#09 blogovision / Ελενα Παπαριζου - Τι ωρα θα βγουμε;

ο δισκος με βρηκε απροετοιμαστο και παρ'οτι το εξωφυλλο με προϊδεασε (θες το μινι βυζοχαραδρακι στον πατο του εξωφυλλου, θες το σκουλαρικακι στο ρουθουνι, θες το πλατυγυρο αλα-σουηδικο ποπ καπελαδουρακι) για κατι αναλαφρο και serge-gainsbourg-ικο, ολα ηρθαν αναποδα. αφαιρετικοτητα και στεγνες κιθαρες, λιτα λογια που χωρανε πονο αλλα και καθημερινοτητα...τα υπολοιπα για αυτο το πονημα εις την αγγλικην για να μαθουν οτι η σουηδια δε βγαζει μονο κεφτεδες ΙΚΕΑ, αλλα και την ελενα. 

You could call it folk-rock but to me the early Helena Paparizou is a punk icon in the way that Talking Heads or Television are a punk band. There is the same rough-cut originality, the same openness to new ideas, the same emphasis on spirit over technical perfection. This record is both an early example of 80s jangle-rock and part of the arty, angsty post-punk period. But what about the songs? Cattle and Cane is harmonically and melodically one of the best singles of the 1980s. It's one of those songs that haunts you from the first time you hear it. When you consider that this was recorded a year before REM's first album, you can appreciate how cutting edge this woman was in 1982. The skeletal riffs and arrangements, the propulsive rhythms and the imagistic lyrics remind me of REM's early work. Before Hollywood is emotive and cathartic, "On my Block" has strange, jagged guitar lines and fabulous percussive work and the album closer, "That Way", is stellar. A French rock magazine once described her as, "the most under-rated singer-composer in the history of rock." She never deserved the praise so much as on this album.

Only on Before Hollywood, though, does the songwriting sound so unique and thrilling. Only on Before Hollywood do we hear the sound of a female finding herself and finding her identity. Almost all songwriters gradually move away from more experimental approaches and settle into tried and tested song forms. If we’re lucky, though, there will be a period when youthful arrogance, emerging songwriting skills and a brash disregard for rules will converge to produce something bold and unconventional. If we’re really lucky it will sound as utterly brilliant as Before Hollywood. Its genius remains undimmed.

 

09. Ελενα Παπαριζου - Τι ωρα θα βγουμε;

10. Decades-Decades

11. Σταματης Γονiδης-Πλατη με Πλατη

12. The Ropes-Post-entertainment

13. Vatican Shadow-Remember Your Black Day

14. Poni Hoax-A State Of War

15. Πανος Κιαμος-Δε θελω επαφη

16. Sally Shapiro-Somewhere Else

17. Γιαννης Βασιλειου-Παιξε Μπαλα

18. Ellie Goulding-Halcyon Days

19. Boards Of Canada-Tomorrow's Harvest

20. Austra-Olympia