If things had been different: my last word on the subject.

The Gothenburg Diaries Part 2: Friday 26th March 2010

Friday 26th March 2010: Salem Day. The day that I had waited for, for so long, finally arrived, bringing with it an surprisingly relaxed feeling over breakfast. Being a rather classy establishment, coffee was accompanied by Goteborgs-Posten, which I scoured from cover to cover to see if there were any features about Salem, or tonight's concert. I had to make do with a very small preview paragraph, with the paper choosing to focus on Moto Boy's Stadsteatern show tomorrow.

After breakfast it was my first ever visit to an internet point, Sidewalk Express, which was right next to the hotel. It was great fun blogging, tweeting and checking my emails, as well as catching up with all the latest news about Salem. It was the best 20 kr I've ever spent, because there was one very important email, which would result in the opportunity to meet Salem once again!

In that instant I went from totally relaxed and calm to ....well, a manic wreck!! My heart felt as if it was bursting out of my body! Faithful travelling companion had gone for a walk whilst I was surfing...and came back to find me hyperventilating :)

In the meantime, retail therapy was on the agenda. Despite the generally mild weather outside (which was a very nice surprise, as I had been expecting the big freeze) it was time to go indoors, to Nordstan - Scandinavia's biggest shopping mall, situated right across from the hotel. This being our third trip to Gothenburg, we're no strangers to Nordstan, but I still manage to get lost every time I go in there. This from someone who could navigate most shopping malls with my eyes closed :)

There's always something going on in Nordstan, and this weekend it was a catwalk fashion show, with many of the centre's retailers showing off their spring collections. Of even more interest to me was the soundtrack - loads of Melodifestivalen stuff (Eric Saade, Hanna Lindblad, Getty Domein, Alcazar, Ola) as well as tunes by Darin, BWO, Lady GaGa and that "Stereo Love" with its distinctive accordion-type hookline.

We head to Rocks, a record store in the basement of Nordstan, and I'm delighted to see "Ignore This" having its own prominent bright green display near the entrance. "Astronaut" and "This Is Who I Am" are also displayed on the shelves, for those new/recent Salem fans just getting into his music. I love going into Swedish record shops, you get everything from top 40 and indie to the cheesiest schlager/dansband all sitting side by side :)

Ahlens City still has its CD section too, and again it's just lovely to see Salem's face staring out from the top 20 display - the album sits at no.2 in the chart at the end of March, behind the Melodifestivalen compilation. Sadly this year there is no MF DVD, just a karaoke one which really doesn't interest me at all.

After shopping and lunch, a little exploring in and around Avenyn, where the canal was still frozen over....

...even though the canal in another part of town wasn't!

Back to the hotel to get ready for the big night! Needless to say I'm buzzing with excitement about the concert - and I'm listening to Salem's interview on Sveriges Radio Goteborg, in between all the plays of "Keep On Walking" on the various Swedish radio stations, and me playing all Salem's songs on my phone!

Last year we went to a Greek/Turkish restaurant for dinner before going to Salem's concert - we planned to do the same this year, however the restaurant had shut down :( however we managed to find a busy little Greek taverna for food and wine before heading off to Avenyn, and that long walk all the way up to Gotaplatsen, and the Konserthuset which was the venue for tonight's concert by Salem Al Fakir and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

I won't go into detail here, as my full review at http://planetsalem.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-review-salem-al-fakir-gothenburg.html says it all: however, to summarise it in two words - utterly fantastic.

And yes, after the show I did get the opportunity to meet Salem again: he may be a massive star in Sweden now, but fame has not changed him one bit. He is still polite, warm, friendly and modest; and he had so many nice things to say about the work I do on Planet Salem, (my Salem fansite). I hope I can meet him again some day soon....

We head back to the hotel. I'm walking on air....it doesn't get any better than this.

Album Review: "Ignore This" - Salem Al Fakir

This review has been republished from my other blog, Planet Salem. The review was originally published there on 22.03.2010 but I wanted to share it here too :) - Enjoy!

Almost a year to the day since Salem Al Fakir released his second album, the criminally underrated "Astronaut", here comes album no. 3, delivered in remarkably quick time - but given Salem’s continually prolific and creative musical nature then this isn’t such a surprise after all.

When you make the commitment to becoming a Salem Al Fakir fan, you sign up for a journey which is full of surprises at every twist and turn, and you leave any preconceptions behind. So we arrive at the latest stop on the journey, "Ignore This" Of course Salem’s music is completely unclassifiable but if you were to compare his three albums so far, you might say that "This Is Who I Am" was the soulful, 70s-influenced one, "Astronaut" was the rockier, 80s one, and "Ignore This"? The electronic one, and despite the fact that he doesn’t listen to current/recent music, it’s possibly his most contemporary collection yet.

But that’s only scratching the surface - the thirteen tracks on this CD are as diverse as ever in their musical arrangements. I’d say it was an album with one foot in the past and one foot in the future, as I feel that one of Salem’s many strengths is the way that he uses influences from the past to craft his music into something genuinely original, that you haven’t heard before.

In its musical layout "Ignore This" takes us back to "This Is Who I Am": it begins with a short instrumental track, and there are two other instrumental interludes along the way.

Here is my track-by-track review.

Track 1: "The Song I Never Wrote"
An electronic, chilled-out, spacey introduction to the album, and in a similar style to "Begin" which heralded the arrival of "This Is Who I Am", three years ago. There’s not really much else I can say about this, it’s short and sweet!

Track 2: "4 O’Clock"
"Get on up on your feet to the love store/Hey bubbles, wanna smell the candy?"

Salem is particularly gifted when it comes to producing strong melodic songs and this is one of the best on the album. It’s commercial and radio-friendly, with an anthemic ‘here we go again’ chorus, an irresistible, almost calypso-styled rhythm. The feel of the song reminded me a little of "New Song" by Howard Jones (if you are old enough to remember that!).

If you thought the lyrics on "Astronaut" were a significant improvement on his debut, then one of the most significant aspects of "Ignore This" is Salem’s development as a lyricist, and his ability to tell a story through his songs. "4 O’Clock" clearly demonstrates the more playful side of Salem, and it’s a very good way to kick off the album.

Track 3: "Virgin Mary"
"Didn’t wanna be around when it all fell down/So lucky I got out in time"

Already a firm favourite with fans and bloggers, this is perhaps one of Salem’s most accessible songs in a long time. Very personal lyrics about love-gone-wrong set to catchy, insistent keyboard beats. The first time I heard this, the keyboard-riff sounded very familiar and then it struck me - it’s like a speeded up "This Is Who I Am" (and thanks also to my friend Fredrik for also pointing this out). Extremely catchy, high energy song, and one of the best on the album.
Possible future single?

Track 4: "Red Rock"
"Heroes, low life grinders/Everyone’s invited"

This is the song where Salem has gone all Kanye West on us (!) with vocoded vocals throughout (so I’m glad when I got the lyrics so I could see what he was singing). This wasn’t originally one of my favourite songs when I heard the album at first, but it has really grown on me and I think it’s one of the most musically ambitious songs - and when the pulsating beats erupt into that big symphonic chorus (courtesy of Salem’s big brother Ayman, guesting on French horn) it becomes pretty fabulous. But then I also love that moment at about 2:45 into the song when it all subsides and begins to wind down too!

Track 5: "Keep On Walking"
"I was aiming for the sky/Ended up flat on the ground/But once again the sun is rising..."

The first song that Salem wrote for the album, and which came out of a very dark time for him. But it is also extremely hopeful and uplifting too, in a way that seems to come naturally to him. It’s full of heart and soul, and everything about this song just completely grabs your emotions and doesn’t let go. And that, for me is probably what Salem Al Fakir is all about: his natural ability to reach out and connect with people.

Musically, it is Salem at his absolute best: piano, strings, synths and just overflowing with emotion. And what a fabulous singer he is, he can convey so many different emotions within his songs. No wonder everyone loves him now - it’s no surprise ;))

Of course, in an ideal world, he would have won Melodifestivalen, but for me he will always be 2010’s true winner, as he has emerged from the contest with his credibility intact and a whole new audience who completely love his music. Job done.

Track 6: "This Is For"
"I wanna ask questions till your ear falls off"

Perhaps musically and lyrically the toughest song on the album: words that taunt and torture from beginning to end. Initially I was shocked and surprised by the vengeful tone of the lyrics, but they seem to fit with the urgency of the music and the vocoded chorus which gives way to an instrumental fadeout. It may be uncharacteristic for Salem, but it works. The result is insistent and irresistible, (if initially slightly disturbing!) Someone must have really annoyed him....!.

Track 7: "Part Of It"
"Skewed faces and scary eyes/I dare you to take a step outside"

This is a song full of contrasts. Dark lyrical themes mixed with an almost hymn-like chorus, with backing vocals provided by Sami Al Fakir and Linn Segolson. This is maybe not as instant as some of the other songs on the album, but it is proof of Salem’s effortless ability to produce any musical style - in this case a magnificent choral piece.

Track 8: "Brooklyn Sun"
"I would trade away the stars and moon/if you came, came, came back soon, my darker days would all be done"

For me, this is the best track on the album (apart from the now-classic "Keep On Walking" of course) and possibly one of the loveliest songs that I’ve ever had the good fortune to hear.

"Brooklyn Sun" is a moving and beautiful song, with simple instrumentation, which still manages after all this time to send a shiver up my spine and puts a lump in my throat. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, with a sense of longing that most songwriters would do anything for....

One significant change I’ve noted on "Ignore This" is that it’s also the first time that Salem has shared any songwriting credits - in the case of "Brooklyn Sun" it’s the appropriately Brooklyn-based American singer/songwriter Nate Campany (check him out at www.myspace.com/natecampany)

Track 9: "Don’t Wanna Talk About It"

Another musical interlude, this time in bonkers-techno mode. It stops and starts and then goes into hyperspace (!) I remember someone on Twitter comparing this to Mr Oizo: I understand where they’re coming from!

Track 10: "Bloody Breakfast"
"Make your own path or keep on living two steps behind"

Some telling lyrics which I would interpret as Salem’s take on the nature of fame, however this musically experimental song could probably be interpreted in many ways? This may be one of the most underrated tracks on the album, but became a firm favourite for me very quickly. The "ooooooooo" chorus is original and different, the musical arrangement won’t let you go, and it has some reassuringly warm moments though - "are you a saint or a sinner? Mm-hmm" is just
soooooo Salem :))))

Track 11: "Split My Personality"
"I’m disgusted with myself/can’t be trusted"

Another co-written song, this time with the very talented Linn Segolson, whom I previously wrote about on Planet Salem two years ago - http://planetsalem.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-linn-segolson-video-footage-on.html

Musically I’d describe this as probably the most contemporary/recent sounding track - you could imagine the backing track on a Coldplay or Killers album, but what as ever sets it apart is Salem’s unique, distinctive, touching voice, singing some regretful lyrics against the muscular

musical background. I think this will work very well in a live context.

Track 12: "Cowboys and Dinosaurs"

Final instrumental interlude, with a sweet, lullaby quality. Premiered at Salem's Berwaldhallen shows at the end of 2009.

Track 13: "I’m So Happy"
"I'm so happy cause you are gone"

We’ve known long enough about Salem’s natural melodic ability, but this time he’s thrown in a distinctive lyrical twist which initially shocked and surprised me. However, the result is one of the strongest tracks on the album, which turns into a massive singalong, and which will, for sure, be one of the biggest songs in Salem’s live concerts this year. I can’t get this song out of my head...!

So, does "Ignore This" live up to expectations? Yes - of course it does! It’s the album that Salem wanted and needed to make, on the next step of his musical journey. It’s adventurous, daring, different, and special....in other words, Salem Al Fakir.

"Ignore This"? Impossible to do so.

Break time!

For the three people in the world who don't know yet, I'm off to Sweden tomorrow to go and see Salem Al Fakir in concert in Gothenburg on Friday - I'm hoping to update Planet Salem whilst I'm over there, but this here blog should be back either late on Sunday night or definitely at some point on Monday.

See you all soon.

Salem Al Fakir in Melodifestivalen 2010 !!!!

Did you really think I wouldn't mention it?????

Today SVT revealed the second 'joker' (wildcard) entry to next year's Melodifestivalen - and it is none other than my most favourite singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/musical genius, the outstanding Salem Al Fakir.

I've been through a lot of different emotions about this today - extreme excitement, disbelief, shock, further excitement, even more excitement, you get the idea :)

Anyway Salem will be appearing in Melodifestivalen 2010, where he will sing a song called "Keep On Walking" which of course he has also written himself.

For those who haven't heard any of Salem's music yet, I would recommend you take a trip over to Salem's MySpace (www.myspace.com/salem) or do a search for some of his videos over at YouTube.

And (quick plug time) don't forget to visit Planet Salem, which is my very own international fansite for the great man!!!! http://planetsalem.blogspot.com

The Gothenburg Diaries: Day 2, Saturday 18th April 2009

Salem Day.

Gothenburg was bathed in sunshine and blue skies this morning and there was a feeling of magic in the air for me, coupled with nervous anxiety and uncontrollable excitement about tonight.

Taking the Salem-theme to ridiculous lengths this morning, it was an almost "cold shower" which let me tell you was not a blessing :(

Before breakfast I was listening to P3 and they played "Astronaut" so needless to say I was rather excited :) there's just something great about hearing Salem being played on the radio.

Off to breakfast, and a very good selection in the Scandic Crown breakfast room - yum, lots of lovely fruit and crispbread which did the job. There was a shop in the hotel reception selling various items including this month's issue of Damernas Varld magazine. Which had an interview and rather gorgeous picture of Salem on page 38 :) anyway as I reported at Planet Salem, I couldn't buy it as there was no room in my hand luggage to bring the magazine home :(

The main objective on Saturday morning was to get on a tram and make our way to the ticket office over in the other side of the city, to exchange my confirmation email for....

...two tickets to Salem Al Fakir.

Job done.

Walked back to the city centre but not before stopping off at a lovely little part of the city called Haga. This is very reminiscent of Gamla Stan in Stockholm with its lovely old buildings.


There is also a lovely city park behind Storan, with a little canal running through it. I thought this was a perfect photo opportunity.


And so to lunch. I'd forgotten how difficult it was eating out in Sweden: I don't eat red meat, pork, lamb or fish/seafood, but "when in Sweden" I had to break the beef ban to do the ultimate Swedish food experience - köttbullar!!

Cue my latest food-photography attempt to get into Blogs of Note.



After lunch it was off in search of a record shop, and as usual I wasn't able to find one at that time (we were nowhere near Bengans so an alternative was needed) - and just like our 1996 trip to Gothenburg we ended up at Ahlens City, in the Nordstan shopping centre. Again I had to limit my purchases to this year's Melodifestivalen 2009 DVD and Måns Zelmerlöw's new CD. The shelves were full of Melodifestivalen artists' CDs, and of course I saw Salem's "Astronaut" proudly displayed too!

Was Nordstan always this big or did my memory play tricks on me? Whilst we were in the shopping centre, we heard the Gothenburg Gospel Choir who were singing on the Nordstan stage.

After shopping we had time for a quick coffee and then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the big event.

I should have been wired up to a blood pressure monitor between 4pm and 6pm: it would probably have exploded with my high-as-a-kite ramblings of a mad woman, repeating the setlist over and over again, pacing up and down the hotel room, re-doing my make-up, random singing of Salem songs over and over again, and failed attempts at trying to stay calm.

On my way through reception I so wanted to yell "I'm going to see Salem Al Fakir !!!" but I managed to restrain myself.

Dinner at a Greek/Turkish restaurant beforehand which was rather nice, although my nerves were at complete breaking point and my hands were shaking non-stop.

Yet somewhere on the road to Trädgår'n, I found the calmness and composure that I needed.

Meeting Salem was like all of my dreams coming true...and I will remember it forever.

Before the concert we took our places near the front of the stage, and for once I didn't have an eight-feet giant standing in front of me, blocking my view :) Just prior to Salem and his band going on stage, they were playing some music and the last song was "Wonderchild" by Christian Walz, which I thought was totally ironic as these two artists are always compared with each other!

The concert was brilliant. Salem was a fantastic live performer and I feel privileged to have had this experience: I hope it won't be the last time I see him play live.

(You can read my posts about meeting Salem or my full review of the concert at my other blog Planet Salem of course)

I also met the Norwegian girls after the show, purely by accident - an unexpected and happy pleasure!

On the way back to the hotel, I was in another world. I sang, I screamed, I was on such a natural high that I was flying, not walking!! And once back in the hotel I phoned mum, probably the most hysterical phone call that she has ever received in her whole life!!

And I only got 30 minutes sleep that whole night.

The best night of my life.

Unfortunately it all had to end on Sunday, but not before two final Salem-related moments:

1) The Axwell/Ingrosso dance mix of "It's True" got played on P3 on Sunday before breakfast. Scream-time again.

2) Had SVT on briefly and a trailer came on for "Vi i Femman" which is presented by Nassim Al Fakir - Salem's brother!!

After breakfast we headed for the bus station and got the bus back to the airport. Even our flight home was on time - and that never happens.

All in all, the best weekend ever!

Back again!

I got back last night but was extremely tired after the most exciting Saturday night of my life (and I was so excited after the show I didn't sleep at all) - not only did I get to see Salem Al Fakir in concert in Gothenburg....but my dream came true and I finally got to meet him too!!! Find the story so far at Planet Salem. I took a photo of him before the show and have also published it there. I'll continue to update that site tonight with my concert review, meanwhile I'm hoping to post the Gothenburg diary on here, along with my holiday playlist of songs I heard on the radio, over the next few days.

Time permitting I'll publish my "MZW" review pretty soon too - yes I bought this in Gothenburg along with my Melodifestivalen 2009 DVD. Sadly there was no more room in my overpacked hand luggage for any more goodies :( anyway it's been a bumper time for Swedish CD purchases in recent weeks so I guess it's about time I gave it a rest, ha ha.

It was the most perfect weekend ever: everything went to plan from start to finish, all the arrangements were perfect and the sun shone from beginning to end. I'll write more on here about it soon.

Album Review: "Astronaut" - Salem

I'm taking the rare step of publishing the same feature on two of my blogs today, purely because I need to tell as many people as possible about how great the new album by Salem is. I have already published my review at Planet Salem, which has had its busiest and most successful week ever!

The postman finally delivered my copy of the album yesterday and I’ve been listening to it non-stop since then!

The first thing you notice is that he’s no longer Salem Al Fakir, just ‘Salem’: the clearest indication yet that an international career is finally in sight (without anyone worrying how to pronounce his surname, and to avoid the narrow-minded attitudes of those sick and stupid people who may have a negative view of the origins of his surname).

On the CD cover, which I’d describe as ‘enigmatic’ Salem appears unrecognisable. However, when you put the CD on, you will get that reassuring feeling that despite any change in his look/name/musical style/songwriting themes, he is still distinctively....Salem.

Just like his debut album all songs are written, produced and arranged by Salem himself and he still mainly plays most instruments but this time he’s also involved members of his band on some of the songs too. (Check out the album sleeve notes for more info).

Much as I love "This Is Who I Am", the lyrics on that album were maybe a little bit simplistic in places. Salem has clearly developed as a lyricist since that time and his lyrics have improved so much. What we have to remember is that Salem is not a native English speaker yet he now writes as if he was one!

There is the well-known "difficult second album syndrome" which many artists suffer from, they can’t follow up a successful debut and the result is inevitable failure and disappointment.

Happily, Salem has managed to avoid this and has created an album which is more cohesive than the experimental "This Is Who I Am" - there are no instrumental interludes this time, for example - but it’s no less diverse; no two songs sound the same. My only criticism of this album is that it’s too short! A couple more songs would have been nice, or am I just being greedy now? :))Anyway here is my track by track review, based on my listening to the album over the past 24 hours.

Track 1: "Cold Shower"

"I thought I was the greatest one/of course I wasn’t".

Wrong, Salem. Because it is very clear from the beginning to the end of this album that he clearly is. If the lyrics express a little self-doubt and anxiety, the piano lines running through this song are sophisticated and jazzy, the musical arrangements elaborate and effortless, and Salem’s voice is strong and confident.

The result is a very impressive opening track and it’s not surprising that it is already very popular with critics and fans alike. Salem plays all instruments on this song. I like the clarity of the production which brings Salem’s voice to the forefront.

Track 2: "Astronaut"

"I understood what she was up to/it was planned from the beginning and the plan was carried through/and I’m still in the middle"

The major change/development in Salem as an artist, for me, is the emotional depth which has come into his singing and songwriting since the last album.The title track (and second single) is just beautiful. On this track, there is such sadness, emotion and regret in Salem’s voice that you can’t fail to be moved by it. At about 1:30 into the song there is a little moment where it stops and starts again ("...she left him to be with me") and that particular moment always gets me every time.

The best thing about Salem’s songs is that you can listen to them over and over and over again but you will never get tired of them: "Astronaut" is yet another example of that.

Track 3: "Now’s The Time"

"It’s beautiful/every little step they take"

I’ve known this song for a few months thanks to YouTube summer concert footage and I originally thought it was called "Beautiful". Anyway this is another completely different sound for Salem - the bassline and guitars always remind me of Kula Shaker (remember them?), and I keep thinking he’s going to go into "Hush" (!)

No matter what musical style he takes on, Salem never sounds out of place, and on this song he manages to succeed yet again.

Track 4: "It’s Only You (Part II)"

"If you ever will be mine....I will never ever let you down".

The first single released from this album. Not so much a re-recording of the original album track from "This Is Who I Am", more of a reinvention, although it still remains a beautiful and uplifting song. Much has been written about the ‘new’ Salem - how he’s cut his hair, dropped his surname and gone all "serious". What hasn’t changed is his unique ability to create music which makes you feel happy to be alive.

This song still sounds as fresh, wonderful and inspiring as it was the first time I heard it, and thanks to its use in the Volvo XC60 commercial has introduced Salem’s music to a wider international audience.

Track 5: "Roxy"

"I feel a burning sensation/in the region below"

Some other reviewers have suggested the massive summer-hit potential of this song, which will probably be his next single. This song musically transports you back to about 1984 (!), and the lyrics are very interesting indeed. I initially had about five different possible interpretations of what this song is about, but now I think I know - let’s just say it’s a very "infectious" song ;))

I could see this song being a hit in Britain because of our fondness for 80s music nostalgia, but I can imagine the British radio censorship police having a problem with some of the lyrics!! This song always makes me smile though, it’s cheeky, naughty and great fun. It will definitely become a favourite at Salem’s live concerts.

Track 6: "Bluest Eyes"

"We better all watch out/evil is hiding in the bluest eyes"

I only heard this (and "Cold Shower") for the first time last week when Salem played live on Swedish Radio and immediately I was hooked. Atmospheric, with an almost early 70s laid back rock sound to it.

The lyrics are darker than what we’ve previously been used to, but it’s most certainly not a depressing song: instead it’s extremely melodic, with a very memorable chorus. This immediately became one of my favourite tracks on the album and I just know it will become one of my most played songs.

I think that this song could surprise a lot of people who may not be fans of Salem’s music.

Track 7: "Twelve Fingers"

"For how long have you planned to hold me back?/I almost lost it but now I’m back on track/Hey!".

I cheered when I found out this was on the album as it had previously got a limited release on the "It’s Only You (Part II)" EP but as this wasn’t released everywhere, many fans missed out so I’m happy it didn’t get lost after all. This is one of my favourite songs and I never get tired of hearing it.

Musically it gallops along to a driving rock beat; lyrically it’s quite funny and nice. The "twelve fingers in the cookie jar" line can’t fail to make you smile. A great song to jump around and sing along to - please play this on your forthcoming tour Salem!

Track 8: "Purple Lady"

"It’s time for me to go/but I wanna play some more/can I stay until tomorrow morning?"

This is a live recording from last November’s Berwaldhallen concerts with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. It has the same sweet lullaby-quality as "Hymn" from the first album, only this is on a much bigger scale. Pretty, and moving, and sweet. The orchestral arrangement is amazing too.

Like "Hymn", this immediately makes me think of film soundtrack music. This definitely points towards Salem doing film soundtracks at some point later in his career: I’m sure he would excel at this.

(I particularly love this song for the stupid reason that purple is my favourite colour, and I want to wear something purple when I go to Salem’s concert as a kind of tribute!)

Track 9: "Mirror"
"It’s all in a big blur"

I first heard this last summer when the usual phone-footage from Salem’s summer concerts found its way to YouTube. The lyrics are playful and funny, I’d guess that they are about looking back on a wild night out and trying to remember what happened ...lyrics that I’m sure many will relate to.

At the moment "Mirror" is my least favourite track on the album, only because I don’t like it as much as all the other songs, but I still like it though if you know what I mean!

Track 10: "One of the Others"

"They all stand in line, waiting for you to make up your mind"

Absolutely, without any doubt, my favourite song on this album. I first heard this song on YouTube after Berwaldhallen and immediately it became a classic for me. An uptempo piano-based song with some very clever lyrics. It’s an outstanding and timeless song which could have belonged anywhere in the last 30 years - and I say that as a compliment.

This sounds a bit stupid and hard to explain, but the first time I heard this song I was moved to tears even though it’s delivered in such a happy uptempo way. Then I realised it was not because I was upset in any way, they were tears of happiness at hearing something so fantastic. This song absolutely soars above anything else on this album, I guess it’s the point where "old" and "new" Salem collide and the result is four minutes of complete magic.

Track 11: "Black Sun Black Moon"

"It’s time to tell the world/a true angel is gone"

This is a demo which Salem recorded at his home studio: it needed to be on this album and personally I think there may have been riots if this had been left off the tracklisting.

The most moving, heartbreaking song that Salem has ever written, filled with raw emotion. In one of the Swedish press interviews this week, Salem was asked about this song but found it too painful to talk about it (Someone once told me what it was about, but I won’t go into detail here, with respect to Salem). If you are not moved by this song then you have no heart or soul.

The verdict:

With "This Is Who I Am" and now "Astronaut", Salem Al Fakir has already created a body of work which more established and experienced artists can only look on and envy.

Salem is an artist who has been blessed with a unique and special talent: "Astronaut" is a diverse, ambitious, rewarding and timeless collection of songs.Thank you, Salem, for sharing them with us.

Rating: 10 out of 10 !!!

More good news (about my other blog)

Once again I can only apologise for the lack of posts on here. I'm very busy with Planet Salem at the moment, and so I haven't been able to post here as much as I'd like to.

Anyway, something fabulous has happened this week. Salem Al Fakir's official website is back - it's at www.salemalfakir.com - and if you visit that site and click 'fanblogs' you'll find a link to none other than Planet Salem, and the most recent posts are featured on that page! So my blog is now part of his website. How fantastic is that?????

I'm off on my travels again...

This blog isn't just about music and telly and stuff, it's also supposed to be about travel. (Of course I spend most of my time listening to music and watching telly whilst I'm saving up for my next holiday!).

Anyway I've got some news for you - I'm heading off to Gothenburg (with faithful travelling companion in tow) in eight weeks' time for something pretty special indeed. For I am finally going to a Salem Al Fakir concert, and regular readers of this blog will know how special that is for me.

I just wish I could bottle this feeling I have tonight, it's beyond euphoria...!

And as I said in an earlier post, it will also be post-Melodifestivalen season, so I'll be bringing the inevitable CDs/DVDs home with me.

We made our first trip to Gothenburg in 1996. I'd always wanted to go to Sweden - so when the opportunity came up we just had to take it. Long before low-cost-flights, there was the Newcastle to Gothenburg overnight ferry trip, which provided an enjoyable night's entertainment on the way there. Sadly this is no more - it couldn't compete financially with the airlines :(

Anyway we managed to see a lot of the city whilst we were there, amongst other things we had a great night at Liseberg amusement park and went up in the tower for some amazing views of the city, we also spent a fabulous day at the Slottskogen nature park and had an unforgettable experience - seeing our first moose!!

This time we'll only be there for a couple of days, but what a couple of days they promise to be.

A travel setback: slight problem, chickens not yet hatched

'Tis indeed true that you should not count your chickens till they're hatched. And you know what they say about the best laid plans etc etc.....

The final obstacle was cleared yesterday to allow me to go over to Gothenburg for a weekend in April and finally live the dream of seeing my favourite singer Salem Al Fakir in concert, 9 weeks from tonight. I didn't get off the starting blocks though, as there was a problem - well maybe not a problem, more a setback - with the ticket booking. More on my ticket-trauma over at Planet Salem, and fingers remain crossed that I can resolve that so that finally, finally I can get there.

I know I'm beginning to sound like one of those horrible reality TV contestants - y'know, "this is the only thing I've ever wanted, blah blah blah" but in this case it happens to be true.

Nevertheless, where there's a will there's a way (what's with all these cheesy proverbs???) and in my case there's oodles of will so all I need is....a way.

Apart from Salem, there are lots of good reasons for heading back over to Sweden in post-Melodifestivalen season. All those songs on the radio, all those CD releases in the shops....yesssssss :)

Right I'm off now to get ready for tonight's MF - it's Måååååååååååns mania at EuropeCrazy HQ!!!! See ya all later tonight.

Some amazing news...

I had some terrific, amazing news last night and I've been on a high ever since. Why? Well, none other than Salem Al Fakir himself mentioned Planet Salem and said some really nice things about it on his MySpace page and also posted a link. It is a totally wonderful feeling to have the subject of your fansite actually endorsing it and encouraging fans to visit.

I'm so happy :))))

Time for another quick plug...

...for my other blog, Planet Salem, which is my little fansite which I've had going on for almost a year now. Regular readers will know by now just how much I love Swedish singer/songwriter Salem Al Fakir, and how much I've campaigned for his music to be released outside Sweden. Well now it's happening, thanks to "It's Only You Part II" being used in the latest Volvo TV ad campaign. Over the past few days I've been getting a record number of visitors who all want to know more about Salem and his music, so if you've heard this song and you like it, then you're very welcome to pop over to http://planetsalem.blogspot.com.

A quick plug....

...for my parallel universe, Planet Salem, which (if you didn't already know) is my other blog, a fansite devoted to a Swedish singer named Salem Al Fakir. You may or may not have heard of him, but I happen to think he's the greatest singer/songwriter/musician in the world right now.

I've given the site a little bit of a relaunch today and I'm now billing it as "the international Salem Al Fakir fansite", which hopefully should 'do what it says on the tin' and help bring his music to an international audience.

Rockbjörnen reviewed.

It worked for me after all - I got to see Aftonbladet's Rockbjörnen awards gala tonight live on the internet, and the live stream didn't break down once. And the winners were...

Best Swedish Female Artist - Sonja Alden
Best Swedish Newcomer - Måns Zelmerlöw
Best Song: that boring one by Lars Winnerbäck. Yet again.
Best International Artist: Timbaland
Best International Album - "Shock Value" - Timbaland
Best International Song - "Apologize" - Timbaland
Best Swedish Male Artist - Lars Winnerbäck
Best Swedish Group - Sahara Hotnights
Best Swedish Album - "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" - Kent
Best International Group - Tokio Hotel
Best Live Act - The Ark

The show was a rather patchy affair, there were good bits, there were bad bits and there were scratching-your-head-in-sheer-puzzlement bits. Still I was very glad to see it all the same!

The good:

Måns getting best newcomer. (I had probably accepted the fact that Salem wouldn't get this after all).
Tokio Hotel winning, (although points deducted for not turning up) oh well they sent a video.
Ola Svensson being a great popstar with a lively performance of "Natalie".
September - she really is a great dance diva.
Adam Tensta and Vincent. Two very talented and very different up and coming Swedish musical talents. "Miss Blue" was great.

The bad:

Winnerbäck - winning twice. Why?
Miss Li - what the hell was that????
Ola Salo's new beard. Oi! Salo! Nooooooooooo!!! It's wrong. So. Very. Wrong.
The never-ending rap medley at the beginning of the show.
The tedious comedians who interrupted the flow.
Kent not turning up for yet another awards ceremony. Complacency???

The...unusual

Sonja Alden closing the show, singing with The Poodles. None of that "For Att Du Finns" nonsense here, because underneath all that....she's a rock chick!

So that's the Swedish music awards season over for another year. Only 50 weeks till the next one!!!

P3 Guldgalan, Gothenburg 18.01.08 - review

Over the last couple of days I've had a bit of a throat infection-type-thing which always threatened to turn into flu, but thankfully it hasn't, only as the night goes on, it's now threatening to turn into a cold :(

Anyway now catching up tonight. No Retro Saturday this week, got too much else to write about, it should be back next week though with some more 80s and 90s obscure gems.

I’ve just been watching the P3 Guldgalan on SVT Play. Comparing it to British award ceremonies for a moment, it's the Q Awards to the Grammisgalan's Brit Awards, more cheeky and daring and different. Feel free to watch it at http://svt.se/svt/play/video.jsp?a=1027880

Anyway I read the results before I watched the show, but I'm glad I watched it because it was actually quite good fun.

Results:

Best Female Artist - Säkert! Good selection of nominees in this category, but it really was her year. (Other nominees: Laleh, Miss Li, Maia Hirasawa, September)
Best Newcomer - Maia Hirasawa. Ditto! (Other nominees: Adam Tensta, Million Stylez, Neverstore, Those Dancing Days)
Best Male Artist - Lars Winnerbäck. Er, I don’t think so. Poor man’s Ulf Lundell if you ask me. (Other nominees: Danny, Jens Lekman, Mange Schmidt and of course Salem Al Fakir who deserved this more than anyone!)
Best Group - Kent. Are they getting complacent? They weren’t there to collect their award, which isn’t a good thing. (Other nominees: Sahara Hotnights, Shout Out Louds, The Ark, Mando Diao)
Best Hip Hop - Petter. He's still popular. (Other nominees: Ken, Million Stylez, Basutbudet, Adam Tensta)
Best Rock/Metal - Arch Enemy. Yeah whatever. They don’t really do it for me though. (Other nominees: Kongh, Marduk, Dark Tranquility, Mustasch)
Best Dance Act - Minilogue. No! It should have been Axwell, the king of Swedish house! (Other nominees: Aril Brikha, Tiger Stripes, The Field and the wonderful Axwell)
Best Pop Act - Jens Lekman. Interesting that they classify the winner and his fellow nominees as pop, when I’d be thinking of the likes of Danny, Måns & September. Or indeed, Salem for that matter. (Other nominees: Anna Järvinen, Sambassadeur, Taken by Trees, Friday Bridge)
Best Song - "Release Me" - Oh Laura. Is it just me, or is this overrated dirge sooooo tedious? (Other nominees: Giftig - Mange Schmidt feat. Petter, Cheek to Cheek - Sahara Hotnights, With Every Heartbeat - Robyn with Kleerup, Vi kommer att dö samtidigt - Säkert!)
Guldmicken (Live Act): Timo Räisänen. The main, and final, award of the night. Hmph. I remember hearing him whilst sitting in a Stockholm cafe last year, thinking 'who's the strangled cat?' only to find said Mr Räisänen playing a live set in Bengans record shop across the road. Admittedly his music did grow on me, (I eventually grew to like "Sweet Marie") but again the fact that Salem Al Fakir was denied this award did not please me. AT ALL. (Other nominees: Salem Al Fakir, Säkert!, Laakso, Mustasch)

An interesting mix of live acts in-between the prizegiving....
Live, Robyn & Kleerup’s "With Every Heartbeat" is more musically muscular than its recorded version and was quite outstanding.
Female choir The Sweptaways’ acapella medley of the ‘Best Song’ nominees was bizarre yet inspired.
Björn Dixgård from Mando Diao then did an energetic acoustic "Never Seen The Light Of Day", but there were no awards for his band at this year’s Guldgalan.
Mange Schmidt leading into September singing an extraordinary medley of Umbrella, Daydreaming & Can’t Get Over. She could (and probably will) be the next Cascada, if they get it right.
Timo Räisänen closed the show, in a silver jacket, singing something which wouldn’t have been out of place on "Allsang pa Skansen", when they do that community singalong thing, before he launched into one of his more usual numbers.

Swedish Charts Update

"Cause when it's all for one, it's one for all...."

EMD stay at no.1 in the singles charts with their remake of "All For Love" - although I still wonder what Danny's doing, getting himself into this - whilst Amanda Jenssen is this week's highest new entry with "Do You Love Me". The Swedish Grammys have impacted on the chart this week as the track which was voted best song, "Om Du Lämnade Mig Nu" by Lars Winnerbäck & Miss Li, is back in the top 10. Particularly happy to see three of Salem Al Fakir's songs re-enter the top 50: "Good Song" (no.36), "It's True" (no.42) and "This Is Who I Am" (no.43)

The "Grammy Effect" has also affected the album charts as Lars Winnerbäck's "Daugava" is back up to no.1, whilst another one of his albums has re-entered at no. 19. Salem's "This Is Who I Am" has gone back up to no.6, almost a year after it's release. (I will continue to rave about this fact over at Planet Salem). Säkert's album has also re-entered at no. 21.

The Swedish Grammys: my final words on the subject

Over at my other blog Planet Salem, I've been having a non-stop party since the Grammisgalan last Wednesday night. And then I realised that I hadn't actually written about this year's list of winners, when I should have done so last week.

So here they are.

Best Album: "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" - Kent. A rather obvious choice - not only was it critically acclaimed, but it was also the year's best seller. I was disappointed that Salem didn't win this one, but if he wasn't going to, then I'm glad that Kent did.

Best Hip Hop/Soul Act: Adam Tensta. He's a newcomer to the Swedish music scene but it looks as if we'll be hearing a lot more from him.

Best Male Artist: Salem Al Fakir. A great achievement for a new(ish) artist to win this category, but when it's a genius like Salem then he deserves it.

Best Group: Kent. A tough category, with Mando Diao and The Hives also nominated - but I wanted The Ark to win this. Well done to Kent, though.

Best Female Artist: Säkert! Well deserved award for Hello Saferide's Annika Norlin, who switched to her native Swedish with great success.

Best New Artist: Salem Al Fakir. Obviously!!! No contest!

Best Live Act: The Hives. I got this one right as well!

Best Hard Rock Act: Mustasch. I don't know anything about them, but well done.

Best Dansband: Benny Anderssons Orkester with Helen Sjoholm and Tommy Korberg. What, not Magnus or Nanne? Benny Andersson...sure I remember him from somewhere :-)

Best video: "Det Snurrar I Min Skalle" - Familjen: I still haven't seen this so I can't comment.

Best Producer: Salem Al Fakir. Not only a great singer/composer/musician but also works musical magic in the studio. You need to remember that he recorded his debut album in his own home.

Best Lyricist: Annika Norlin. Interesting that she is now rewarded for her Swedish language work.

Best Composer: Salem Al Fakir. The diversity and depth of the music on his debut album proved that he thoroughly deserved this award.

Best Song: "Om Du Lamnade Mig Nu" - Lars Winnerback & Miss Li. The duo narrowly beat off Sahara Hotnights for this award. "Good Song" came 5th, but it will always be the best song for me!

I was very happy with the outcome of this year's awards - quite fitting really, as last year was such a good year for Swedish music and this is only the tip of a (very massive) musical iceberg! Hopefully 2008 will be the same.

Those Swedish Grammy Results.

I haven't been over here because I've been over at Planet Salem having a celebration party. My favourite singer in the whole universe, Salem Al Fakir, won four awards last night at the Swedish Grammisgalan. I was too busy celebrating that fact to really notice who won what else. Kent got two, which I am happy about though.

Over the weekend I'll post the full list of winners and my thoughts on these, I have still to see some of the video footage and I've had quite a busy night so have postponed this for a while.

The 2007-50: My top 50 songs of the year, in full.

I know I've already put all these on the blog but here is the full list anyway. For no reason other than just because I wanted to.

1. Good Song - Salem Al Fakir
2. Dream Girl - Salem Al Fakir
3. Inga Problem - Snook
4. Relax, Take It Easy - Mika
5. Stronger - Kanye West
6. Heavyweight Champion of the World - Reverend and the Makers
7. Count Me Out - Salem Al Fakir
8. The Way I Are - Timbaland
9. It’s True - Salem Al Fakir
10. Cara Mia - Mans Zelmerlow
11. Same Jeans - The View
12. Grace Kelly - Mika
13. This Is Who I Am - Salem Al Fakir
14. Stop Me - Mark Ronson feat Daniel Merriweather
15. The Worrying Kind - The Ark
16. Because of You - Ne-Yo
17. It’s Only You - Salem Al Fakir
18. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
19. Elu Produit de L’Annee - Christophe Willem
20. When The Night Comes Falling - Sebastian Karlsson
21. Ingenting - Kent
22. Kiss The Bride - Christophe Willem
23. Don’t Hate On Me - Vincent
24. Late Night Session - Ali Love
25. Segdu Mer - Jonsi
26. Shine - Booty Luv
27. Suburban Knights - Hard-Fi
28. Work Your Magic - Dimitry Koldun
29. I Love You Mi Vida - D’Nash
30. Work Of Art (Da Vinci) - Mans Zelmerlow
31. Miss Blue - Vincent
32. Ready Set Go! - Tokio Hotel
33. Your Loss - Paul Steel
34. Come Marry Me - Miss Platnum
35. Live Forever - Magnus Carlsson
36. The Pretender - Foo Fighters
37. What Have You Done - Within Temptation
38. With Every Heartbeat - Robyn
39. Vayamos Companeros - Marquess
40. Tokyo - Danny Saucedo
41. Hooked On You - Infinity
42. Who’s Gonna Find Me - The Coral
43. Acceptable In The 80s - Calvin Harris
44. Everything - Michael Buble
45. Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand
46. Just Another Summer - Moneybrother
47. Love Is Gone - David Guetta
48. Through The Monsoon - Tokio Hotel
49. The Girls - Calvin Harris
50. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat