Great review Nancy - I'm glad you enjoyed the mix, and well done for spotting my secret identity. I didn't consciously tailor the tracks for you, but I did pick the theme of songs not sung in English knowing your interest in languages. Anyhoo, here's my thoughts on the mix ...
"I" - Pizzicato 5
I love Pizzicato 5. Quirky Japanese pop with a sense of humour as well. The album "Made in the USA" is a good place to start, with a mix of Japanese and English songs.
"Moi, Je Jou" - Brigitte Bardot
Short and sweet. This is the only song of hers that I have - I don't know if I could take a whole cd of this, but this is a charming bit of fluff.
"Kokoku" - Laurie Anderson
This is from the album Mr Heartbreak, her second studio album. Lots of bizarre imagery and strange soundscapes, and an interesting collaboration with Peter Gabriel on one track and William Burroughs on another.
"Vokuro" - Bjork
The album Medulla that this comes from is unusual in that all of the sounds are created by the human voice in one form or another. A quite amazing range of styles too.
"The Walrus Hunt" - The Residents.
This is part of the Eskimo album. I remember buying it from a second record shop because I liked the cover, and I honestly had no idea what to expect. It's worth listening to this on headphones for the binaural effect, and as they say on the sleeve 'warm clothing or a blanket should be within easy reach.’
"Govinda" by Kula Shaker
Kula Shaker were not quite one hit wonders, but they were not far off. I liked their odd mix of indie rock and late 60s hippie sensibilities.
"Krieger" by Die Fantastichen Vier
This is from the Aphex Twin remix project - 26 Mixes for Cash. I don't much more about it than that, but I am a sucker for this sort of off beat electro stuff.
"Tour de France 2003" - Kraftwerk
The original 12" version of this (which I have on vinyl up in the attic) was a surprise crossover hit on the New York dance scene, influencing hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaata. This is a very smooth live version.
"Chan Chan" - Buena Vista Social Club album.
I love this track too - a perfect record of an amazing group of musicians with a sense of their shared history.
"Maracaibo Oriental" ,"Mambo Gozon" and "La vida es una lenteja"
I'll lump these three tracks together simply because they come from the same cd - namely one of the radio stations on the "Vice City" soundtrack. When I was playing the game, I would often hijack a taxi and go cruising around listening to "Radio Espantoso" as the sun set over the ocean. Lovely.
"Tengo Un Novio Tantriko" - Las Ketchup
Las Ketchup had a surprise hit with their spanglish song "Asereje", probably from people hearing it on holiday in spain and buying it when they got home. If you like this, then you'll like the rest of the album "Hijas Del Tomate'
Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand
I have a fondness for one hit wonders (as you might have noticed), and this is one of the very best. Utterly bonkers - the translated lyrics are worth hunting down for a laugh.
"DK50/80" - John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett
This was years ahead of its time, and very nearly a hit for the hapless Otway until a musician's union dispute scuppered a potential appearance on Top of the Pops. Wild Willy Barrett inspired this track by accidentally playing the master tape for another song backwards, and you can reverse the intro to this if you want to hear some genuine back masked lyrics.
"Satyagraha Tolstoy Part 2" - Philip Glass
It's a lovely piece of work. I had this on cassette originally and played it until it fell to pieces. If you want an introduction to Phillip Glass, then the cd "Glassworks" is a good place to start or alternatively "Songs from Liquid Days" with collaborations with song writers like Paul Simon and Laurie Anderson.
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"Radio Espantosa" - interesting! I would never have thought of that. Also, I didn't realize the words were backwards - or at least not so many of them - on the John Otway track. Time's up - gotta give the child a bath. I enjoyed your comments.
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