Saturday 7 February 2009

Dose 2...A Day for Inspiration

Dose 2...

1)Space Walk by Lemon Jelly

The British duo of Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin created the electronica project Lemon Jelly in 1998. Beginning with a slew of limited circulation EPs in the late 90's and finally putting out the acclaimed, LemonJelly.ky (2000), the group's fanbase grew steadily. For their 2nd full-length album, Lost Horizons (2002), the team decided to create a cartoonesque landscape, which feels very much like the world of Candyland. Infused with the sweet and endearing melodies, the album will have you smiling the whole way through.

Though it is hard to choose just one of the eight blithe tunes to fit into your daily listening, there are a few which stand out. Most notably the song "Space Walk", which was also issued as a single. The track begins with a sample of the original tapes from the 1969 Moon landing underscored by a fragile piano melody. The curious annotations and commentaries of these first explorers of our Universe bring to the table a certain genuine quality that has not-so-recently been phased out of the music industry. Grab a cup of tea, close your eyes, and listen as this song begins to elucidate the emotion, glory, and splendor of this historic occasion.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PA5XQTGU


2)Paris 1919 by John Cale



By 1973, John Cale had finished his work with the Velvet Underground and had embarked on a solo project. He had created three albums by himself, but seemed doomed to be overshadowed by his work with VU. His release of the album Paris 1919 (1973) broke this trend. Layering brilliant and complex lyrics overtop minimalistic mournful folk tones, which always seem to swell just when you need them to, Cale is able to masterfully reconstruct scenes ranging from his childhood to the Versailles Conference.

Though each song is, in its own right, an artistic triumph, I am most prone to recommend the title track, Paris 1919. The slight staccato piano chords, accentuated by a full orchestral section, create a rich tableau over which Cale laments of fleeting love, failures of war, and temerarious self indulgence.

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