Cicci_ said on April 11, 2005 13:13:

I apologize for any mistakes I’ve made... Hope you understand it anyway. I don’t really know if “ljudbild” becomes “soundpicture”, but as a literal translation it’s correct... Please comment on my translation!
I don’t know if you know all the meanings of her album names so I can translate them to...

“Ännu doftar kärlek” - “Still love smells sweetly”
“Sjunde vågen” - “Seventh wave”
“Efter stormen” - “After the storm”
“Äntligen” - “Finally”
“I en tid som vår” - “In a time like ours”
“Den ständiga resan” - “The constant journey”

“Tro” - “Faith”
“Sånt är livet” - “Such is life”

And the bands:
Strul - Fuss
MaMas Barn - MaMas children
Gyllene Tider - Golden Ages

Marie Fredriksson - The Change
Since ”Ännu doftar kärlek” (1984), ” Sjunde vågen”, ”Efter stormen” and via enormous success around the world with Roxette, Marie has became one of our greatest and most loved artists. When she year 2000 summarized her swedish career with the album ”Äntligen” it sold 350 000 examples. Marie’s new album is her first in english and her first studio album since ”I en tid som vår” which was released 1996.

The past two years has involved great changes in the life of Marie Fredriksson. The 11th of September 2002 she got to know she was seriously ill. A long time of operation, treatment and medication followed. Her life was totally changed.

Marie and her husband, the producent and musician Mikael Byloys, had far earlier begun planning an english album. Even before the information about the disease and the great change came they had started recordning slightly. But now, after the change, that record got a whole new direction and content than what was thought. That was then the recording turned in to the album ”The Change”.

Together with the guitarist Staffan Astner, the drummer Nicci Notini, the bassplayer Peter Forss and the sound engineer Lennart Östlund they found the style and attitude that goes through major parts of the album. An electrically charged, magnificent soundpicture(?) which gives the music power and drama. During the recording an album grew, filled with a positive viability, lova and a faith in a future. Today Marie says that the recording work with ”The Change” is one of the most important and funniest thing’s she’s done. The songwriting and the moments in the recording studio have in many ways had a positive influence in the healing process.

- I wanted so gladly to to this album and share what I’ve been going through. To fight to make the day and simultaneously just want to live as much as possible.

At the cover of ”The Change” Marie har drawed herself the way she’s seen herself during different periods in life – during teen years, in the beginning of her life as an artist, the light and dark during the Roxette-years, during her disease until today. To paint and to draw means a lot to her and it’s something she’s never abandoned since her school time in Östra Ljungby. In that way it’s somehow natural that she’s chosen to describe herself at several periods in life.
The artist career of Marie Fredriksson started in the end of the 70’s. She was a member of the band Strul and toured with Skånska Teatern. Strul shared rehersal premises with Gyllene Tider and that’s how Marie got to know Per Gessle. When Strul broke up Marie formed MaMas Barn and continued to write her own songs. The artist Marie Fredriksson was seriously attracting attention when her first solo album ”Het vind” was released in 1984. On that album is one of Maries most popular songs during her whole career ”Ännu doftar kärlek”. The second solo album ”Den sjunde vågen” came two years later and became her great breakthrough. 1986 Marie and Per Gessle formed Roxette and got the swedish summer hit of the year with ”Neverending love”. After that Marie released further another solo album ”Efter stormen” – together with the collection ”Äntligen” – her most succesful record so far.
Directly after that the success trip with Roxette around the world started with Roxette.

It would take five years before it existed time for another solo project. ”Den ständiga resan”. A record about the backsides of the succesfull tour life with Roxette. The record sold Platina and Marie was chosen artist of the year in Sweden 1992. After further Roxette adventures ”I en tid som vår” came 1996 where several songs, among other things ”Tro” figurated in the film ”Sånt är livet” by Colin Nutley.
Now, eight years later, ”The change” comes. Maries 6th album, surely the most important one in her life:
”A second chance – that’s exactly how I think many mornings when I wake up. I’m so endlessly grateful for every day.”