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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Jenny

  • The holidays are coming…

    The holidays are coming…

    Every October, I realize the holidays are coming…

    And I’m sorry, but every year they sort of fill me with dread. I know a lot of people love Christmas and Thanksgiving. I actually like those holidays in and of themselves. What I don’t like about them are the expectations that often come with them. One nice thing about living in Germany and not watching TV is that I am spared the incessant Christmas ads that start airing in October. The whole thing gets really hyped, mainly so retailers can sell their stuff before the year ends. Another thing about the holidays that gets to me are family expectations. Over the past few years, I have mostly given up on attending family gatherings because they often don’t live up to the build up and I end up sad and depressed. This year, I will be attending Thanksgiving in the United States because my dad died earlier this year and we’re having his memorial during Thanksgiving. I have been asked to participate in the memorial service with a song.


    This is the song I will probably sing, at my mother’s request. Yes, that’s me in the video.

    But in all honesty, the song that will probably be going through my mind is this one…


    Ironically, I discovered this song on my way to Virginia to see my dad for the last time…

    I do love my family, but when we all get together, it can be a bit overwhelming. My family is so large that it’s hard to remember whose kids belong to whom. They all descend on the family homestead en masse and everyone is different. I have a bit of an irreverent personality and the older I get, the less patience I have for those who seek to temper me. But I also have a number of relatives who are seriously religious people and like to get into discussions about their beliefs. Oftentimes, I enjoy some beer, which doesn’t always mellow me…


    I suspect I may have to do this a couple of times…

    Actually, it’s probably best if I lay off the booze and just head back to the hotel when things get too intense. There’s no reason why my liver should be punished for the stress of large family gatherings. I don’t want to make a scene like this one.


    And I’m sad to say, there have been a few like this I’ve made in the past…

    I think half my family hates me for that very reason. 😉 But I’ll go this year and try to be happy… and enjoy being in the States, probably for the last time for awhile if we’re lucky and stay employed in Europe.

    I know. I suck.

  • The Sensual World… 25 years old!

    The Sensual World… 25 years old!

    Happy birthday to one of Kate Bush’s best albums. The Sensual World is now 25 years old.

    In October 1989, I was a senior in high school and just starting to get to know Kate Bush’s music. I remember very well when her album, The Sensual World was released. As a budding admirer of her work, I wanted to have it. For Christmas that year, my then boyfriend, Paul, bought me the album on cassette. I listened to it all the time and bought more of Kate Bush’s music, until I had all of her albums and most of the EPs and imports. The Sensual World remains a favorite. I have since replaced the cassette with something more permanent so I can keep listening to this album for another 25 years.


    The title track of The Sensual World, immortalized in an official video. This song’s raw sensuality immediately captured my attention. For many years, it was my favorite on this album.

    I loved every song on that album, especially the ones that featured backing vocals by the amazing Trio Bulgarka, three Bulgarian women whose harmonies sound almost primal. They offered an amazing texture to Kate Bush’s sophisticated lyrics and fascinating melodies. You can hear their wild voices on several songs on The Sensual World. In 1996, I visited Bulgaria and ended up buying a cassette by Trio Bulgarka, which exposed me to more of their incredible sound. I have Kate Bush to thank for expanding my musical world.


    “Deeper Understanding” is an incredible song, especially as Bush sings about treating her computer like a friend. I didn’t own a computer in 1989, but in 2014, my computer is my best friend. Trio Bulgarka sings on the chorus.

    Another popular song from The Sensual World is “Love and Anger”. It was not one of my favorites when I first heard it, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to really appreciate the lyrics and the song’s amazing energy.


    Love and Anger is a genius song featuring David Gilmour of Pink Floyd on guitar.

    I was more partial to the very moving song, “Never Be Mine”, which no doubt appealed to my moody teenage sensibilities. This is another song that makes great use of Trio Bulgarka’s amazing sound as the song intensifies with emotion. This is a song made for drama kings and queens… and anyone who just wants to explore the landscape of their feelings.


    Fan created video of “Never Be Mine”.

    But perhaps the best known and most loved song from The Sensual World is Kate Bush’s masterpiece, “This Woman’s Work”. There is something unspeakably gorgeous and holy about this song. Sadly, it was used in a scene on 7th Heaven when a character gave birth. The scene was supposed to be reverent and holy, showing the miracle of childbirth. But if you listen to this song and focus on the lyrics, it’s not a happy song. It’s a song about grief.


    This song is often used in scenes about childbirth, but to me it’s a very sad song about loss and trying to be strong when strength eludes you.

    As I sit here on a rainy Friday morning and listen to The Sensual World 25 years after it was released, I am amazed by how timeless it is. I have loved most of Kate Bush’s work following The Sensual World, particularly Aerial, which she released to much fanfare in 2005. This album still ranks among her best in my view. There’s not a weak song on it. Listening to The Sensual World makes me think and gives me hope and faith. It also makes me miss the days when popular music was more authentic.

  • Playlists…

    Playlists…

    I love a good playlist. This morning, I’m enjoying one I started months ago…

    One thing I love about having most of my music collection on my computer is the ability to make my own playlists. Growing up, I listened to the radio and that meant hearing music chosen by a disc jockey or whatever the music business wanted to make popular. As I got older, I got away from listening to radio. I would listen to Pandora sometimes, but got out of the habit the last time we were in Germany because it didn’t work here due to licensing issues. So I would just listen to whatever I had on my computer. Then I started organizing my music. I’d make a disco mix for when I felt like hearing some catchy dance tunes from the 70s. I’d make a bluegrass mix for when I wanted to hear stuff by Alison Krauss or Ricky Skaggs. I’d make a classical mix for times when I wanted classical music… and 70s and 80s mixes. I even made a “Maneater” mix of songs about women who were up to no good. Naturally, Hall & Oates’ famous song, “Maneater” is on that playlist.

    This morning, I’m listening to a playlist I call “Cool music.” It has over 1700 songs on it. I like it because it’s a mix of old and new songs. Since I don’t often sit down and turn it on, I’m rediscovering some pretty awesome music, a lot of which I found while playing on the Internet. I have a habit of downloading stuff on a whim, especially if I’ve been drinking beer. One song I found on YouTube came from a video about a water hole in Texas. I liked the background music the channel owner used so much that I found it on iTunes and downloaded the whole album.


    The song is “Mth” by Wiretree. The video is about Jacob’s Well, a very cool place in Texas that I never got to visit when we lived there.

    Then there are songs from old Van Morrison albums like Veedon Fleece, which I managed to get a copy of when we were in Texas. It’s a pretty rare CD, but it has some great music on it.


    “You Don’t Pull No Punches, But You Don’t Push The River”, a great Van Morrison song.

    And this playlist has Ray Charles on it, The Pogues, Chicago, and Eddi Reader, a lovely Scottish singer I discovered some time ago.


    Eddi Reader sings “Ae Fond Kiss”… makes me want to go back to Scotland.

    It’s fun to make playlists, especially when you have so much music that you don’t know what all is in your collection. It’s a great mix of old favorites and undiscovered gems. Unfortunately for my wallet, it usually leads me to download more music as I think of other songs I want to add!