Wim's musical twists and turns

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Introduction: On Facebook, I was challenged to post my "musical twists" seven times. The challenge came from Christina Van Geel with this call:

A 'cordon musical' around Facebook, not against anything but for more passion and beauty. It's perfectly acceptable. Joni Mitchell. The mother of all singer-songwriters. Because I love it when lyrics and music elevate each other to something that makes every hair on your arm stand on end. I'm torn between 'A Case of You' and 'Both Sides Now'. Both so beautiful. You know what, I'll post them both. That might be against the rules. But passion doesn't always obey the rules. 'Something's lost but something's gained in living every day'. Wim Van Besien, if you're interested, surprise us in turn with your musical twists.

I did summarize my contribution (9-15/11/2015).

DAY 1

Since Joni Mitchell is practically the "standard" in female songwriting, and the album "Blue" is practically in the all-time top 10 for songwriting and honest emotion, I can hardly offer pears after apples.

I'll take Joan Armatrading down a notch, but with a song that sometimes made me cry, perhaps always a quality indicator, just as ecstatic visual art can be deeply moving. But music always has the most immediate and profound impact. As a bonus, an artist who wrote brilliant songs when he was discovering himself and is now lost again in spiritual loss. Nothing wrong with spirituality, of course, but total surrender that verges on fanaticism is another matter. But beauty, of course, counts.

SAVE ME by Joan Armatrading and LOVE & AFFECTION by Joan Armatrading

As a bonus : David Sylvian: "ORPHEUS" .

"Sunlight falls, my wings open wide There's a beauty here I cannot deny And bottles that tumble and crash on the stairs Are just so many people I knew never cared"

Note that he pauses for a long moment halfway through and then resumes with a trumpet arrangement he holds patent for. These are always so beautiful that trumpet made it into my top three instruments after piano and cello, because it can be so subtle, while sometimes perceived as rather militaristic...

DAY 2

Nick Drake has been rediscovered everywhere these days, but as a teenager in the throes of Pink Floyd and Genesis euphoria, his three albums before his young suicide were like a Sorrow of Young Werthers for me. All the songs are pretty much equal. Today: rivers...

Nick Drake's song RIVERMAN

And as a river bonus : Brian Eno, music icon. This song was also the key soundtrack for the emotional moments of N. Moretti's beautiful handkerchief film, La Stanza del Figlio . ( The music starts about halfway through the film. )

“Here we are, stuck by this river, You and I, underneath a sky that's ever falling down,…”

Brian Eno - BY THIS RIVER

DAY 3 "MUSIC CRUMBLINGS".

Today: world music. Reggae is sometimes accused of being too repetitive. Listen to the wonderful musicality displayed by Ijahman Levi . Take this very melodic song (full of small, understated, frilled arrangements), and you can hear his conviction in the vocals. It's beautiful how singing can convey religiosity and devotion. It doesn't matter what faith or religion (as long as it's tolerant and not fanatical or fundamentalist, in my opinion).

The earth is alone

And I give thanks for the fullness

Within the firmaments

Is golden days and blossoming nights

His gently hands made I, I man, son of Him

Life was divided and sweet harmony come in

Women and children

Ijahman Levi - ARE WE A WARRIOR

Bonus: " In der Beschränkung zeiht sich der Meister "absolutely doesn't apply to me. Hence, a bonus every time. Below: 'Mama' in a "sort jungle version. Heavenly and primal at the same time.

Heweye mama ikala cini, Pumuzika kidongo, Maisha yako yote mama … Kadjah Nin: “Mama” never sounded so special

Khadja Nin: MAMA

DAY 4

Björk goes without saying. She unleashes things in you you didn't know you had. Conflicting emotions. Love and hate are common in her music. There's (obviously) a volcano in Iceland. Cosmic-epic. Some songs will blow you away until… you're devastated. And her artistic videos are a nice bonus.

While you are away my heart comes undone slowly unravels in a ball of yarn

Björk - UNRAVEL

Bonus : Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) with the incomparable, unparalleled Altus Andreas Scholl. Ethereally spiritual…

Andreas Scholl & Barbara Bonney · STABAT MATER ~ Pergolesi

DAY 5

U2 provided practically the soundtrack to my life and feelings from my mid-twenties onward. Choosing from their transcendent work is impossible for me.

“Love is blindness I don't want to see Won't you wrap the night Around me Oh my heart Love is blindness”

LOVE IS BLINDNESS - U2

Bonus . I love Renaissance music with that masterful Flemish polyphony that's practically mind-expanding. For a change, I wanted to listen to Pierre de la Rue's "Mijn hert altijt heeft verlanghen" (My Heart Always Longs for You) in the wonderful instrumental version by Bl!ndman, but I can't find it on YouTube... (I can find the CD "De Tuin van Eden").

Pierre de la Rue: MY HEART HAS ALWAYS DESIRED

DAY 6

The timeless masterpieces of classical jazz . I love Cole Porter, Nat King Cole, Gerschwin…. I can always put on the (in my opinion) great female trio: Ella F, Sarah V, and Billie H. Comfort, melancholy, even if they sing about sadness, romance, indictment, longing, passion, you name it. Frank Sinatra's phrasing and interpretations also sometimes put me in an indescribable mood; crooning then becomes truly elegant. It's perfectly acceptable. Also, Chet Baker, Django, Jobim….

In light of the attacks in Paris, #‎jesuisParisien, let's dream of this city of light:

“Every time I look down on this timeless town Whether blue or gray be her skies Whether loud be her cheers or whether soft be her tears More and more do I realize that I love Paris in the springtime I love Paris in the fall I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles”

Ella Fitzgerald - I LOVE PARIS

Bonus : I don't have any connection with the band, but what musicality lies within the following. And I don't want to hear any comments...

"A REMARK YOU MADE": Weather Report

DAY 7

Final contribution to the challenge “Share your musical twists”.

I'm not a huge Springsteen fan. But in the following old song, almost classical piano transitions to acoustic guitar, smoky, slimy, kitsch strings, and finally rock. A multitude of musical styles that mold the song into a rich musical ode to New York.

“It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute It's a mad dog's promenade So walk tall, or baby, don't walk at all”

Bruce Springsteen: NEW YORK CITY SERENADE fav track from The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle

Bonus : “ Jive to the beat ” by Arno is a favorite, if only for that accordion

that just drifted in from under a Parisian bridge. Unfortunately, there's no longer room for top-notch Belgian artists like dEUS, Ozark Henry, Novastar, Jan Swerts, and Brel.

In those seven days there was also no room for Tom Waits, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, nor Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Brian Ferry, or Prefab Sprout.

Who do I pass the torch to? First names for the nomination in my mind: Stefaan Van Volcem, Noel Steen, Lieven Verstraete, Kries Roose, Ilse Gysel, Peter Monbailleu...

So, Greet Verleye, will you take up the challenge? Put a smile of the blues on the Mona Lisa, if necessary, or let's jive to the beat, to the heat, to the spirit…

Arno: JIVE TO THE BEAT