Topic: Jahn's JukeBox

[Jahn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFl3NUtC5Q4&hd=1

[Michael]

Dylan cover by Mikael Wiehe


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cgYcir4sBM

These three clips of Mikael are interesting.

Firstly, I must say something about acoustic guitars. We guitarists all learn on acoustic, and we never leave the love of playing them - there is something delicious about the simplicity of the acoustic guitar ... we'd all take it to the desert island etc...

But it is an horrific posture crippling instrument, probably more than any other, because it forces the shoulders to pull forward, the head to lean down and the rib cage to collapse. It is the posture of depression - contraction. It is worse when we originally sit while playing - classical players attempt to avoid this by placing the guitar on one the off-side knee, but it never really fixes the problem. The affect on the shoulder rotater-cuff causes a lot of problems in later life, as I can testify to.

Then we learn to stand while playing, but as you can see with Mikael, it never really solves the problem. Our own member here, xero, is the only guitarist I have seen who overcame this problem by his insistent upright stance while playing the acoustic guitar. The only way for most guitarists is to turn to electric.

Just look at electric guitarists - they appear relaxed, comfortable and upright - flowing with the music. It's all about the depth of the guitar body - such a little thing and such a big effect!

But Jahn, I can't see why Mikael is so popular. He always looks so un-flow compared to the others he plays with in those later clips. What is his attraction? I don't get it. I mean, it's not the language problem - if I understood, I would appreciate - he doesn't appear to put any life into his vocals.

[Jahn]

Mikael Wiehe
1981


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hC3EszN3Uuo


I sat the other day and read my newspaper,
  a day like so many before.
  and I thought of all those dreams you dreamed
  as one after another has ended.

Then I saw a picture of a girl
with a wounded crow in her arms
as she runs away through the woods
as fast as she ever could

And she runs with fluttering curls
she runs on skinny legs
she begs and she hopes and believes
that it should not be too late

The girl is tiny and her hair is so bright
and her cheek is so flickering red
the crow is clumsy and cawing black
a moment away it is the dead

But the girl, she runs for life
of a wounded bird in his arms
she runs to the safety and warmth
for that which is right and true

she runs with sparkling eyes
she runs on skinny legs
for she knows that it's true, what daddy has said
that there is life, it is never too late

I began to tremble in anguish and distress
I shook with fear and horror
for I knew quite clearly
that it was the picture of me that I have seen

For my hope is a wounded crow
and I'm a running child
who believe there is anyone who can help me
who believe there is someone who has the answers

I'm running with pounding heart
I'm running on skinny legs
I'm begging, but I really know
that it is already too late

[Jahn]

These three clips of Mikael are interesting.

But Jahn, I can't see why Mikael is so popular. He always looks so un-flow compared to the others he plays with in those later clips. What is his attraction? I don't get it. I mean, it's not the language problem - if I understood, I would appreciate - he doesn't appear to put any life into his vocals.

Astute observations as always,
I shall do a reply.

[Michael]

So this is the younger Mikael. He seems to have an interesting intensity in this clip (despite the audience facing a different direction).

Mikael Wiehe
1981


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hC3EszN3Uuo


I sat the other day and read my newspaper,
  a day like so many before.
  and I thought of all those dreams you dreamed
  as one after another has ended.

Then I saw a picture of a girl
with a wounded crow in her arms
as she runs away through the woods
as fast as she ever could

And she runs with fluttering curls
she runs on skinny legs
she begs and she hopes and believes
that it should not be too late

The girl is tiny and her hair is so bright
and her cheek is so flickering red
the crow is clumsy and cawing black
a moment away it is the dead

But the girl, she runs for life
of a wounded bird in his arms
she runs to the safety and warmth
for that which is right and true

she runs with sparkling eyes
she runs on skinny legs
for she knows that it's true, what daddy has said
that there is life, it is never too late

I began to tremble in anguish and distress
I shook with fear and horror
for I knew quite clearly
that it was the picture of me that I have seen

For my hope is a wounded crow
and I'm a running child
who believe there is anyone who can help me
who believe there is someone who has the answers

I'm running with pounding heart
I'm running on skinny legs
I'm begging, but I really know
that it is already too late

[Jahn]

So this is the younger Mikael. He seems to have an interesting intensity in this clip (despite the audience facing a different direction).

Well, Mikael Wiehe is an odd but prominent bird in our Swedish tradition of musicians. I tried to find his outstanding Concerts recorded by Swedish television but could not find them. Meanwhile he travels around solo and do rather uncomplicated performances.

Wiehe has a political left wing engagement and therefore you can watch some critical translations of Dylans "Masters of War" and similar tracks. Mikael Wiehes roots are Danish and he lives in the most Southern part of Sweden (Scania). His composing twin Björn (Bear) Afzelius died many years ago, they had a band together (Hoola Bandoola Band) and they made a lot of music together.

In a recent interview Mikael got the question if he missed Björn, and Mikaels reply was:
No I do not miss him, he is on my shoulder most of the time.

Which reminds me of Paul McCartneys statement when he released a new album the other year and was interviewed. Then sir Paul said something like this:
You know, when I have a new song I have to let John (Lennon) test it, so I flip it across the room to him, so he can give me a feedback if it is worth to work upon further or not.   

[Jahn]

Dave Matthews Band feat Warren Haynes - Cortez The Killer

Original track made by Neil Young.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WWmtWh-Mk&hd=1

In secondary school, 1973, I had an oral presentation about Hernadez Cortéz and his meeting with 27 year old Montezuma, the present Aztec king in Mexico.

For Montezuma (the god) Cortéz was expected to come, as a re-incarnation of their exiled god Quetzacoatl (The Serpent with feathers). A god that is sometimes equal to the Greek god Hermes, The Egypt god Toth and the Sire cult god Odin (Wodan, Oden).

So Montezuma had scouts at the east coast. Since their god Q had went that way and also said that "I will return at the year of a bulrush", and that year happened to be the year Cortéz and his Spanish conquistadores came. And they brought one thing that the mexican never had seen. Horses.

Now hand on heart - did you knew anything at all about this event. The largest culture clash in history. The story is 1000 miles long.

[Michael]

Interesting piece - I looked at a few other renditions while I was about it.

I was aware of the confrontation between Cortéz and Montezuma, as I had encountered that story many years ago. I didn't recall the details, but I clearly recalled a sense of disappointment at the outcome. I didn't go deeply enough into it, as you seemed to have Jahn, to discern the issues on both sides. What I felt when I first heard about the whole drama, was a case of brutish and conniving Spanish adventurers completely oblivious to the splendour and refinement of Montezuma's city. I later heard more stories of their amazing techniques of farming on floating gardens, most of which are now destroyed or abandoned.

[Jahn]

Interesting piece - I looked at a few other renditions while I was about it.

I was aware of the confrontation between Cortéz and Montezuma, as I had encountered that story many years ago. I didn't recall the details, but I clearly recalled a sense of disappointment at the outcome. I didn't go deeply enough into it, as you seemed to have Jahn, to discern the issues on both sides. What I felt when I first heard about the whole drama, was a case of brutish and conniving Spanish adventurers completely oblivious to the splendour and refinement of Montezuma's city. I later heard more stories of their amazing techniques of farming on floating gardens, most of which are now destroyed or abandoned.

I got a bit touched of the Spanish and Mexicans (Aztec) trying to socialize a bit. They then went out in boats together on a near sea. This soft part of the conquest was soon overruled by what we call idiots and warmongers together with some cultural clashes.

Recorded in the Spanish diary these years is the cultural events of dance that was made by the Toltecs! Showing that the Toltec society was a autonomous  society (of love and wisdom) within the Aztec kingdom in the early 16th Century.

The Aztec kingdom were in some parts a Classic terror regime (but sacrificing humans was probably a myth) so Cortez could find allies among the indian tribes that were downtrodden.

Anyway, about 500 Spaniards against the Aztec army of more than 20 000 men ... that is how one create fabolous history events. 

[Michael]

Dave Matthews Band feat Warren Haynes - Cortez The Killer

Original track made by Neil Young.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WWmtWh-Mk&hd=1

Just on this piece, you should know that electric guitar is of special interest to me, so I could say a lot about these artists, but I'm sure it would only bore people. I will say however, that I preferred Warren Haynes version to Neil Young and Joe Satriani. Neil likes to play electric, but for my tastes he is a much better song writer than guitarist. Joe is slick and flashy, and I have admired his technical ability for a long time, but I don't like his style - too lacking in feel for me.

Warren, I have not seen before. I like his sound, and it's surprising he gets that from a humbucker Les Paul style guitar - he has the airy sound you usually only get with single coil pickups on Strats. I still find his style too lumbering, which is a common fault of full distortion electric guitar playing, but when you consider the mood of the song, I think that style is only natural. Still I have trouble with it because I have tried so hard to get away from it myself, which is why I drop the distortion effect right down to minimum. His sound quality is most noticeable in the beginning section - a beautiful sem-distorted yet full of colour sound. A little to much 'attack' on the compression, which makes it hard to control, but he does a great job of controlling that musically. Here I go - I'm sure that sound can only be gained with valves, and that punchy tone is a product of certain types of valves .. I won't go on.

[Michael]

I got a bit touched of the Spanish and Mexicans (Aztec) trying to socialize a bit. They then went out in boats together on a near sea. This soft part of the conquest was soon overruled by what we call idiots and warmongers together with some cultural clashes.

Recorded in the Spanish diary these years is the cultural events of dance that was made by the Toltecs! Showing that the Toltec society was a autonomous  society (of love and wisdom) within the Aztec kingdom in the early 16th Century.

The Aztec kingdom were in some parts a Classic terror regime (but sacrificing humans was probably a myth) so Cortez could find allies among the indian tribes that were downtrodden.

Anyway, about 500 Spaniards against the Aztec army of more than 20 000 men ... that is how one create fabolous history events. 

I didn't know the Toltecs remained as a sub-set of the Mayans in that area at the time of the Spanish invasion. Also I was aware that Cortez played a very sophisticated game of politics, but as you say, he could not have done that unless there were undercurrents of discontent. Another thing I could not grasp, was the contrast of the obvious splendour of the lake city/kingdom, and the stories of cruelty and abuse - how could an empire achieve such grandeur without a high level of culture, which in itself would be incompatible with a barbaric layer of practice?

[Jahn]

I didn't know the Toltecs remained as a sub-set of the Mayans in that area at the time of the Spanish invasion. Also I was aware that Cortez played a very sophisticated game of politics, but as you say, he could not have done that unless there were undercurrents of discontent. Another thing I could not grasp, was the contrast of the obvious splendour of the lake city/kingdom, and the stories of cruelty and abuse - how could an empire achieve such grandeur without a high level of culture, which in itself would be incompatible with a barbaric layer of practice?

You asks a few difficult questions. Which I shall try to answer one by one in line with my limited knowledge.
To say it was the Mayans that Cortez met is wrong. The Mayans was overruled by the Aztecs and as it use to be, the Aztecs did not interpret the old guidelines as well as their progenitors.

Let me give an example. The Lord said to the Jews that you should wear or carry the words from God on your forehead. Any normal person would read that as you should carry the word of the Lord as a primary task or speech, that you should be a kind of witness and advocate for the Lord.

Now what did the Jews do - they created a little box of Gods word to wear on their forehead. That is a similar degeneration of the true connection to the next generation, from Maya to Aztec.

[Jahn]

Another thing I could not grasp, was the contrast of the obvious splendour of the lake city/kingdom, and the stories of cruelty and abuse - how could an empire achieve such grandeur without a high level of culture, which in itself would be incompatible with a barbaric layer of practice?

The Culture level was high, and also that the Aztecs allowed the Toltecs to co-exist was a high level.
But the Aztec kingdom was pray to the stars, especially Venus. And they pressed the civilians in may ways, so the daily life was much controlled.

The best image you could get is that the Aztec regime finally became a kind of (exhausted) death culture, in the Mexican case it was "a Death culture" because of the stars, and that the old god Quetzacoatl returned (Cortez with his men and horses) did not make the future any better. Montezuma was at about the same age as my "kids", he was 27 years old, had a Jaguar in a cage and drank chocolate.

If Cortez and Montezuzuma had been in Power all the time the total clash may not have happened but as I said before, the unstable situation invited more devastating events. 

[Jahn]

Special because:
David Gilmour joining Roger Waters on The Wall to perform 'Comfortably Numb' at London's O2, May, 2011


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUYzQaCCt2o

[Michael]

Special because:
David Gilmour joining Roger Waters on The Wall to perform 'Comfortably Numb' at London's O2, May, 2011


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUYzQaCCt2o

Classic Strat single-coil sound. I've always had a little trouble with David Gilmour's playing - something missing I can't explain - but he's head and shoulders over most other guitarists. I love his thematic style - beautiful to use for visualisations, much like Wagner. He always plays with excellent sound quality and meaningfulness, and that clip is a good example.