CD's

[francois 4]

I just wanted to create this topic, as it might be as useful as Soc's topic about books and movies. Same rules as that topic, of course.

I will not post any title today, as I have "only" listened to Greek music this week, , but the topic is here, ready for each of us to write and share...

[francois 4]

I will recommend three albums recorded during the 1970's by the British group 'The Incredible String Band':

1) Changing Horses

2) The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

3) U

Great creative 'folk' music, excellent musicians and singers.

[franz averstegge 5]

Nice topic Francois!!

There is a band called "Steamhammer" !! I know this band since 30 years! I have two LPs, and I hear the music of this band again and again since 30 years!

I have no idea, wether this band came from USA or England!

Does anybody of our older members know something about this band??

They played blues and RB !!!

Franz

[celeste 0]

Well, I do have to recommend Caetano Veloso since I introduced a couple of his songs to some members. His performance of "Cucurucucu Paloma" in Almodovar's "Hable con ella" is awsome and he sang at the oscars' the theme song of the movie "Frida".

[Marijke 23]

Don't forget the album :WEE TAM ,also Incredible Stringband,Francois.It's great!

[nighthawk 0]

Man, this is soooooo vast! Let's see:

Anything by JJ Cale, mostly "5", Okie, Troubador and Really (or is it Naturally? - the one that has Call the Doctor);

Blue Valentine and Raindogs by Tom Waits;

The first of Soul Coughing's albums (forgot the name!);

Absolutely Live by The Doors;

All of the Beatles after Revolver (included);

Beggar's Banquet by The Rolling Stones;

The Man Who Sold the World, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Heroes by David Bowie;

Carnival (I believe that's the name) by Wyclef Jean;

Live at the BBC (I, once again, believe that's the name) by Jimi Hendrix;

Closer by Joy Division;

I'm the Man by Joe Jackson;

Apostrophe and Roxy and Elsewhere by Frank Zappa;

Ummagumma and Masters of Rock by the Pink Floyd;

Love and Theft by Bob Dylan;

Kojak Variety and The Juliet Letters by Elvis Costello;

Fear of Music by the Talking Heads;

Mint Tattoo by Mint Tattoo;

Aqualung and War Child by the Jethro Tull;

Anything by Jacques Dutronc;

Most of Jacques Higelin (don't forget to listen to the fabulous song Le Parc Montsouris);

Son of Psiloritis and My Thoughts are like Wine Old by Psarantonis;

Debussy's piano music (search for the best interpretation);

Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen;

Araçá Azul, Caetano Veloso, Circuladô and O Estrangeiro by Caetano Veloso........................

And I guess I've bored you enough already...

Listen to some and enjoy!

[francois 4]

Don't forget the album :WEE TAM ,also Incredible Stringband,Francois.It's great!

I haven't forgotten it, of course, Marijke !!! But the three albums I mentioned are the ones I've listened to recently...

[Michael 2]

Unfortunately up to now there was not too much participation in this interesting topic, not from my side either (because I did not have the time to write something substantial about some records I like).

But today I received two (double) CDs which I would like to mention immediately because I regard them as very very important and interesting. (And I would like to say from the beginning that I mean the booklets and the material they contain.) Perhaps my positive comment is even more believable when I say that I do not like the composer in general (sorry, Francois ) nor the concrete interpretations on these CDs:

The first double CD is:

Manos Hadjidakis: I laiki agora (The popular market) 30 songs of the period 1959 1975

Μάνος Χατζιδάκις: Η λαϊκή αγορά 30 τραγούδια 1959 - 1975

The second double CD is:

O Manos Hadjidakis sti romaiki agora (Manos Hadjidakis at the roman agora) 35 songs of the period 1947 - 1985

Ο Μάνος Χατζιδάκις στη ρωμαϊκή αγορά 35 τραγούδια 1947 1985

both: Minos-EMI (2003)

Both double CDs do not contain original versions of the songs but second (or even third etc.) interpretations which took place in 1987 ("I laiki agora") and in 1985 or 1986 ("Romaiki agora"). Both records were already published in 1987 and 1986 but they were reissued this year.

As I already mentioned, these reissues are so magnificent for me because of the material which contain their booklets. You will find:

- The lyrics of all the songs (in Greek and in an English translation)(!!!)

- Information about the first version of every song (the year when it was played for the first time, the singer who was the first interpreter etc.)

- A biographical note about Hatzidakis (in "I laiki agora") and a quite long comment by Hatzidakis plus many photos (in "Romaiki agora"). Again both in Greek and in English.

To my mind the way in which these CDs (their booklets) are made is really perfect! I can recommend these CDs to everyone who is interested in songs by Hatzidakis. The information you will find there is outstanding.

Singers are:

"I laiki agora": Dalaras (5 songs), Ilias Liougkos, Vasilis Lekkas, Elli Paspala

"O Manos Hadjidakis sti romaiki agora": again Liougkos, Lekkas, Paspala - and Maria Farandouri

(I hope I did not miss any names)

Songs:

You will find a lot of Hatzidakis' most famous songs, for example:

- "Μανούλα μου", "Ξημερώνει", "Χελιδόνι σε κλουβί", "Ο Γιάννης ο φονιάς" etc.etc.

- "Χάρτινο το φεγγαράκι", "Πάμε μια βόλτα στο φεγγάρι", "Κουρασμένο παλικάρι", "Είμ αητός χωρίς φτερά", "Αθανασία" etc.etc.

[Michael 2]

Perhaps I should add the titles of the songs with Dalaras:

- Ο κυρ Αντώνης

- Αερικό

- Η προδοσία (Έγινε παρεξήγηση)

- Οι κολασμένοι

- Χελιδόνι σε κλουβί

[francois 4]

Singers are:

"I laiki agora": Dalaras (5 songs), Ilias Liougkos, Vasilis Lekkas, Elli Paspala

"O Manos Hadjidakis sti romaiki agora": again Liougkos, Lekkas, Paspala - and Maria Farandouri

(I hope I did not miss any names)

Do not forget Hadjidakis himself in the second song of "Rwmaikh agora", Michael.

Thanks for your posts about those two important and astounding albums, even if you don't like the composer in general ...

Yes, the booklets are remarkable... although I have earlier versions of the CD's which do not contain the lyrics of the songs and explanations about them.

Πολύ μεγάλη ευαισθησία στην ερμηνεία των τραγουδιών. Ιδιαίτερα μου αρέσουν ο Λέκκας και η Πασπαλά.

[Michael 2]

Do not forget Hadjidakis himself in the second song of "Rwmaikh agora", Michael.

Sorry, Francois, indeed I forgot him. I realized his name beside the song title but finally I forgot to write it down. Maybe this has to do with my distance towards Hatzidakis?

Yes, the booklets are remarkable... although I have earlier versions of the CD's which do not contain the lyrics of the songs and explanations about them.

I think these old releases (which I do not know personally) are still available. So everyone who is interested in the material I mentioned should take care to get the reissues of 2003.

[francois 4]

I just wanted to create this topic, as it might be as useful as Soc's topic about books and movies. Same rules as that topic, of course.

I will not post any title today, as I have "only" listened to Greek music this week,         , but the topic is here, ready for each of us to write and share...

This topic was not originally created in the forum about Greek music, but in the forum "General discussion". Nikolas, could you please transfer it back to where it should belong?

An article about a very nice singer whom I hope you all have heard about: Cesaria Evora. Her new CD is called "Voz d' amor":

http://www.enet.gr/online/online_p1_text.j...13&id=100466820

[celeste 0]

Cesaria Evora is from Cabo Verde (Cape Verde?) and she sings in a portuguese crioulo (I don't know how it is in English, creole in French). The kind of music she usually sings is called "mornas", a typical cape-verdean music, very slow, very full of the sun and languor of the land. I like her "saudade" song.

Indeed this should not be in the thread about greek music.

[Vasos 0]

23 Songs. A Xaroulas' Alexiou CD which contains some very beautiful rebetika songs such as ''Ouzo otan pieis'', ''O derbisis kai i Anna'',''Mantalena'',''To minore tis avgis''

laika like ''Xronia xelidonia'',''Matia mou megala'',''Oles tou kosmou oi Kyriakes"

and entexna like "En Velgio"(it means "In Belgium"),''Monos isoun panta" and the magnificent "Xathika" and "Sto bloko tis Kaisarianis" both of Mikis Theodorakis...........

I suggest you to buy it.....

[Michael 2]

A CD with a Turkish female singer called Nimet: "Zerdali"

In general the songs are a little bit too "soft" for my taste but there is one song (the first on the CD) which is fantastic:

"Geceler yarim oldu"

A wonderful melody and orchestration which you will find only in Turkish music. (I think this song is typical "Arabesk" style. ) Perfect!!!

Very beautiful also Nr. 10 ("Bugun benim efkarim var").

[PS: Francois is right. This topic should belong to the "General discussion" as it is dedicated not only to Greek music.)

[Vasos 0]

UNDERGROUND !!!!!!!!

For us who love Bregovic is a must.Great songs,gret movie.

Balkan music "in the top of its performance"

"Kalashnikov" and "Mesecina" the best songs....

[NIKH 0]

Moonshine!

The film is great, as for Bregovich, the music is mostly gipsy origin. Plagiats.

[Michael 2]

Giannis Parios and his brand-new CD:

"Mia sinithismeni mera"

I heard just two of its songs. What shall I say?

They are perfect, wonderful, amazing, outstanding, ... What else can I say? Θαυμάσια, καταπληκτικά, τέλεια, ...

That's what I expect from good Greek music!!

Songs that go directly to the heart und to the soul and that simply make you happy about the possibility to listen to them.

A big "thank you" to the wonderful Parios that he gave us such songs. (As far as I see he has also written the lyrics and music of the songs.)

Sorry, but to my mind at the moment an artist like Parios is doing much more for (new) good Greek music than any Dalaras, Alexiou etc.etc.

[christos-regnis 57]

Parios doesn't do anything else than repeating the same music, lyrics and songs the last 10 years..

[Olga Fendrych 0]

Christo! How could you, just now?

Even if that is not so substantial answer, but more an emotional reaction - I understand what Michael means.

Being of the seventh cloud of happiness l (yes, nothing less) listening with my parents again and again and again and again to the one single recording: To Gramma of Giannis Parios, recorded 1981.

Five of these songs we knew from the moment they were brand new.

They are recognized by us this week, thanks to the huge help of Michael himself (not to forget Diane....) .

What can I say?

I know a part of this album by heart since it was edited

and I am not fed up yet, after more than 20 years, where these five songs were a part of the anonymous, huge thalassa of Greek music, with outstanding voices, perfect melodies and with no possibility to understand a single sung word, without knowing any single name of the listened Greek singers, with no possibility to ask anybody in our country...

Therefore I believe, the new mentioned CD must have at least a similar quality of good, if not perfect music.

Christo, you lucky man, brought up in the Greek music to the grade you can even say it is already boring, because still the same..........................................

After all, some told about Antonio Vivaldi once, he wrote 600 times the same concerto......................................................

PS. Listening to "San tis thalassas t' ageri" for x and x times in my life, without getting bored....................................

Sorry for so many of these points, I find no suitable emoticon for these rediscoveries.

[francois 4]

Off topic: I used to think that Parios was an uninteresting singer, unable to choose songs properly or even sing them properly, but I liked his LP "Ta nisiotika" a lot, and I must confess that I also agree with a lot of what Michae has written and with Olga's words.

Back to the topic: "Ta nisiotika" is a good record. Buy it, enjoy it, even if it was recorded ages ago.

PS: Olga, Parios' version of "Ne me quitte pas" (the one you sent to me), is very nice.

[christos-regnis 57]

Christo! How could you, just now?

Even if that is not so substantial answer, but more an emotional reaction - I understand what Michael means.

Therefore I believe, the new mentioned  CD must have at least a similar quality of good, if not perfect music.

Christo, you lucky man, brought up in the Greek music to the grade you can even say it is already boring, because still the same..........................................

PS. Listening to "San tis thalassas t' ageri" for x and x times in my life, without getting bored....................................

Giannis Parios has sang great songs and had great collaborations and works since his first presence in greek music back in 1969. I only spoke about the CDs he released the last 10 years:... eg. "H Monaksia mesa ap' ta matia mou" (1996), "Typseis" (1997), "Tosa Grammata" (1998), "Dose mou ligaki ourano" (1999), "Alli mia fora" (2001), "To Kalo pou sou thelw" (2002-3).. etc.

These CDs - in my opinion - reproduce the same music, lyrics etc. He doesn't stop singing "I want you..", "Come back", "I am drinking, drinking and drinking..", "Where are you?"....and lyrics like those above in all his last CDs.. I cannot find any effort from his part to present something new..

I didn't say anything about his work before 1990 eg. in the 80's and the 70's.. I prefer listening to the original songs of that era and not something (of today) that is a bad copy of his old songs..

[Olga Fendrych 0]

A-ha. Now it is more understandable than before, even if I can not gιve any opinions about the recordings you mentioned above. I do not know them...

What about "Kanarini mou" from the Millennium Concert, sung with Giorgos Dalaras? How old is this song in fact? And I could hardly believe you don't like this one.

If you think, the answer belongs more to the "Parios" topic in the "Artists" forum, answer there, please.

Ευχαριστώ!

[christos-regnis 57]

Olga.. the "Ax Kanarini mou" is a song of the early '70s!!

I am sure that you are not going to like the pluparity of the recent Parios CDs too..!! (and I speak about the CDs with new songs)

[Michael 2]

I am sure that you are not going to like the pluparity of the recent Parios CDs too..!! (and I speak about the CDs with new songs)

"pluparity" ??? I did not find the word in the dictionary. Anyway, it seems to mean something negative. But I would not be so sure that Olga dislikes these CDs.

Here is a link to the clips at www.greekmusic.com with examples from the songs by Parios I referred to above. (But it takes a very very long time, until the clips start to play.):

http://www.greekmusic.com/cgi-bin/products...sp?SKU=5964-622

Olga, if you decide to listen to the clips, tell us afterwards your opinion.