Thread: Music: Cutting Edge and What You Are Listening To?

You don’t have to go far, he’s right here behind you http://masterrussian.net/mforum/view...hp?f=61&t=5535

Originally Posted by Johanna

His biggest hit is Virtual Insanity --- quite old now. That whole album was very good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q936lXxQPTA

Brilliant, no wait, Jazz is watching, excellent song.
I must have gotten the same response as rockzmom has on your link and looking for the alternative came upon this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ucdKkk ... re=related.
The bastards have put it all in perspective. (May I use the expression that way?) As much as I loved the original I couldn’t help but LMAO or roll on the floor laughing, to put it mildly.

Originally Posted by Johanna

I actually used to know the singer in Jamiroqai (his real name is Jay). He's a very funny guy, very smart and deep. He happened to live very close to my house. I lost touch with him after I moved though, but I think he still lives in the same place and still works as a musician. He got into some trouble with the police though, about hashish.

You mean that guy?

Originally Posted by Johanna

I actually used to know the singer in Jamiroqai (his real name is Jay). He's a very funny guy, very smart and deep. He happened to live very close to my house. I lost touch with him after I moved though, but I think he still lives in the same place and still works as a musician. He got into some trouble with the police though, about hashish.

His biggest hit is Virtual Insanity --- quite old now. That whole album was very good.

He does create very cute music, which is well known in Russia. Personally I like his music a lot.

Originally Posted by Johanna

@Bitpicker do you know about Vysotskij? Have you heard any good covers of him in German? Lots of Swedish and Finnish artists have done covers of him and it wouldn't surprise me if there are some great covers in German too - bigger language!

No, never even heard the name before. And the German Wikipedia entry doesn't contain a hint at German cover versions either.

Here's a German Goth song from one of my favorite bands. I provide an English translation, too... Of course it is hard to transport ambiguities and puns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5jLK9OCf8w

Lacrimosa - Stolzes Herz

Zu fühlen um zu spüren
Meine Sinne, meine Seele
Mein Gewissen und mein Herz
Am Abgrund meines Lebens
Am Ende meiner Selbst
Gebrechlich tief im Innern
Und schwach nach außen hin

Ist es schlecht ?
Und was ist gut?
Ist es krank ?
Und was heisst leben?
Nein -
Es ist nur ehrlich - menschlich
Und verflucht -
Ist doch nur die Wahrheit

Im Auge der Gemeinheit
Der Allgemeinheit
Schlicht verwerflich - transparent
Doch ist es tiefer, stärker und viel mehr
So ist der Mensch
Nur auf der Suche
Nach der Stärke
Nach der Lüge - blindem Wahn
Und der Oberflächlichkeit

Mit blutverschmierten Händen
Mit einer Träne im Gesicht
Einem Lächeln auf den Lippen
Und der Hoffnung tief im Blick
Aufzustehen auch aus dem Dreck
Tief beschmutzt und stolz im Herz
Dem Leben neu erwacht
Und erwacht ganz neu im Leben

Sind meine Hände blind und stumm ?
Sind meine Augen alt und schwach ?
Ist mein Herz dem Blut erlegen ?
Und bei allem doch nur ehrlich
Bin ich Mensch ?
Bin ich Schmerz ?
Bin ich die Träne -
Und der Kuss zugleich ?!?

Lacrimosa - Proud Heart

To feel in order to experience
My senses, my soul
My conscience and my heart
At the abyss of my life
At the end of myself
Feeble deep inside
And weak to behold

Is it bad?
And what is good?
Is it sick?
And what does it mean to live?
No -
It is only honest - human
and cursed (maybe: damn! as an interjection)
Is only the truth

In the eye of meanness
of the public (pun: Gemeinheit -> Allgemeinheit, hints at 'the mean public')
Simply reprehensible - transparent
But it is deeper, stronger and much more
thus man is only on the quest
for strength, for the lie
Blind madness
And superficiality

With bloodstained hands
Wit a tear on the face
A smile on the lips
And hope deep in the eyes (or firmly in sight)
To stand up even from the dirt
Deeply stained and proud at heart
Newly awakened to life
And awoken fully new in life

Are my hands blind and dumb?
Are my eyes old and weak?
Has my heart succumbed to the blood?
And is it in all that just honest?
Am I human?
Am I pain?
Am I the tear -
And the kiss at the same time?

Robin, Lacrimosa - Stolzes herz was not bad! I'll have to dig up a song I am trying to recall.

Alex! I took hubby down memory lane last night. Ohhhh, he was like a little kid with a shiny new penny. Remembering his misspent youth.

Here are a few of his favorite heavy metal songs. I'm listing all the songs and links and then the lyrics after:

Def Leppard Love Bites (slow song)
album: "Hysteria" (1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPU9az11si0 (lyrics also in video)

Def Leppard Run Riot
album: "Hysteria" (1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOD0odt7dN4

Pretty Maids We Came To Rock
album: "Future World" (1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzPssVyQVyE

Pretty Maids - Eye Of The Storm (slow song)
album: "Future World" (1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Risw-VQFflI


Love Bites
If you've got love in your sights
Watch out, love bites

When you make love, do you look in the mirror?
Who do you think of?
Does he look like me?
Do you tell lies?
And say that it's forever?
Do you think twice, or just touch 'n' see?
Ooh babe
Ooh yeah
When you're alone, do you let go?
Are you wild 'n' willin' or is it just for show?
Ooh c'mon

I don't wanna touch you too much baby
'cos making love to you might drive me crazy
I know you think that love is the way you make it
So i don't wanna be there when you decide to break it
No!

(love bites, love bleeds)
It's bringin' me to my knees
(love lives, love dies)
It's no surprise
(love begs, love pleads)
It's what i need

When i'm with you are you somewhere else?
Am i gettin' thru or do you please yourself?
When you wake up will you walk out?
It can't be love if you throw it about
Ooh babe
I don't wanna touch you too much baby
'cos making love to you might drive me crazy
Oh

Ooh yeah
(love bites, love bleeds)
It's bringin' me to my knees
(love lives, love dies)
(love bites, love bleeds)
It's bringin' me to my knees
(love lives, love dies)
It's no surprise
(love begs, love pleads)
It's what i need

If you've got love in your sights
Watch out, love bites
Yes it does
It will be hell


Run Riot
Living by the law is a bloody necessary bore
Everybody are you gettin' what you're lookin' for?
Livin' by the rule is somethin' that you gotta do!
But does it matter if we
(break a rule or two?)
Get up!
Break out!
Don't be the odd one out
Livin' on the edge, i'm a tryin' to keep a level head
(oh!) ev'ry morning it's a bummer gettin' out of bed
Same old story does a nothin' ever ever change?
Yeah, they lock me up and then they let me out again

Get up!
Break out!
Don't be the odd one out
C'mon, it's alright we're hot tonight

You better run
(run)
(run riot)
You gotta run
(run)
(run riot)
You know the time has come
(run)
(run riot)
I mean ev'ryone
(run)
(yeah, run riot)

Oh, gotta riot babe
Goin' thru the motions desperation guaranteed
Whoa, get f-f-frustrated easily
Pedal to the metal senses working overtime
Oh, a fight to the finish babe
Draw the line!

(night night night)
Run
Speak to me!

They lock me up, they let me out but i'm up and runnin'
I scream and shout

You better run
(run)
(run riot)
You gotta run
(run)
(run riot)
You know the time has come
(run)
(run riot)
C'mon, run with me
(run)
(run riot)
(run)
(run riot)
Hey!
I'll take you from your misery
C'mon!
Stick with me!


We Came To Rock
If you're feeling out of nowhere
If you got no place to go
If you're feeling lost and lonely
When you're down the open road

Oh come on join our show
Here we go

Did they preach you words of wisdom
Did they fill your head with lies
Did they try to break the doorways
To the world behind your eyes

Oh, I want to know

We came to rock
We came to rock
We came to rock
We came to rock

Are you burning with the fever
Are you ready to explode
Can you feel the magic power in your heart
When you hear my voice is calling, calling

Oh come join our show

[Chorus]

We are the faces
We are the guardians of the night
We'll rock the ages
It's all right
We've seen the fire
We are defenders of your rights
We'll take you higher
Gonna take you to the sky

We'll rock until the morning light
We'll rock into your soul
We're gonna hit the stars tonight
We came to rock
To rock and roll

[Chorus]


Eye Of The Storm
Dreams of a lifetime
Thrills from long ago
These years of joy now have flown
Silhouettes in a mirror
I'll recognise her face
Ten thousand years out in space

She
She meant everything to me
Scarlet woman with eyes of gold
She's out on the edge of my dream

Venus arising
Planet caravans
Create a cosmic romance
Like a touch of her spirit
Voices from the past
Just like a spell that's been cast

I've been walking through tears and pain
Every time I catch her breath
Oh, but I still do remain

In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm

Seasons are changing
Winter of my life
The memories still survive
And the dreams of my love
Are coming down like rain
Every time I call out her name

And she
She meant everything to me
Scarlet woman with eyes of gold
She
She's out on the edge of my dreams

In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
Eye of the storm

I am no stranger
No stranger to love any more
I've tried it all
So many times before
And I've been going through changes
But I can't fight this feeling
And I'm still dreaming on
And on and on...

[Chorus]

Originally Posted by bitpicker

Originally Posted by Johanna

@Bitpicker do you know about Vysotskij? Have you heard any good covers of him in German? Lots of Swedish and Finnish artists have done covers of him and it wouldn't surprise me if there are some great covers in German too - bigger language!

No, never even heard the name before. And the German Wikipedia entry doesn't contain a hint at German cover versions either.

Here are translations: http://www.wysotsky.com/1031.htm Там некоторые песни с аудио.

Сайт на немецком: http://www.vladimir-vysotsky.de/frameset.htm

oops, I forgot that the spelling of the name has to be different in German. I tried listening to one of the mp3s on the German site. But actually, it's in Russian, original recording.

I thought his songs would sound good in German. But it looks like there are only text translations --- no actual covers in German.

Perhaps you need to live in a cold country where people drink a lot, in order to really appreciate Vysotsky. Otherwise I don't know why he isn't known in DE. When I made a search of the German transliteration of his name I came across lots of covers in Polish.

See links above - Lampada has created a very comprehensive thread about Vysotsky in the music lounge. I can't recommend his music enough.

Could be an aftereffect of the Cold War period. The Scandinavian countries were closer to Russia, whereas Germany used to have a border running through the middle of the country, separating it into two states. Here in the West there was practically no knowledge of Russian culture at all. I remember that the Russian Heavy Metal band Gorky Park was as exotic to us as a band from Africa would have been.

Indeed, come to think of it, cover versions might have existed in the former Eastern German Republic, but after reunification much of their culture mostly disappeared overnight. And I suppose their government was trying to be holier than the pope, too, so they might have suppressed things which might have been possible in Russia as far as political lyrics were concerned. Germans what can I say? If we do it, we need to do it better than everyone else.

Now of course we have 3 million native speakers of Russian in the country, they make for the second largest immigrant group after the Turks if my numbers are correct. Today we have Russian and Polish nights in clubs or even clubs which primarily cater to one or the other nationality.

And another aspect: the national music industry wasn't always strong. When I was young, German music was mostly 'Schlager' for the old. Then came the New Wave of German pop music (Neue Deutsche Welle), after that nothing for a long time, and only relatively recently did German bands like Rosenstolz, Silbermond, Juli, Rammstein etc. achieve widespread fame. Music with lyrics in German simply wasn't fashionable for quite a while. Therefore, German versions of foreign songs, though they did exist, usually were in the 'Schlager' category. Not exactly the right place for intellectual lyrics.

Robin

Bitpicker, interesting to read!
About the English-language German groups of the 1980s
Haha - who can forget kitschy "Alphaville", Sandra, Nena... Nina Hagen...?

"Forever Young" or "Big in Japan"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIU04k0o4MI must have been one of the first singles I ever bought. There WAS good music made in the German language back then - at least some that I liked. I had some good mixed tapes... but I can't remember the names of the groups anymore. Kraftwerk was one of them though.

Swedish media had the policy of splitting content from East and West. German was the top foreign langauge on TV after English. So I might even have watched more DDR TV than you did. Particularly Sandmann! They made some pretty good documentaries and criminal dramas too.

Yeah, Germany feels a lot more cosmopolitan now, like you say. I travel to Frankfurt sometimes for work, and I have a good friend in Hamburg. Haven't seen the "new" Berlin though! I remember family drives through DE as a kid (to get to the Alps!) and things seemed quite old fashioned / traditional outside the cities. There was a faster route for us through the DDR, via Sassnitz - but most of the times we travelled through the BRD anyway.

It's "good" in a way that the new "power house" of Europe has the experience of having been split -- so far it continues to be the "kind giant" in Europe, hopefully never wanting to be the "bad guy" again. I feel really positive towards Germany.

Hey, did you hear about the German foreign minister who refused to speak English with the BBC? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zqt0Jr-Gg I thought it was funny! Did he explain what his exact motivation was? What did you think?

So I might even have watched more DDR TV than you did. Particularly Sandmann!

That goes without saying, we didn't get any DDR TV. The DDR Sandmann, however, has survived, is still shown today and was better than ours. That, and the men on the traffic lights for pedestrians.

Hey, did you hear about the German foreign minister who refused to speak English with the BBC? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zqt0Jr-Gg I thought it was funny! Did he explain what his exact motivation was? What did you think?

He wasn't foreign minister yet when he said that, but it was clear he would be. He said that when in Germany, you speak German. It has been said that his English is awful.

But ministers aren't selected based on merit or capability.

Robin

Originally Posted by bitpicker

The DDR Sandmann, however, has survived, is still shown today and was better than ours. That, and the men on the traffic lights for pedestrians.
Robin

Okay, I admit I have been out of sorts the past couple of days and the elevator may still not be going all the way to the top and all...but... what is/was the DDR Sandmann???

I suppose you know the story of the sandman, whose dust makes children sleep and the remnant of which you find in your eyes in the mornings? Both the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic used to have a version of that story as a TV show for children. In the evening there would be a short film showing the sandman visiting children somewhere in the world, his dust would make them dream, which means that some other short film for children would be shown, and after that film the sandman would take his leave of the children. There's a children's TV channel even today which still shows the old GDR sandman shows at the end of its daily broadcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59_MUJL8bHc

This 'video' has a picture of the Western sandman to the left and the Eastern one (the same as shown in all of Germany today) to the right. Youtube searches on the term Sandmännchen may show you more examples.

Robin

The thing that I liked about Sandmann was that he always travelled in a different "cool" vehicles. Plus the theme song was very catchy. In Swedish and Norwegian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijgtvroA2ls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU1pdKZ-Plo

I saw a video of the German foreign minister speaking English and it wasn't very bad. But the event was interesting because it's a nuisance to have to speak English against ones will, in ones own country. I thought he was making a statement about that, but perhaps he was more concerned about criticism about his own English skills... I personally think the EU should adopt a neutral language as our lingua Franca. Much fairer and more practical. Esperanto can be learnt in a fraction of the time that it takes to learn good English.

Originally Posted by bitpicker

And while I'm at it, here's another favourite of mine from the new album by Слот, hopelessly mistranslated by myself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZETlqxS3Svk

Mirrors

Night
From wall to wall
I walk in a forgotten dream
There to...
On the search for myself
I was somewhere there
I lost - didn't find
I called - I called all (or: I called 'enough') / Звала... всё звала...
The meaning of "Звала... всё звала... " is "I called and called again and again (all the time) but nobody answered me"
So I would translate it like:
I called again and again, but I heard only an echo.

In the light of day I will paint the mirrors dark
No matter I'm not in them
So I'll believe I'm alive
Even if it is not so

So [tick, tock, tick...]
The hands (of a watch) are sleeping somewhere [in a row]
Don't walk and don't stand still [hide]
They are gone [like nothing]
The face (of the watch) is empty [wait, wait] ('Zifferblatt' is a loan word from German. Cool... )
There's nowhere to go [go, go]
Fly to the new emptiness of the year [pardon]
And we cannot be saved ( or "we will not save") [from fall]
we will fall (Actually there is no "fall" there, but it fits as one of possible variants for this case)

Thanks for the corrections, Katerina, it wasn't as bad as I expected. However, you kept my misinterpretation of лети in there, so it should probably be:

There's nowhere to go [go, go]
Fly to the new emptiness * [pardon]
And we cannot be saved ( or "we will not save") [from fall]
we will fall (Actually there is no "fall" there, but it fits as one of possible variants for this case)

* dropped "of the year" from here.

Robin

Originally Posted by bitpicker

Thanks for the corrections, Katerina, it wasn't as bad as I expected. However, you kept my misinterpretation of лети in there, so it should probably be:

There's nowhere to go [go, go]
Fly to the new emptiness * [pardon]
And we cannot be saved ( or "we will not save") [from fall]
we will fall (Actually there is no "fall" there, but it fits as one of possible variants for this case)

* dropped "of the year" from here.

Robin

Russian original use “лети” I suppose that “drop” is closer to “сорваться” than “падать”. I prefer “падать” because I think it saves the hope for person “not to be prostrate” in this case. As for me I’d like to see in Russian text some positive. You can decide yourself what you want to stay there.

I meant I dropped 'of the year' as a mistranslation of лети, while it actually means 'fly' - you added the 'fly' but left my incorrect translation in there.

Robin

Originally Posted by bitpicker

I meant I dropped 'of the year' as a mistranslation of лети, while it actually means 'fly' - you added the 'fly' but left my incorrect translation in there.

Robin

This situation amused me a bit.

Actually, I considered "Fly to the new emptiness of the year" like metaphor.
It is something like this in Russian:
Лети к пустоте начала отсчета/времен/нового года жизни.
There is not it in the original text but the idea of this is the same.

Originally Posted by bitpicker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59_MUJL8bHc

This 'video' has a picture of the Western sandman to the left and the Eastern one (the same as shown in all of Germany today) to the right. Youtube searches on the term Sandmännchen may show you more examples.
Robin

Okay, now all I understood was the "ahhhh" by the kids, I guess complaining about going to bed, and the "alvederzane" at the end. You feel up to posting the lyrics in English for us? They sound very cute!

This is the song I think of when I hear "Mr. Sandman" and it was before my time mind you!!! 1954! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8F-yDngEs0