The Daily Roxette discussions forum has been closed. The forum is only available as a read-only archive.
Review of ATAY in Aftonbladet
42 replies
Susi said on September 11, 2002 12:41:
Just found a (not very nice) review of ATAY in today’s Aftonbladet (“Veckans singlar”):
==========================
Roxette – A thing about you (Capitol)
Det släpps en samlingsplattan med Roxettes bästa ballader i november, inklusive två nya låtar. Den ena är ”A thing about you”, för ovanlighetens skull en ballad med Per Gessle som leadsångare. En enkel, smått vemodig låt av rätt klassiskt Roxette-snitt, med akustiska gitarrer och stråkar. Habilt hantverk men inte mycket mer, som så ofta med Roxette nu för tiden. Lite popnördskul dock när den beryktade poptjuven Gessle sjunger ”very hard to do” på ett sätt som är lånat rakt av från Burt Bacharachs popklassiker ”Make it easy on yourself” (mest känd i Walker Brothers version).
”A thing about you” är dock långt ifrån de höjderna, inte heller matchar den egna softhits some “Spending my time” eller “Vulnerable”.
Att bryta upp är ack så svårt, sjöng Walker Brothers. Men ibland måste man, för att kunna gå vidare.
Den här strävsamma duon borde kanske börja fundera lite på det.
(Håkan Steen)
Salvation7-20-7 said on September 11, 2002 12:59:
Seeing the review in english would be great! :)
Salvation7-20-7
japeke said on September 11, 2002 13:32:
English translation?????
Someone?????
Thanks in advance,
JAAP
per_mson said on September 11, 2002 13:33:
Ok, so a translation to English:
A new collection record with the best ballads from Roxette will be released in November, including two new songs. One of them is “A thing about you”, sung by Per Gessle as a lead singer, which is quite unusual. It is a simple, a bit melancholy song in a quite classical Roxette way, with acoustic guitars and strings. Skilful piece of work but not much more, as so often with Roxette nowadays. It´s a little “pop nerd fun” though, when the notorious pop-thief Gessle sings “very hard to do” that in a way is borrowed straight from Burt Bacharach’s popclassic “Make it easy on yourself” (mostly known from Walker Brothers’ version).
”A thing about you” is, however, far from the best. Neither does it reach their own soft-hits as “spending my time” or “Vulnerable”.
Breaking up is really hard, the Walker Brothers sang, but sometimes you have to, to be able to go on.
This hardworking duo should maybe start to think a bit about that.
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 13:37:
oj has the reviewer read some of the posts here? ;)
LittleGirl78 said on September 11, 2002 13:39:
Thank you for the translation in english.
This Articel listen not good, this bad.
Aftonbladet is fool.
SirMikeAlot said on September 11, 2002 13:59:
cheers per_mson
uh huh - per has become so uninspired he has to steal his lyrics from Burt Bacharach - right
and we are just ’pop nerds’ you don’t know anything about good quality music, well,
as insulted and outragoues as i was at that - he saves the best till last ’split up’
what is this jerk on
Markuz said on September 11, 2002 14:23:
Well, I agree with the reviewer. The article says nothing but the truth.
gyllene_tjej said on September 11, 2002 14:28:
I love the song and i don’t care what they think...especially not these narrowminded people at aftonbladet. they’re just jealous, that’s all :) Gessle rules!
cskendras said on September 11, 2002 14:46:
i like the song and many more people will like it!
and i don’t love the song because it’s by roxette only - no the song is simply great and i would buy it if it was an other singer, too.
room-service said on September 11, 2002 15:20:
same question as Bibi, Can you give us the link to this article? Would be great, thanx :)
roxtexanet said on September 11, 2002 15:26:
@Markuz & Judith: I think both of you need to learn to separate opinion (the obvious point of a review) from God-given truth (which both of you appear to claim to possess). What I just wrote is an opinion. Water is wet is a truth. Big, big difference.
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 15:35:
Reading thru the article, what I actually agree with is:
It is a simple, a bit melancholy song in a quite classical Roxette way, with acoustic guitars and strings. Skilful piece of work but not much more, as so often with Roxette nowadays.
>>> for ME this is true, sorry if I made it general that´s MY truth ;)
”A thing about you” is, however, far from the best. Neither does it reach their own soft-hits as “spending my time” or “Vulnerable”.
>>> TRUE (again for ME)
Breaking up is really hard, the Walker Brothers sang, but sometimes you have to, to be able to go on. This hardworking duo should maybe start to think a bit about that.
>>> sometimes *I* think they have lost any motivation to go on with Roxette and the energy they had in the past. But this is far from breaking up :) They should just take it easier and not the “we have to have an album out every 2 years” -schedule.
Besides.. does God exist? For those who God doesn´t exist.. from where is truth coming then?
roxtexanet said on September 11, 2002 16:01:
@Judith: Although I don’t agree with most of what you have to say about Roxette’s music since “C!B!B!,” I think we’re right on the same page in more ways than one... like you, I don’t believe there is such a thing as God-given truth, there are just things that are facts by definition (my silly ’water is wet’ example)... this is EXACTLY what I’m getting at, “the truth” is completely subjective, and no-one can claim that someone else’s opinion is “true” - it’s true FOR YOU and not FOR ME, and that’s all we can say. Sorry about the philosophy lecture, I have little patience for people who make statements of fact without backing them up, and that’s not what you did...
AccompaniedGirl said on September 11, 2002 16:08:
Please Judith... nobody needs your missionary here. Keep your simple truth for yourself.
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 16:08:
:) well now i cleared up what I meant, I was not intending to say that this is what all Roxette fans have to face, it is just what I (sadly) admit for myself. I have been feeling this for long and I have always told myself “ok give them another chance” :) but keeps on being the same... that´s why I said that truth sometimes hurts.
But this is MY opinion ...
roxtexanet said on September 11, 2002 16:15:
@Judith: I understand, Judith... I (thankfully!) don’t feel that way myself, but I can imagine how it must be for you to have a group that you really like start to create music that no longer “does it” for you... this is how Melissa Etheridge is for me (:
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 16:28:
oj :) I love latest Melissa stuff! Actually I had never been so much into Melissa till I found (for me) the pearl SKIN :)
Although I think Breakdown is also great. What is your favourite?
LittleGirl78 said on September 11, 2002 16:34:
No the article is not true, the first is I find the Song great a wonderful ballad.
And the second thing is, in the article stand up with other words, the project Roxette should been finished. No Roxette never finished and this is not more a kritik this is a terrible article from a very bad man.
Ferdan said on September 11, 2002 16:36:
I like the song.... but only compared to the latests singles they released......
they’re still far from what they’ve been musically before CBB....
There’s something lacking since HAND or not making sense in their recordings... and I can’t find exactly what it is..
Anyway... the article is written in a way saying old Roxette was better..... but... i hardly remember old articles talking well about Roxette...
animalkingdom said on September 11, 2002 16:42:
@ Markuz
Please stop writing @ Small Talk!! Go to your Eurythmics site of wherever else!
Everyone’s got their freedom to express their opinion BUT this is a forum dedicated to Roxette fans and while reading your thoughts I can only consider you as an anti-fan! Go away!!
roxtexanet said on September 11, 2002 17:00:
@Judith: “Your Little Secret” and “Yes I Am” are kind of tied as my favourites... “Breakdown” would be second, but I don’t care much for “Skin” (funny, eh?!)... I like the two singles (“I Wanna Be In Love” is classic and “Lover Please” is great), but I think the rest is mediocre at best... glad you’ve picked up on her, though, I think she’s a brilliant musician!
roxtexanet said on September 11, 2002 17:07:
@Ferdan: Brilliant observation!! When has the Swedish press *EVER* spoken well of Roxette (answer: the Unplugged concert!)... they make it sound like, “We once thought they were so great, but now, oh, how they have fallen...”... I’ve followed this band for over a decade and the Swedish press has ALWAYS trashed them and been saying they should/will quit since “C!B!B!”... just hilarious...
Alienista said on September 11, 2002 17:15:
kozly oni tam v etom Aftonblahdet!!!
I can’t express my resentment in English so emotionally like I’ve done it in Russian!!!
It doesn’t matter what they think.(especially for us) It’s far more important for Roxette what their fans think of them... And we seem to like this song from the very first moment!
Roxette rules 4ever!!!
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 17:17:
@animalkingdom: huh now we start kicking ppl out for not thinking as you do?
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 17:23:
@roxtexanet: i have those songs you mention, they are also great.
Well yeah I just found out that Melissa is a great artists.
It tends to happen from time to time that I find a fav artist ... in 96 it was Eva Dahlgren; in 97 it was Joey Tempest; in 2001 Eskobar; in 2002 Melissa :P
It is easier to “digest” cuz when I find such an artist I start getting all the albums.. hihi With Melissa it was kind of accident, I was in one of these mp3 sites where you can download full albums and I saw that one, i thought “hum I have just heard few songs by her, let´s listen to a full album” and woow, i got cought :P
Markuz said on September 11, 2002 17:30:
@boredomkingdom: why should I leave? just because you say so?
animalkingdom said on September 11, 2002 17:39:
@ Judith
Ha! That’s just really twisted.
It’s okay for a fan to express any kind of opinion of a Roxette song but to tell the band to quit...Rather mean I’d say.
animalkingdom said on September 11, 2002 17:43:
@ Markuz (like you, I couldn’t make anything decent of your nick), just because I? Just because I? You think I am the only one who doesn’t want anti-Roxette supporters here?!
temps-daurats said on September 11, 2002 17:44:
C’mon, who cannot accept a critic?? For those who didn’t like what he say it’s just a matter of saying :”ok, that’s just your opinion, you’re only another human being with your own tastes and ways of thinking”.
I mean, this is very easy. Truth DOES NOT EXIST AT ALL in art world.
Just look at fashion, things change in one or two years and some clothes that looked cool once you find them really awful. Try looking at photographs of yourselves when you were younger and laugh! :P
So, what do I mean...? A critic is just another person and you should not care so much about what he says, if he says in Aftonbladet or wherever else. BE YOURSELVES AND THINK FOR YOURSELVES!!!!
(And remember that lately it’s not so “cool” to like Roxette... and these people like to fake they’re cool).
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 18:58:
saying:
@ Markuz
Please stop writing @ Small Talk!! Go to your Eurythmics site of wherever else!
Everyone’s got their freedom to express their opinion BUT this is a forum dedicated to Roxette fans and while reading your thoughts I can only consider you as an anti-fan! Go away!!
for me means wanting to kick somebody out just because he doesn´t think like you. I think I know what Markuz means, when he feels that Roxette are not doing anything worth anymore (for him) and that all they do is digging their own grave, I guess it´s better to wish that they split up rather than going on.. sinking.
If that´s what he thinks, why can´t he just express it? I sometimes wonder myself if they have lost their motivation and energy to work on Roxette, why don´t they quit at least for a while?
For me being a fan is being able to be critic, it´s when you love somebody and this somebody asks for your opinion about something he did, as a friend, will you just lie and say it is brilliant great fantastic or be objective and tell what you really think, so this person knows where he is failing?
Well the only difference is that Roxette is not reading ;) (or yes? ;)) nor listening ;)
animalkingdom said on September 11, 2002 19:14:
@ Judith
@ Markuz
Thank you for your kind opinions..
But the thing is that Roxette are NOT giving up!
See, Ballad Hits album is coming up, Pop Hits is coming up...They’re the main part of NOTP-02, have interest in doing an all-new tour next summer, have still a lot of unreleased material etc..
Do we really need ppl who only say bad things about them&ruin everyone else’s excitement here?
Do we?!
vaxjoe said on September 11, 2002 19:23:
lmfao a eurythmics forum? hahahaha!! those 2 old farts still exist? noone cares bout them anymore...
Jud (moderator) said on September 11, 2002 19:24:
well i would not say it is ruin your enthusiasm only if you let the comments do so. There are things that I love that others do not, and not for that I am less enthusiastic.... if I would let others opinion influence mine.. I would surely not be myself :)
Susi said on September 11, 2002 20:37:
@ Bibi & room-service:
Didn’t find the article on the internet but read it in the “real” newspaper. Searched for it on www.aftonbladet.se but it wasn’t there. (So I typed the whole thing.)
renegade said on September 12, 2002 02:54:
@roxtexanet
@Ferdan
I´ve been following the carriers of Per and Marie since the 80´s and for one thing I agree with Ferdan that there is something missing lately.
Shure, the new single is great but in comparison to what? Earlier singles have been incredible and obviously they are hard to top after all these years, but i still regret to say that all singles since CBB and even som of those (on that album) lack something...
I´d also like to add that i saw a breakpoint at the release of the single ’Almost Unreal’. It got (as i recall it) a score of 4/5 from, i think, daily swedish newspaper ’Expressen’. After this, i dont think Roxette has ever achieved more then 3/5 from ANY swedish newspaper concerning albums, singles or liveshows.
I wonder if this is a modern version of the ABBA-effect/syndrome. In their time they were hugely recognized abroad but despiced here in Sweden. Nowadays when they have ceased to exist they are celebrated like ever before. Is there a paralel... I think so.
Allthough: Its unquestionable that the greatest reviews were recieved during the ’Joyride’-era. Both concerning the album, the singles and the tour. Sadly, it seems, this will never be achieved again. Allthough we all remain loyal fans i can’ t help but to wonder; Wasn´t things better before. Things will never be the same!?
Ferdan said on September 12, 2002 05:28:
I don’t know if it’s just me..... but I still find that “magic” that Roxette seems to lack lately...... in the Rox demos, and their latest solo stuff... their as good as allways...
That’s drives me mad.... I can’t think of any reason for that.
LittleGirl78 said on September 11, 2002 12:44:
Can everyone make the Artikel in german or in english?
Why I can´t understand swedish but I´m very interessted what write Aftonbladet.