probably one of the best debut albums in the last decade. British Sea Power brought us back the spirit of Post Punk, New Wave and Independent Rock. Based on the best of Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen and early Pixies they give us a full load of wonderful guitars. Most songs has catchy rhythms and the singer fits to all the songs. Beneath songs with heavy leading guitars shines the febrile hymn The Lately that ends in organized chaos.
Another day off because I have to go to a funeral in the early afternoon. A close girlfriend died last weekend at the age of 50 on pancreatic cancer. The only good is that her suffering has come to an end. Not enough of this, yesterday I have found out that The Pogues guitar player Phil Chevron has died on cancer too. I played this song on my Dad's funeral because I think it's the best way to say good-bye.
This year I have concluded my education. My employer has offered to me an unlimited contract which I have also accepted. Main reason was to save some money to start a life on my own feet. In the middle of the year a letter arrived in which I was invited to pattern. In my whole life I have never dealt to go to the army. In my whole life before I used to protest against what I've seen about military operations and wars that accompanies since I grew up. Therefore, I have found out about the fact which possibilities there are, so that I am not drawn. The only possibility consisted in refusing the military service and therefore the service in the weapon. It worked in this way: You had to write down the reasons why you won't use a rifle or something like that. Most of my mates did it that way and argued that they have ethical reasons not to use any kind of guns.
The next thing was that you were invited to an interview where you have to explain your reasons again and again. They listened slowly to your arguments and they asked for example: 'What would you do if you and your girlfriend are in the park late at night and some guys come around trying to rape her. If you have a gun - will you use it?'. With questions like that they wanted to destroy your arguments of being a peaceful one. Of course you could get briefed about this questions and answers but my biggest problem was that I was in this time very active and successful in a protection association. I have denied competitions on state level so that my name was well known in my sport. When I come to the interview they just asked me the question why I take shooting as a sport but will not be able to carry a gun in the army. After all I failed and I had to accept to join the army next year. Knowing that I wouldn't have enough money when I do my job for 15 month in the army I didn't make a great vacation. But all in all it wasn't a very bad year.
In 1978 the Bee Gees entered the top of the charts with 'Staying alive' and 'Night fever'. Disco was born and Studio 54 in NYC was the blueprint of all clubs was founded.
The movie 'Saturday Night Fever' presented us the first star on the dancefloor with John Travolta. Now kids wanted to dance and act like him. After appearing in the American TV series 'Welcome back Kotter' he became famous with this movie and the following 'Grease'. It was the start to a lot of dancing movies following the next years.
With the dance boom the gay movement had it's coming out in the late seventies. With bands like the Village People they came proud out of their clubs. Without them and their attitude and confession to their gayness many bands in the later years would have it much harder to stand (like Frankie goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat, etc).
It was also the year Kate Bush appeared with her fantastic and clear voice and brought us some unforgettable songs.
Garry Rafferty released his number one hit Baker Street with one of the most remarkable saxophone solo ever (our neighbor tried it for years but never got the right tune).
Stiff Little Fingers gave us their perception on the conflict in Northern Ireland with their song 'Alternative Ulster'.
Ian Dury came returned with my favorite 'Hit me with your rhythm stick'. Fantastic bass line.
Warren Zevon told us stories about 'Werewolfs in London'. (I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand walking down to Mayfair).
Blondie was present now on international stage but a hit all over Europe was Paul McCartney wit 'Mull of Kintyre' - what a shame (and I didn't notice any song from Siouxie and the Banshees, the Buzzcocks, Patti Smith at all)
Remarkable records that was published in 1978:
George Benson - Weekend in LA: Maybe his best record at the highest level. Listened so often to this record all over the years.
REO Speedwagon - You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish: Bought this record just because of the title. Old fashioned rock but great songs and guitars on it.
Nick Lowe - Jesus of cool: Producer of a lot of band (mostly on the STIFF label) got time to make a record with some of his best songs.
Little Feat - Waiting for Colombus: Aanother fantastic live record presenting the last days of inspired classic rock.
Thin Lizzy - Live and dangerous: Never been better than this. We danced to them songs until we fall down to the ground.
The Rezillos - Can't stand the Rezillos: Get us party all night long. Great record still.
Pere Ubu - Dub housing: Music from another planet
George Thorogood & the Destroyers - Move it on over: Back to the roots of rhythm' n' blues
Herman Brood - Cha Cha: Pure rock with a lot of punk style in it from our neighbors in Netherlands
Nina Hagen Band - same: Great voice from Eastern Germany with a fantastic German version of 'White punks on dope'
Steele Pulse - Handsworth Revolution: Pure British reggae.
Blondie - Parallel lines: Could listen to Debbie Harry often at this time What movies from 1978 are still worth to see again:
Halloween: Part one with Jamie Lee Curtis is still the best one
The Deer Hunter: Michael Ciminos drama with Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken of men going to a war that couldn't be won and coming traumatised.
Dawn of the dead: When there is no more room in hell the dead will walk the earth
Up in Smoke: Cheech and Chong doped
La Cage aux Folles: Gay couple, one of them running a drag club in St. Tropez adverrtising ultra-conservative parents
The Last Waltz: Goodbye to a great band
What moved the world in 1978.
Pedro Cardinal, a leading critic of the Nicaraguan governments was assasdinated - riots against the Somoza's regime started; Northeastern US blizzard kills more then 100 people; China bans the works of Aristole, Shakespeare and Dickens; American porn publisher Larry Flint is shot and paralyzed in Lawrenceville, GA; the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is proclaimed under pro-communist leader Nur Mohammad Taraki; Messner/Habeler made the first ascend to the Mount Everest without supplemental oxygene; FIFA-World Cup was won by Argentine - Germany lost in semi-final against Austria; Iranian Army troopers open fire to rioters in Teherean, killing 122, wounding 4000; President Carter signs bill that allows homebrewing of beer; the world got a new pope with John Paul II - the first non Italian pope sins more than 400 years; Nobel Peace Price is won by the premiers Sadat and Begin.
My personal favorite this year was Magazine' first record 'Real Life'. It is one of the best first records ever. Punk turned into New Wave and the sound was different now. The three chords songs turned into another dimension. Now you could hear a new kind of songwriting. The member of the bands knew how to handle their instruments and to arrange songs. One of the best examples was 'Real life'. The band was formed by Howard Devoto after leaving the famous Buzzcocks with John McGeoch on guitar. They recruited Barry Adamson on bass, Jim Dickinson on keyboards and Martin Jackson on drums. Their first record is filled with experimental sounds that would be the blueprint of many other bands.
The songs are still fresh and innovative after all the years. I love to hear them again from time to time.
