Auteur archieven: Jeppe Kleijngeld

The 15 Greatest George Harrison Songs

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

During his formative years as lead guitarist of The Beatles, George Harrison, often called the quiet and spiritual Beatle, developed himself as a successful songwriter in his own right, who worked in the shadow of songwriting canon Lennon-McCartney. He ended up writing some of the group’s most iconic songs, and then – post-Beatles – continued to add a number of classics to his repertoire as a productive solo artist. These are my 15 favorites.

15. Blow Away

Day turned black, sky ripped apart. Rained for a year ‘til it dampened my heart. Cracks and the leaks, the floorboards caught rot. About to go down, I had almost forgotten… Great opening lyrics, this title song and single from of his 1979 album ‘George Harrison’. This easy listening song became one of Harrison’s most popular recordings from his solo career, and it’s easy to understand why.

14. I Want To Tell You

This was the third track George added to ‘Revolver’, and thereby the first time he contributed more than two tracks to a Beatles album. The song is about the difficulty of conveying the emotions you experience during an acid trip. It’s the opening song of ‘Live in Japan’, the fantastic album made of the concert tour George did in Japan with Eric Clapton as his guitarist and band leader.

13. Piggies

‘Piggies’ is a social satire inspired by George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Great combo of classical music, baroque pop and absurd lyrics (pigs eating bacon). Unfortunately it was, along with ‘Helter Skelter, used by Charles Manson and his cult as a foundation for his race-related counter cultural revolution. Still, it remains a terrific song, and Harrison’s second best song on the magnificent ‘White Album’ in my humble opinion.

12. Living in the Material World

This song’s title was chosen by Martin Scorsese for his documentary about Harrison. It’s another one of his spiritual songs and the title of his follow-up album to ‘All Things Must Pass’. It’s a very memorable tune in which George describes the limits of knowledge we have in this state as living beings and the clearer picture that will emerge after death. John and Paul are also mentioned in the lyrics.

11. If I Needed Someone

Along with ‘Think For Yourself’, this was George’s contribution to ‘Rubber Soul’. He apparently wrote it for Pattie Boyd, with whom he wasn’t yet married in 1965. It was inspired by the sound of the American band the Byrds who George and John liked and who were clearly inspired by the Beatles. The ambivalent lyrics are quite beautiful, and ‘If I Needed Someone’ was at the time considered to be George’s best song at that point.

10. Within You, Without You

One of the three Indian songs George composed for the Beatles (the others are ‘Love You To’ and ‘The Inner Light’) and his only song on ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. “I think that is one of George’s best songs”, John Lennon later said. “I like the arrangement, the sound and the words. He is clear on that song. You can hear his mind is clear and his music is clear.” It was recorded in Abbey Road Studios in London without the other Beatles, and features Indian instruments such as the sitar, a tambura and a tabla.

09. I Me Mine

In Peter Jackson’s ‘Get Back’ about the ‘Get Back’ sessions in Twickenham Studio’s, George arrives one morning, and he starts playing a new song he’s been working on for Ringo and some crew members. It is called ‘I Me Mine’. They like it and so do I. The lyrics point to self-centredness as part of the human condition. It was the last song The Beatles, somewhat ironically, recorded before they split up and went to do their own thing.

08. Cheer Down

‘Cheer Down’ was the closing song of the tremendous action film Lethal Weapon 2 in 1989. It was picked by George’s friend Eric Clapton, who was in charge of the music. The title of the song is attributed to Harrison’s wife Olivia, who told her husband to ‘cheer down’ when he would get too enthusiastic. He wrote it together with Tom Petty, and released it as a single with ‘Poor Little Girl’ as the B-side. It was the last such release by Harrison as a solo artist during his lifetime.

07. Tax Man

On The Beatles’ legendary album ‘Revolver’, George got the opening track with ‘Tax Man’. It was the first political song by the group, written as a protest against the progressive super tax of 95 percent the band had to pay at that time. It was introduced by Harold Wilson, prime minister and Labour Party leader, who is mentioned in the lyrics along with conservative leader Ted Heath. The fantastic guitar solo is played by none other than Paul McCartney.

06. What Is Life

‘What Is Life’ is one of the hit singles of ‘All Things Must Pass’, Harrison’s triple album which was released in november 1970 after the breakup of the group. Background musicians on the song include Eric Clapton and the Delaney & Bonnie and Friends Band. It became one of Harrison’s most popular compositions and showed the depth of his talents that had been hiding in plain sight behind Lennon and McCartney. The songs was used in the final segment of GoodFellas, the part in which Henry Hill’s life as a gangster goes off the rails.

05. Here Comes The Sun

And what is currently the most streamed Beatles-song? It’s not a Lennon-McCartney composition, but by far Harrison’s ‘Here Comes The Sun’. It is currently on 1.1 billions streams on Spotify. George wrote this pearl at Eric Claptons’ country house on an acoustic guitar while skipping a business meeting at Apple Corps headquarter about The Beatles’ business affairs. It became one of his signature songs and together with ‘Something’ formed his genius contribution to ‘Abbey Road’, the final album they recorded. The beautiful composition shows his maturity as a songwriter.

04. Something

This classic love song from ‘Abbey Road’ became Harrison’s first A-side single (it was released as a double A-side single together with Lennon’s ‘Come Together’). It is considered as a definite highlight of Harrison’s career. Lennon called it “the best track on ‘Abbey Road’” and it was later covered by a.o. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Prestley, Ray Charles and Shirley Bassey. After ‘Yesterday’ it is the most covered song by The Beatles.

03. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Rolling Stone Magazine ranked this song seventh in their list ‘The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time’. And justly so! The guitar work (played partly by Eric Clapton uncredited) is sweeping. The words that started this composition – gently and weeps – were randomly chosen from a book George found lying around. This reflects the meaning of the lyrics that appear to be about randomness and – typical for George – universal love. Inspired by the Taoist concept that everything is relative to everything else as opposed to the Western view that things are merely coincidental.

02. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)

I am a sucker for George’s spiritual songs and this is reflected in my choice for his greatest two songs. ‘Give Me Love’ (1973) became George’s second number one single in the US knocking McCartney’s ‘My Love’ to the second spot. It contains beautiful slide-guitar solos, and I love his passionate pleading to the Lord, asking to be freed from birth (released from the karmic cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). Don’t miss the beautiful live version from the ‘Live in Japan’ album.

01. My Sweet Lord

Why ‘My Sweet Lord’ is my favorite George Harrison song? Because the songs heralded the arrival of Harrison’s slide guitar technique, and I absolutely love the sound of the guitars on this song. The solo especially is marvelous. Also, George’s passionate singing is terrific, and those background vocals: LOVE THEM! Lennon didn’t like it much, commenting: “Every time I put the radio on it’s ‘oh, my Lord.’ I’m beginning to think there must be a God.” But maybe he was a little jealous that George became the first ex-Beatle to score a number-one single. Later in the 1970s, Harrison was found guilty to have subconsciously plagiarized the song ‘He’s So Fine’ by The Chiffons.

15 Thoughts on The Rings of Power Season 2

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has arrived. The first season of this incredibly expensive series received a lukewarm response, so how does Season 2 measure up? Here are some thoughts:

1). Sauron’s return to physical form after being betrayed and defeated by Adar and his Orcs is a fantastic way to kick off the season. The opening sequence is stunning.

2). Speaking of Adar, he remains my favorite character in the series. Who is he, exactly? According to lotr.fandom, Adar is a mysterious figure from the Second Age, known as ‘Lord-father’ by the Orcs. He was likely one of the first Elves captured and tortured by Morgoth. Once Sauron’s lieutenant, Adar became disillusioned with Sauron’s cruelty toward the Orcs and ultimately betrayed him.

3). The settings are once again breathtaking. It’s great to see familiar The Lord of the Rings landmarks, and the world-building continues to impress.

4). Woke Alert: I’m all for diverse casting, but it should feel natural. Andor is a great example—where all races and genders are represented without it feeling forced. However, adding a few Black characters among the Elves feels like tokenism. On the other hand, Arondir’s existence has already established that Southern Elves are Black, so perhaps I’m overthinking this.

5). The Elves repeat too many lines from the original trilogy, like “the light of the Eldar is fading.” Isn’t it a bit tiring that the Elves are still in the same situation 3,000 years later? They’ve been talking about leaving Middle-earth for ages—when will they finally depart?

6). In Season 1, it seemed like The Stranger might be Gandalf, but he could also be Saruman. This would make more sense, as Saruman likely came to Middle-earth before Mithrandir. This twist could give Peter Jackson’s Saruman a deeper, more tragic backstory, showing him as a force for good before his fall. By the end of the season, we finally find out…

7). The Dark Wizard could also be Saruman. His appearance – sitting on a throne – resembles him. However, this character is already evil. He’s played by Ciarán Hinds, and as always, Hinds delivers a great performance.

8). What’s lurking in the cave where Isildur is being held? This horror sequence rivals Frodo’s torment in Shelob’s lair: intense and chilling.

9). The Ring of Power makes Durin’s father even more stubborn and greedy, reminiscent of Thorin Oakenshield’s downfall in The Hobbit. Exploring the origins of the Balrog is a nice touch as well.

10). The siege of Eregion is filmmaking on a scale rarely seen in television, rivaled only by Game of Thrones. The decision to use Peter Jackson’s cinematography style was wise. This is how you film a massive battle with Orcs and a hill troll.

11). Howard Shore composed the beautiful opening theme, while Bear McCreary handled the rest of the score. McCreary introduces some fresh ideas, like the heavy metal end credit music in episode 7, sung by hilltroll Damrod, or so it appears.

12). Tom Bombadil finally appears, and he’s just as he is in the book; merry and always singing. He helps The Stranger discover his true identity, and naturally, they sing together. Rory Kinnear (Tanner in James Bond) is perfectly cast as Bombadil.

13). Elves and Uruks are like two sides of the same coin. Both races were created by magic, and it’s tragic that they are doomed to wage war on each other, reflecting the broader tragedy of war.

14). Speaking of tragedy, two major characters die at the end of the season, and both deaths are genuinely sad.

15). Nori’s monologue at the end, in the style of Samwise, avoids being cringeworthy and is actually well-delivered. Overall, Season 2 is a significant improvement over the first. The Rings of Power has finally found its footing, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.

Dungeon Classics #35: Sin City

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Sin City (2005, USA)

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Running Time: 124 mins.

The cinematic masterpiece Sin City weaves together three interconnected hard-boiled mysteries filled with sex, blood, and violence, all set in the criminal haven of Basin City. With its noir-inspired silhouettes of men in long coats, gravelly voiceovers revealing inner thoughts, and splashes of color that contrast with the shadowy streets, every frame of this film is a visual feast. Each of the three stories revolves around tough, beautiful women with big hearts who find themselves in serious danger, aided by male loners. Bruce Willis plays Hartigan, an aging cop with a bad heart who is determined to protect young Nancy from a sadistic, murderous pedophile. Mickey Rourke portrays Marv, a psychopathic brute made of concrete, who fights on the side of good as he seeks revenge on the men who killed Goldie, a prostitute who gave him the night of his life. Clive Owen is Dwight, a mysterious figure who helps the women of Old Town cover up the murder of a corrupt cop, staving off a potentially bloody conflict. Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s iconic comic series is one of the most successful graphic novel-to-screen translations in cinematic history. Shot and edited by Rodriguez himself, it’s a remarkable technical achievement. But the film’s brilliance doesn’t stop at the visuals, its cast and screenplay are equally stellar. Miller’s sharp, punchy dialogue, already compelling on the page, is brought to life perfectly by an ensemble of outstanding actors: Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Rutger Hauer, Alexis Bledel, Elijah Wood, Michael Madsen, Brittany Murphy, and Clive Owen. The performances elevate the material into something extraordinary. Without a doubt, Sin City is Rodriguez’s finest work to date. It’s a true work of cinematic art.

The 10 Best Surf Albums on Spotify

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

In my teenage years, I was crazy about surf music. With surf, I am of course referring to instrumental surf rock and not about vocal groups like The Beach Boys (although I happen to also love that band). Instrumental surf was pioneered in the early sixties by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones amongst others. It is distinguished by reverb-heavy electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves.

The nineties was another crucial decade for this musical genre. Tarantino repopularized it by using Dick Dale’s ‘Misirlou’ as opening track for his masterpiece Pulp Fiction, and there were other groups that came up with clever subcategories of surf rock, like Man… Or Astro-Man? with their science fiction blend and Laika & the Cosmonauts with their Scandinavian influences.

The list below covers the most worthy efforts in the genre currently found on Spotify:

10. Madhur by The Phantom Four

After his first surf band The Treble Spankers broke up after he got RSI and was out of the running for a while, lead man Frank Gerritsen started a new band called The Phantom Four. Their debut album ‘Madhur’ contains 14 original tracks. Gerritsen already flirted with the Arabic sound with The Treble Spankers, and ‘Madhur’ is played entirely in this distinct style. It opens with two brilliant compositions: ‘Kyma’ and ‘Bravado Blue’. This level is not achieved with the rest of the tracks, but it is still a strong album with a consistency in style that is rare to find.

Favorite track: ‘Kyma’

9. Laika & the Cosmonauts in Absurdistan by Laika & the Cosmonauts

The first half of this album is covered in ‘Cosmopolis’ (scroll down below), but the second half contains enough blasting power to make this list. ‘The Freefaller’ with its beautiful melody, the mental sounding videogame tune ‘Syncophant’ and especially the phenomenal ‘Hi & Lo’ make this probably the finest album by the legendary Finish band.

Favorite track: ‘Hi & Lo’

8. Intravenous Television Continuum by Man or Astro-Man?

Too bad the album ‘Is It … Man or Astro-Man?’ is not on Spotify: It would have made the top of this list for sure. But two of its most memorable tracks – ‘Nitrous Burn Out’ and ‘Invasion of the Dragonmen’ (alternative version) – and lot’s of other cool tracks make ‘Intravenous Television Continuum’ the next best thing. And where do they keep on finding all of these terrific sci-fi movie samples?

Favorite track: ‘Nitrous Burn Out’

7. Calling Up Spirits by Dick Dale

The 1996 album ‘Calling Up Spirits’ is far from perfect. It contains reworkings from Dale’s 60’s surf hits and a few weak non-surf tracks with vocals (never Dale’s greatest quality). However, it is saved by a number of great calls. ‘The Wedge Paradiso’, a remake of ‘The Wedge’ is a blast, some Eastern flavored originals, including the title track, rock pretty hard, a cover of Jimi Hendrix’ ‘Third Stone From the Sun’ is a worthy effort, and the final track ‘Gypsy Fire’ is an instant surf classic; it’s right up there with ‘Misirlou’.

Favorite track: ‘Gypsy Fire’

6. Hasheeda by The Treble Spankers

This follow-up to their debut album ‘Araban’ opens with three strong Frank Gerritsen originals. Then follows a fantastic surf version of ‘Popcorn’, a definite highlight of ‘Hasheeda’. The middle part of the album continues to be strong and consists mostly of original compositions. The finale is superb with a very atmospheric track with vocals by Arabic vocalist Abdeltif Chehdaoui, followed by ‘Vahim’, one of my favorite surf tracks ever. After this album, the band unfortunately broke up. Shame, because they definitely had something going there….

Favorite track: ‘Vahim’

5. Live In Japan ’65 by The Ventures

In Japan, the instrumental band The Ventures is more popular than… well certainly Jesus, but also more popular than The Beatles. They sold twice as many records there than the Fabulous Four. This compilation of tracks performed live in Japan in the Sixties contains classics like ‘The Cruel Sea’, ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ and ‘Telstar’, but also terrific instrumental versions of famous songs, such as ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and – talking about the Fab Four – ‘I Feel Fine’. Ends with a ten minute performance of ‘Caravan’. Fabulous stuff. The Japanese are 100% right to love this band.

Favorite track: ‘Slaughter On Tenth Avenue’

4. King Of The Surf Guitar: The Best Of Dick Dale & His Del-Tones by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

The pioneer of instrumental surf music Dick Dale has been credited with popularizing tremolo picking on electric guitar, a technique he mastered and used to create a unique sound. Dale was known as the King of the Surf Guitar, which was the title of his second album in 1963 and this 2012 compilation. It contains most of his signature songs, including the surf classics ‘Misirlou’, ‘Let’s Go Tripping’, Shake N’ Stomp’ and ‘Hava Nagila’. Dale, who passed away in 2019, was one the greatest guitar players ever, and his heritage is captured perfectly on this excellent compilation album.

Favorite tracks: ‘The Wedge’ and ‘Misirlou’

3. Experiment Zero by Man or Astro-Man?

The greatest sci-fi surf rock band in the world returns with the rip-roaring album ‘Experiment Zero’. Man or Astro-Man is the only surf act of which I have seen a live performance. This was in Patronaat in Haarlem in 1996 when they had just released this album. It’s a record I can keep listening to. The sound is harder and louder than on their previous albums, almost close to heavy metal surf at times, but very good. Complimentary to the kick-ass music are the trademark samples from unknown science fiction movies (“I’m a cyborg!”). This formula works great. Even the few tracks that have vocals from lead man (or Astro-Man) Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, normally not my favorites, are alright on this album. Five stars.

Favorite track: ‘Planet Collision’

2. Araban by The Treble Spankers

‘Araban’ is the first album by the Amsterdam surf band The Treble Spankers, released in 1994 (on Spotify it incorrectly says 1996 and it’s listed after their second album ‘Hasheeda’). It is an exceptional album consisting of original compositions by lead guitarist ‘Phantom Frank’ Gerritsen and stylishly executed covers such as ‘Go West’, ‘Johnny Guitar’ and ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly’. Besides Western influences, Spanish and Arabic influences can also be heard. Phantom Frank can truly make his guitar sing. He is one of the finest surf guitarists and composers in the world.

Favorite track: ‘Brunhilde’

1. Cosmopolis 1988 – 2008 by Laika & the Cosmonauts

Mikko Lankinen, Matti Pitsinki, Janne Haavisto and Tom Nyman. That was the extremely talented line-up of the fabulous Finish surf band Laika & the Cosmonauts. There aren’t many Laika albums on Spotify; if there were, I’d have to include them all on this list. They truly had a unique sound and were masters at creating powerful symphonies, often featuring an organ played by Matti. This compilation contains a wide variety of their tunes: from their movie themes (‘Get Carter’, ‘Psyko’) to their trademark feel good surf rock tracks (‘Surfs You Right!’, ‘Land’s End’) to their mental album openers (‘C’mon Do the Laika!’, ‘Disconnected’) to their heavier, moody compositions (‘Experiments in Terror’, ‘Boris the Conductor’). This album was released preceding their final US tour in 2008 after which they sadly disbanded. It’s a fabulous overview of an impressive body-of-work of a band that never got the recognition they deserved.

Favorite track: ‘Delayrium’ (another mental album opener :-))