Ace of Base is in your mind

Closer and closer

2008-04-10T12:16:00.007-05:00

The signs are all around us. The day is close at hand, my Acer friends.

Photo shoots, promo videos, a new website launch. All this can only mean one thing.

The album is coming.

In some Stockholm office, PR people are sitting around a meeting table drinking their Ramlösa and hashing out the best advertising plan. Calls are going out to the media. Graphics designers are InDesigning logos and promo posters. Printing orders are being rechecked and reconfirmed. The CD presses are warming up.

And we are the proud recipients of their effort. It's nearly the end of the wait as we know it.

Welcome to the future

2008-02-26T10:18:00.005-06:00

They weren't kidding when they said welcome to the future of Ace of Base! A world tour, a new website, a myspace page, new albums, fan input, newsletters and more. We're getting everything we ever asked for as fans. It's a beautiful thing.

As for me, I have no steady internet access at this point. Bad timing for me. I have so much I want to write about here, but haven't had the access nor the time to write. I'm hoping that will change in the next few weeks because there is so much happening at the moment.

Who would have thought after all those quiet years that we'd be bombarded with all these goodies? Not me! It's a good time to be an Acer!

OOOOH YEEEEAAAH!

2007-12-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

Several years ago, Swan and I spoke about creating a database of all the words ever used in AOB songs, but we never got around to it. Well, during the past month or so, I've been taking a minute here and there to collect the data for that. It's not finished yet, but it's getting there.

I've been bored out of my mind because it's tedious work. Yet, I eventually found some humor in it. One phrase in particular kept popping up in several songs and somewhere around 2 a.m. on a sleepless night, I figured out what to do with that two word phrase I couldn't get out of my head.

I present to you, "Oh Yeah"

Happy Nation as a mirror of war and a call for peace

2007-12-06T15:28:00.000-06:00

The shocking picture display shown in the live version of HN assaults our senses. Bombings, shootings, pollution, greed. We don't expect to see this type of footage at a pop concert. The images on the projection screen also run contrary to our ideas about the song. We expect positive images but do not find them. Instead, the band uses the footage to mirror what a nation at war looks like and it is anything but positive.

With this in mind, the second interpretation of HN must be that a happy nation is a nation of peace, not war. A warring nation tricks itself into thinking it is happy but in reality it is not. War brings sorrow to a nation, not happiness. Peace is desired and war should be avoided. This interpretation is the most widespread in Acerdom. Many fans subscribe to this idea as the reason for the intense images shown at the concert.

The HN presentation can be interpreted as having several objectives. One objective is to produce a sense of irony. A man named Siegfried Sassoon was a romantic poet. He wrote about flowers and sweet ideals. Then he was sent to war. His poems changed from romantic to nightmarish overnight. One poem called "Glory of Women" depicts women discussing the dashing and romantic deeds of men at war abroad. The women herald the duty and honor of soldiers fighting, while in the next line we hear of soldiers fleeing from battle. A soldier steps on the body of a dead enemy, burying the corpse deeper in the mud. As his boots trample the dead man, the soldier thinks about the dead man's mother sitting by a fire knitting socks for her son. The romantic and patriotic ideals that the women hold contradict the brutal experiences of the soldiers. HN live creates the same effect as Sassoon's poem. The romantic lyrics contradict the brutal live projections. This discord between sight and sound forces the audience to contemplate and reject the notion that war is honorable and romantic.

The visuals are also a way to show the absurdity of ideas present in fascism and other extreme belief systems, such as the idea of a "perfect man". Extreme ideas lead to extreme problems such as guns, bombs, war, and pollution. In a nation with extreme ideas, the voices that dissent are the ones who say "we've gone too far" The dissenters cry out, letting others know that the ideal way to live is through the pursuit of peace. They are the ones who lead the masses into realizing that a happy nation is not made through war, but instead is created through a road of peace.

One also wonders if the band is intentionally placing a political message in all of this. Could the oil derricks and nuclear plants plastered one after the other on the projection screen suggest the building feud between the United States and Iran? Is the band protesting the willful desire of many nations to wage war today? The footage of past conflicts mixed with a flying dove suggests this is a possibility.

Whether the derricks and nuclear plants are a political message or simply symbols of all-consuming greed and environmental destruction, the overlying theme still points to a need for peace. Each nation should strive for peace and it is only in peace that a nation can truly be happy.

Happy Nation as a Spiritual Nation

2007-12-05T18:52:00.000-06:00

My interpretation of "Happy Nation", which I have held for thirteen years, was thrown into a tailspin as I listened to the concert version in Copenhagen. I always felt the band was singing about different countries on Earth that were peaceful. After watching the live version, I did not know what to make of the presentation, lyrics, and projections. Curiously, the live version left me with three different interpretations of the song. I plan to write about all three interpretations here. Each view is somehow linked to the next one but each one stands on its own in a way.

My first interpretation: I believe that the "Happy Nation" that the band sings about is not physical in nature but is spiritual in nature.

November 23, 2007. Valby Hallen. Copenhagen, Denmark. The concert hall is dark, ominous. Suddenly, lights flicker and sounds blast from the speakers. Sirens, gunshots, bombs. And a wailing that is reminiscent of a funeral dirge reaches the audience. A lamentation at the highest level.

The opening conveys a sense of foreboding, fear, and uneasiness. Grainy projections flicker on the screen in a seemingly random pattern and we are reminded by a voice in the distance that man is in no position to rule alone. The projections become clearer. They show us what happens when man rules the world alone. We see helicopters attacking, troops marching, planes dropping bombs, fires, atomic explosions.

Complete destruction. Hell on Earth.

The band steps out of the darkness, solemn and serious. Dancers walk the length of the stage with marching steps, giving military salutes as they parade around. Jenny walks up to the microphone and begins singing, "Laudate omnes gentes laudate. Magnificat in secula. Et anima, mea laudate. Magnificat in secula."

And a slight change occurs. It is easy to miss if you are not watching closely.

The projections. They change.

They become holy.

A dove soars through a brightly shining light. A stone angel sits praying under a window. A hand holds a flower. A child walks through a field of wheat. A dove sits atop a barbed wire fence.

As the Latin choir concludes, the terrifying images of destruction and war return. Fear, pain, agony, and utter despair is presented to the audience frame by frame. Over and over again.

What are we to make of these images of terrifying pain and suffering as the band sings such positive words? Aren't they supposed to be singing about nations that are happy? How can these places ever be considered happy nations?

They can't.

No nation is happy and can never be happy because we hurt, injure, maim and kill. We cannot be perfect and cannot rule without trouble. We die but our negative ideas live on. The situation is dire and extremely fragile. Our human situation, our human condition, leads to death. But within the lyrics, we find that the situation we are in leads somewhere. It leads to "sweet salvation."

This idea of salvation that comes out of a difficult situation brings me to the conclusion that the happy nation they sing about is not a physical nation run by man. But a happy nation is a spiritual one built upon God's love for us.

As Jenny stands with her arms stretched out in a cross position, with the black and white projections flickering behind her, she nears the end of the song, "situation leads to sweet salvation. For the people, for the good, for mankind, brotherhood."

Finishing the performance, she repeats the Latin choir, "Laudate omnes gentes laudate. Magnificat in secula. Et anima, mea laudate. Magnificat in secula."

"Praise, all people praise. The most magnificent of all time. One spirit, I praise. The most magnificent of all time."

"Don't Turn Around" Transformed

2007-12-03T13:14:00.000-06:00

For me, "Don't Turn Around" has always been a sappy song about a woman who is stopped by her pride as she breaks up with her boyfriend. While her love leaves, she acts like it doesn't phase her, but in reality the listener knows that this isn't the case. The woman secretly cries about the end of the relationship but publicly acts as if nothing is wrong. Her pride keeps her from admitting that the relationship meant something to her.

But the new live version of "Don't Turn Around" provides a fresh perspective. "Don't Turn Around" is no longer a sappy reggae ballad between former lovers. The song is transformed into an "until we meet again" monologue from a daughter to her dying father. The mood shifts from sulky and moping to tender and quiet.

Listeners journey alongside the daughter, experiencing the same personal grief. The music begins quietly, builds up to an emotional farewell verse, drops down again, and finally finishes with solemn, contemplative tones, mimicking the grief process. The lyrics are raw, open, and honest. We listen in as she says goodbye to her father, 'I love you. I will miss you. But I'll be alright Pappa. You can go...and when you think about me, know that everything will be all right.'

She reassures both him and herself that everything will be fine. She tries to be strong for the sake of her father, but deep inside, she is falling apart. Emotions swirl under the surface but she refuses to let her father see how difficult the process is for her. Unlike the lover who does not show her emotions due to pride, the daughter does not show her emotions because she has abiding love for her father. She does not want him to be burdened by the weight of her despair.

The last few musical movements hint that the daughter will truly be ok. It will merely take some time. Her despair will diminish, but her longing, and her love, for her father will remain.

My respect for the song has grown fourfold.

Thanks for reading!

2007-12-03T13:13:00.001-06:00

I want to thank Lars who told me that I should write more in my blog. I have been wondering if anyone reads it and Lars confirmed in Copenhagen that people do read it and and enjoy it.

Ace of Base rediscovered the joy of playing live when they played NOTP in 2005 and now, after spending time with Acers in Copenhagen, I have rediscovered the joy of writing about topics that interest our fan community. So, "tak!" to Lars and all those people who enjoy reading these entries.

Believe, believe, believe... I get it already!

2007-05-21T21:25:00.000-05:00

Every AOB album since TB contains at least one phrase repeated in two different songs.

TB - "Like a prisoner of hope"
F - "like a catcher in the rye"
SOTN - "easy come, easy go"

The latest album, DC, continues the tradition. DC's repeated phrase is "believe in" (or if you prefer, "believe me").

BM - Believe me...
RTW - You got to believe me...

WDU - I believe in...
SD - I believe

HD - You better believe in... (also "believe me when" )
TJ - Always believe in...

Of the fourteen songs released, six contain the word "believe". That's nearly 45% of all the songs from one album.

What are we to make of the repeated use of the word? It could be used to connect the album together. It could be used to create a certain atmosphere for the record. It could even be an unconscious attempt by the writer to convince themselves and others of their words.

Whatever the reason for its frequent appearance, it's clear that idea of belief is an underlying theme within the work.

Jonas uses the phrases in three ways.

1. A way to express optimism in the face of negativity
BM - know that bad times will come but they will pass
RTW - you have to think positive, even if things are difficult

2. A desire to escape from the world and its stresses
WDU - I believe in escaping to a fantasy world (hard to interpret this one!)
SD - whatever you say, I'll go with it

3. A vehicle for giving advice
HD - believe what I say, because I've experienced it and I know it's true
TJ - always believe that the youth will succeed

When you break it down, one can believe in three different ways.

One can believe by having faith in someone or something.
One can believe by thinking something is true.
One can believe something by having an opinion.

We see all three of these definitions in the DC album.

Faith that things will get better is a part of BM and RTW.
The idea that something is true is a part of WDU and SD.
Opinions are expressed in HD and TJ.

I don't recall which demos were supposed to be on DC, but you better believe that many of those songs contain the word too!

Sten & Stanely

2007-05-01T18:38:00.000-05:00

Sten & Stanley is a music group from Sweden and they play dansband music. It's hard to explain what dansband music sounds like, but it's a bit like swing and country music mixed together. I've never heard of Sten & Stanley until today. They've been cranking out albums since 1963, so that tells that you I don't listen to dansband. (stenochstanley.se) The group released an album in 2001 called "Om bara jag får". Track #1 on that cd is called "Solen är din".

And what does this have to do with AOB? Well, "Solen är din" is listed in the ASCAP records as being written by Douglas Carr, Meja, and Jonas.

Yes, that Jonas.

(www.ascap.com/ace - search jonas berggren in writers)

I haven't had any luck finding the lyrics or a song snippet online. Anyone out there just happen to have a copy of this cd? Doubtful, but it can't hurt to ask!

Check is in the mail part 2

2007-04-23T01:28:00.000-05:00

Jessi just informed me that Ulf's name is also on the list of people who haven't picked up their checks from AFTRA. Does this mean Linn already picked up her check?!? ;o)

Trademark Search

2007-04-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

Ever heard of the Salinja AG Corporation based in SWITZERLAND? I hadn't either until I ran a trademark search on "Ace of Base" in the United States Patent and Trademark database. That company, Salinja AG, owns the rights to the name "Ace of Base". The company consists of one man, the band's lawyer, Per-Hans Berg. The trademark was filed in October 1994, which seems a bit late to trademark the name in the US. By that time, three songs had reached Billboard's top 10 and another one was climbing the charts. The good news is, the tradmark is still "live" in the system.

You can find some 74 pages of information and paperwork on the trademark at the US Patent and Trademarks website. You can even download them in PDF form if you wish. I was going to go through the records and pick out the parts that Acers might be interested in, but I haven't had time yet. If you're so inclined to do so yourself, you'll find the records at this address -

http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/tow?SRCH=Y&isSubmitted=true&details=&SELECT=US+Serial+No&TEXT=74587300

I'll be making another post later on with my thoughts on this info.

The check is in the mail!

2007-04-10T16:55:00.000-05:00

I check Google once in a while for interesting and quirky AOB links. Today, I stumbled upon a list put out by AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) in February 2006.

Here is the link: http://www.aftra.com/locals/losangeles/UTLNAMESFeb06.pdf

This PDF is just a list with names of people who don't know they have money waiting for them in Los Angeles. AFTRA has not been able to track down these people, so their checks are being held for them. Check under Berggren, and you have two of the three listed there. Hey Jonas, Jenny, you have checks waiting for you in Los Angeles! Now, the tricky part will be showing them your social security number. Maybe a personnummer will do instead? ;o)

Being a fan

2007-01-11T23:30:00.000-06:00

Every now and then, I think about reasons people give for being fans of something. Why do people spend time searching for the tiniest bits of information about a subject and why do fans like us wait years for an album that is usually about 45 minutes in length? I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for being a fan of something, whether it's collecting stamps, skydiving from a plane, or listening to a Swedish pop group.

I also find it fascinating that we, as Acers, are so captivated by the music and the lives of the band members. We know about the band but we don't know them. I once had an eight hour conversation with three other fans about Ace of Base once. Think about that. Eight hours. You have to know a subject pretty well to keep the conversation going for that long. But why talk about one subject for eight hours to begin with?

What motivates us to search out information about the car Ulf drives? Why do we want to know about how Jonas spends his money? Why do we care about Linn's hobbies? Why do we discuss Jenny's family?

I can't possibly list all the reasons for being a fan, but I'll list some of the reasons that I'm a fan.
The band’s music is number one for me. It always has been that way, and I suspect that many other Acers will say the same. I enjoy listening to the melodies, harmonies, and lyrics that the band creates. Listening to a fresh song is like an adventure, a journey. I discover something new with each listen. When I learn the song, I enjoy the anticipation of hearing the melody again or waiting for the bridge to kick in. I also enjoy the familiarity of the song. I know all the words and can sing along with the chorus.

It's hard for me to say with certainty whether the music or the lyrics are the most enjoyable to me. Ace of Base's lyrics intrigue me because the words convey much more than most people realize. Most people look at the band's lyrics and automatically dismiss the gravity of the message because the lyrics are positive and the music is upbeat. I think that the majority of people, or at least most critics, feel that if song lyrics are dark, moody, and tragic then the music is deep and artistic. In other words, positive, upbeat lyrics are fun to listen to but they are merely fluff and contain no real message. I think Ace of Base's "Beautiful Morning" contradicts that idea. "Beautiful Morning" is a good example of a song that is positive and upbeat, while still sending a strong message. The lyrics urge us to look at the positive events in life, even though life is difficult. The band explores the idea that by focusing on the positive, even in the difficult times, you will be able to realize what's most important to you.

Memories play an important role for me as a fan. We spend a lot of time in our lives trying to "capture" and relive events in our lives. We take pictures. We record home video. We sit and talk about the past. We celebrate events that took place in the past, such as birthdays and anniversaries. Would you go see a movie if you knew you would not remember it the next day? What would be the point of watching a movie if you couldn’t remember what you just experienced? You would enjoy the movie while you were watching it, but what then? You could not talk about it or discuss it afterwards. You could not explain how you felt about the movie or talk about any part of the movie. You would take nothing away from it.

Memories are important to us. They help define our lives and our relationships with others around us. I’ve been a fan for nearly 13 years now and I’ve stored up a great bank of memories associated with being a fan. The band’s music reminds me of my years as a teenager and young adult. I remember great parties with "All That She Wants" and "Lucky Love" playing in the background. I recall listening to the band’s cds during some rough times. I also have many memories associated with meeting other fans and enjoying their company. I’ve been to Europe several over the past 13 years. I’ve gone to school there and worked there. I’ve taken vacations there. I’ve made new friends, taken part in new experiences, and learned a great deal about myself along the way. The memories from those trips and the people I met stay with me. Ace of Base’s music is connected to all of those memories.

A third great thing about being a fan is the treasure hunt that constantly takes place. It never ends. If you are a collector or enjoy auctions, then you understand the treasure hunt concept and the fun of it. Ever wonder how someone can get excited when they see a one-eyed teddy bear made in the 1940s? Ever wonder why they’d pay $100 for it? Yes, you've heard it before; "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure". You may not think that an Ace of Base Interview cd is really a treasure if you’re not a fan, but to those who enjoy the music, it is a treasure. The Interview cd is quite hard to find and if you have a copy, expect to get around $100 for it.

If you set your sights on something like a teddy bear or an Interview cd, you'll try to reach your goal. When you finally achieve the goal you’ve set, you’re happy about it. Maybe the whole purpose isn’t really about having the cd or the bear at all, but maybe the hunt itself is the point. It’s enjoyable. So, you set up another treasure hunt goal and go about trying to reaching it. It may not be a serious goal or a "let’s save the world" type of goal, but it’s something you can look forward to solving. Maybe it’s like a jigsaw puzzle or a sudoku puzzle. It’s fun to work through the puzzle and reach the end, but there is no productive purpose behind it.

There’s treasure that you know you can get relatively easily, such as cds, interviews, or posters and then there’s a different type of treasure. You know it’s out there, but you’re not quite sure where, when, or how you will find it. You could say it’s the buried treasure of being a fan. First, there are the small coins of some value but not a lot of value: little bits of info you can find using a search engine or by chatting with other fans. New information is always fun to find on a fan site. Demos have also been known to pop up from time to time. Demos are definitely buried treasure.

And then there are the gold bars, which could be classified into three categories: Albums, Concerts and Encounters (Get it? ACE? Har. Har.) I would say that these three are the three events that most Acers look forward to. Why? Each event is quite rare. Albums are released once every three years on average. Concerts don't happen too often either. I’ve been a fan since I was 12 years old and I was 24 when I attended my first Ace of Base concert. Encounter is the fancy name I made up for a simple event- a fan meeting one of the band members. Fans are able to meet the band members every now and then. Some fans have met the band in Sweden, while others have met the band during promo stops in different countries. The band members are friendly to us and give us a chance to meet them when we show up at different events, which is nice. I think many fans enjoy meeting the band because they get to interact with the people themselves. The band can easily be seen as a product in the form of cds, posters, and interviews, but when a fan meets them in person, the band becomes more than just a cd or a picture. They become real, living, breathing people. Obviously, fans know the band members are real, but to see them and to be able to interact with them, to be able to speak with the band about the music, is an entirely different experience than just enjoying the music.

I think the common theme that holds everything together is an investment. As fans, we have invested ourselves in the music and the band. We invest in many ways: time, money, emotions, memories, etc. So, maybe we spend time thinking about Ulf and his fast car because we might hope to have our own fast car one day. Maybe we want to know how Jonas spends his money because we have invested our own personal money in his talents. Maybe we invest time caring about Linn’s hobbies because we want to know more about her as a person. And maybe we invest time in discussing Jenny’s family because it allows us to think about our own (future) families.

Some fans have big investments, while other fans have small investments. No matter how much you choose to invest as a fan, being a fan of anything is always guaranteed fun.

What are your reasons for being a fan?

La La L'amour...

2006-12-21T00:44:00.000-06:00

I only listen to "L'amour" in December. It's an eight-year tradition. I first heard the song on December 13, 1998, so it reminds me of the winter months. And by restricting the time I listen to it, I'm able to "rediscover" it every year. The song's festive atmosphere fits the Christmas season perfectly.

"L'amour" is the only AOB song that features accordions (some may be thankful for that!) and the lyrical puns are irresistibly fun!

"We took in the sights (Versailles) at the great museum."
"We got us a good eyeful at the tower."
"And down at the river, we fell deep in love."

Bonus points to Jonas for alluding to several Paris landmarks without ever mentioning the name of the city itself (Some of the landmarks include the Seine river, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the museum at Versailles).

The French lyrics during the bridge also add a nice touch to the atmosphere. I don't speak much French. As a matter of fact, all I know is basically limited to two phrases, which happen to appear in Ace of Base lyrics: "Voulez-vous dancer avec moi se soir?" (Would you like to dance with me tonight?) from "Voulez-Vous Danser" and "Je ne regrette rien" (I regret nothing) from "L'amour". And when you think about it, those two phrases are all you really need for a short fling, erm, vacation in France.

"L'amour" is a catchy and playful tune. And every December, I look forward to rediscovering the song all over again.

Demo Dissection - Emmanuel

2006-12-11T23:38:00.000-06:00

Well, now I have more free time to post. I love it!

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is playing on my radio right now. Yes, Christmas is two weeks away. Stressed yet?? I have never really paid much attention to this traditional Christmas carol until now. (>Window's Media link to a sound clip of the song.)

The lyrics to this Christmas song are solemn, humble, and almost painful. The chorus cries out to God, "...O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!". But, the music and song later reveals a hopeful and triumphant tone, "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee!" God will fufill his promise. He will send a Savior to help.

Jenny's "Emmanuel" demo is similar in form. Emmanuel means "God With Us" (Incidentally, the feminine form of the name in Germany is Manuela). Jenny's demo contains a similar cry from the heart, "You...must cry Emmanuel! Emmanuel!" Her demo lyrics do not express the same hope that the Christmas carol lyrics express. Instead, her song explores several dimensions of the human condition - pain, doubt, and fear. In response to these conditions, the singer cries out to the only one who can save her, Emmanuel - "Dreams that you've dreamt turn to dust. You ain't got no one to trust. What shall we do with a drunken sailor? You are addicted and must cry Emmanuel."

It's hard to know if the demo is actually complete. Running only two minutes and forty-two seconds long, it's a bit short for most AOB songs. If the work would have made it past the demo stage, would Jenny have completed the song using a hopeful and redemptive sound? Few people know for certain. If we look at her other works, it's surely a possibility. Many of her songs contain elements of darkness and despair mixed with hope and triumph ("Ravine", "He Decides", "Experience Pearls", "Wait Here", etc). Even the titles from works that may appear on a future solo album point to a possible blend of darkness and light ("So Many Mountains", "A Little Hope").

Personally, I think "Wait Here" could be seen as a back-story and follow up to "Emmanuel".

In WH, the singer leaves to see "what's yet unkown" and sneaks out "without a word", but she knows that "somewhere angels heard." After leaving, the singer's dreams "turn to dust" and she has "no one to trust". She cries out for for peace. She cries out to God, "Cry Emmanuel!" And God's response is contained within the chorus of WH, "Find my peace in your misery...it's yours for eternity." I know that's REALLY stretching the meaning of both songs, but it's interesting to see how they can fit together. I suppose it's like an AOB lyrics mash-up. ;o)

Back to the two "Emmanuel" songs: Both songs use a creeping bassline and a deep, contemplative sound to convey the seriousness of the subject matter. Both songs create a solemn atmosphere. Both songs also cry out for a Savior and anticipate that the Savior they cry out for will help them.

Despite musical and lyrical differences, both songs work from the same premise, redemption. One song is a cry for world redemption, while the other is a cry for individual redemption.

2006-10-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

This blog has not been orphaned. It's still alive, I promise! Several topics have been bouncing around in my head since the last post in August. I haven't had any time since then to sit down and write out a coherent post on those topics, unfortunately. But, when I get more free time, I'll be updating!

Until then, Ace on fellow fans!

ETIR vs. EIR

2006-08-01T23:34:00.000-05:00

Stop! You are under arrest by the grammar police!

Word court is now in session.

As many Acers know, abbreviations are widely used in Acerdom. Abbreviations exist for songs, tv shows, cities, you name it! Even the band's name is abbreviated most of the time. These shortened forms are well known and their use is generally agreed upon. LL is "Lucky Love", DTA is "Don't Turn Around" and so on. It's pretty basic. There are a few abbreviations, however, that cause a little bit of 'controversy'. Well, it's no "stop the presses!" controversy but it's somewhere along the lines of "Ace of Base" versus "Ace Of Base", I suppose. The most controversial abbreviation I can think of would have to be ETIR, or if you will EIR. "Every Time It Rains" or "Everytime It Rains".

So, should it be ETIR or EIR? Believe it or not, "everytime" does not exist in the English language. Go ahead, look it up! Try and find it in a dictionary. You won't find it there. You will find "every time" however. So, if you want to be technical about your abbreviations, the correct form would then be ETIR. (Those of you who have a North American CS single can pull it out and look at the back. Arista printed "From their forthcoming album, EVERY TIME IT RAINS" in small print at the bottom.)

But, if you're not a language freak, and you've visted the BMI site (http://repertoire.bmi.com/), you know that the songwriters themselves have registered the song as "Everytime It Rains". It does happen to be the "legal title" of the song. This would definitely lend creedence to the EIR supporters.

But really, who gives a flying fig about the abbreviation? What we all know with certainty is that the song enchants us. Forget all this grammatical nonsense. Just listen to that Linn-infused ballad again and let it take you away. Let music take the lead.

Cheiron contributions

2006-07-25T21:42:00.000-05:00

It's undeniable that Denniz Pop and Max Martin created memorable beats and mega-hits. Many fans of several bands are fond of the Cheiron sound. A great respect exists for their work. But, the duo's contribution to the Ace of Base sound is overblown. Yes, Cheiron helped polish the band's work but they did not create the band, nor did they create their sound. If you've heard the demo of "All That She Wants", originally titled "Mr. Ace", you'll know that the demo is incredibly similar to the finished product. The Ace of Base sound was already in place before Cheiron even touched it. Cheiron merely polished a diamond until it sparkled as bright as it could. Cheiron didn't create or cut the diamond, they just assisted in the polishing process.

Knock-Knock!

2006-07-08T01:06:00.000-05:00

Who's there?
Sven!
Sven who?
Svenljunga Symphonic Band!

Say that five times fast.

Jakob and Jenny performed with the Svenljunga Symphonic Band a few months ago and the ensemble's website is reporting that a DVD of the gig is available. Of course, being the nutty fan I am, I e-mailed them to find the cost for 5 copies. (I need some copies for trading you know!) Unfortunately, they gave me some bad news when I e-mailed. The copies aren't for sale and are only available to members of the symphonic band. Well!! You'd think they might want to make money but something is keeping them from selling this DVD to the general public... Jenny! Yes, that's right, innocent little Jenny is keeping them from making a hefty profit off each and every Acer the world over.

Ok, ok, she's not personally keeping them from selling it. It's, it's... Well, it's the same Acer Hell we've been living for the past 16 years. Legal issues.

The quite informative representative for Svenljunga Symphonic Band had this to say, in translation -

"Guest artists were present, among them Jenny Berggren from Ase of Base (no, I didn't misspell that.. The guy who wrote me did), and because of a record contract, etc, we cannot sell the DVD to the general public."

Things that make you go "hmmmmm"

Swedish traditional music

2006-06-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

I turn on the radio, hearing a familiar tune drift into the surroundings, or at least what I think is a familiar tune. "An Ace of Base song!", I exclaim. No, actually, it wasn't. It was a Swedish folk song. Ever since that mix up in 1998, I held on to the belief that AOB's music contains elements of traditional Swedish music. Not being a musician, I cannot technially explain what elements make the connection. But, a few days ago, I read an interview with a Norwegian singer who is very well known, Sissel Kyrkebø. A paragraph from the interview, translated:

-Björn and Benny's songs are built upon folk music, as well as many of the Swedish hits with Ace of Base and Max Martin, she says. If you take those songs out of their pop surroundings and play them as folk music, you can feel the folk vibes. It is a part of us.

I haven't been hallucinating all these years! There really is a connection between AOB and folk music! Reading the words of a competent musician stating that fact makes me feel even more confident of my position. I've spent the last few days searching the internet for a list of elements that can be considered unique to Swedish folk music, or Nordic folk even, but have come up short. No straghtforward list for us non-musicians seems to exist! I have culled some ideas though.

Minor key seems pretty common.
3/4 time seems popular as well.
Many of the songs tend to repeat a section 2 or 3 times and then move on.
Melody seems important.

Of course, you can't pidgeonhole any type of music and say "every Nordic folk song contains these elements" or "every pop song sounds like this" but you can get an idea.

A great deal of Swedish folk music history is online and I find it interesting that a revival of the traditional forms blossomed in Sweden in the 60s and continued through the 80s, which puts it in line with the formative years for Ace of Base.

It's obvious that the band members enjoyed this type of music, at least the Berggrens did. They learned many older songs from relatives and Linn and Jenny sang many traditional songs in their choirs. Did their parents listen to it? I don't know. But, the Aces did sing "Vårvinda Friska" at Vina Del Mar and Linn did write Lapponia, which contains traditional elements. The untitled "Sång" Linn and Jenny sang at Liseberg in 1996 is very much in line with the "Nordic sound" as well.

Take a listen to this sound file from 1981 and tell me you can't hear AOB elements!

Folk och rackare - För redeliga män.

Strings, melody, vocal harmony. It's all there...

An Acer nightmare...

2006-06-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Oh, it was awful! *snicker* Now I know what Acer nightmares are like...

In my dream, I was watching tv when a commercial starts advertising a talk show. The commercial shows their next guest, Jenny Berggren. The show is set to air in just a few minutes, so I run around looking for a tape to record the show. I find a tape, only to realize that it already contains AOB material on it. "Well, I can't record on that one", I think. Suddenly, three blank tapes appear beside me. I begin to open one, put it in the VCR, and press record. It records the first few minutes of commercials before the show starts and I decide that I want to start the tape all over again because I don't want to flip through five minutes of recorded commercials before getting to the show. I rewind the tape only to find that the tape busts in half and is ruined. So, I put in the second tape and it busts. At this point, the talk show is already on and Jenny is talking and it's not recording! Arrgh! So, I try the third tape. It starts recording the show and I breathe a sigh of relief, only suddenly, the VCR acts up by randomly flipping through all the channels. I scramble over to the tv and try to find the talk show again but cannot find it. It's nowhere to be found. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Then, I wake up. Back to reality and my Acer nightmare is over.

Scary! ;)

Yearly Acer celebrations

2006-05-25T01:21:00.000-05:00

The thing I love about the Acer community is the free flowing creativity. Everyone has an idea and many Acers try to bring these ideas to life. It makes for an exciting and innovative atmosphere. Take the new AOB Wikipedia page created by Y&P for example. Or how about the Ace News site that Tino began a little while back? There is a new archive site Story Meant to Last , courtesy of Swan and Mary. And let's not forget to thank Anja and Jessi for the new Jenny Berggren Source website. New ideas are constantly bubbling up and being realized on the message boards as well. How about the weekly Acer Interviews at TAB? And recently at THB, Mona suggested a calendar with Jenny-isms and André wanted to revive the March Madness competition from a few years back.

André's post made me wonder why we don't have many events or happenings that take place every year in the community? Other fan families have days they use to mark and celebrate the passing of each year. Why shouldn't we have a few ourselves? We already have the Secret Santa game during the Christmas season. We had March Madness before, which can be revived with a little bit of work. How about some other events? Any suggestions Acers?

Fun with word origins

2006-05-16T00:21:00.000-05:00

I buy reference books like there's no tomorrow and I picked up a word history book today for the low, low price of $2.25. Being an Acer, of course, Ace and Base have to be the first words I look up.

Ace: Came into use during Middle English. An 'ace' denoted the one on dice in Middle English; it comes via Old French from Latin as 'unity, a unit'. It is often ranked as the highest value in a suit of playing cards, and the associated worth and 'excellence' are transferred to many uses and contexts, e.g: he served an ace, a motorcycle ace, Ace! You've done it! it wasn't our intention to ace Phil out of a job (North American sense of 'outdo').

Can we ace Lasse out of a job?

Base: Came into use during Middle English. Base as the bottom or foundation of something comes from Old French, itself via Latin basis 'base, pedestal' from Greek. In English in the late 16th centure basis denoted a base or pedestal, reflecting the Latin. The Greek root means, literally 'stepping', therefore giving a notion of 'something on which one steps or stands'. Base is also an element of the adjective basic 'forming an essential foundation'.

We better thank the French for picking these words up from Latin, huh? Then, we'd have to thank the Normans for invading England and winning the Battle of Hastings. See, history is important. Without the influence, AOB could still be called CAD. The members would then be known as Cads and we'd be Caddies or Cadets. I think I'll stick with Ace and Acer. Thank you France! ;o)

Party tricks and odd dreams

2006-05-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, only two final exams left and good riddance to this semester. I picked linguistics as my major last semester and hated it but it's growing on me. Why? Because I can fake a great Swedish accent now! Isn't that what every mother dreams for their child, being able to fake a Swedish accent? All that phonology really comes in handy. Don't laugh. Linguists make good money in Hollywood teaching actors foreign accents for movie roles. (Hollywood movie "New World"). There's a job they didn't tell you about in high school.

Not only do I have a great party trick that'll bore my guests to sleep, I can also figure out why AOB pronounce words as they do. You know, "eyes" pronounced as "ice" and "consequence" as "conseqvence". Fascinating informa..zzzzzzzz.

Speaking of sleep, I had a dream last night that a friend was going to interview Roxette but he fell asleep and didn't make it to the interview in time. So, I had to interview them. But, I didn't know it until they arrived at my house. My house was not so tidy and the interview room was full of AOB posters. No Roxette merchandise to be found anywhere. Anyway, I interviewed them and didn't record it or write down any answers. They left and my friend asked me for the interview info and I couldn't even remember anything I asked them. Maybe that means I should lay off the Swedish music for a day or two. NAHHHH!

Calgon take me away...

2006-04-10T23:50:00.000-05:00

I'm drowning in assignments! So begin the final weeks of my school semester...

Escapism. Yes, please. Ever notice how many AOB songs refer to that? Maybe the theme is just as common as love themes in the AOB song catalogue. Who knows. I don't have time to count them.

The Da Capo album is the magnum opus when it comes to Escapism -

"I believe in there's a world down under..."
"But you can't hear me in your dream. You're living in a dreamer's dream"
"Hiding away, running from reality. Who am I? Am I an actor in this game?"
"Try to forget what you're going through."

The album is laced with it. Decide yourself what that means and where it fits into the picture. DC also carries a heavy dose of yearning in both music and lyrics. It's more 'bitter' in a way I can't put my finger on.

Maybe I'll elaborate on those 'Da Capo themes' in a later post. For now, sleep calls.

Fictional characters

2006-04-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

Jonas once mentioned that he doesn't like to read books. He also mentioned that he reads newspapers every now and then and enjoys reading reference books. If he didn't mention these facts in an interview, we'd probably draw the conclusion that he was an avid reader, judging by the lyrics he writes. Check this list of fictional characters he has used in song lyrics over the years -

Fictional Characters:
- Baron Munchausen
- Alice in Wonderland
- Snow White
- Catcher in the rye (well, sort of a fictional character)
- Captain Nemo
- Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde

There are probably more. Also, don't forget his mention of Oscar Wilde in "Nattens änglar". (This song wins the prize for most incomprehensible symbolism.)

So, why does Jonas refer to fictional book characters when he doesn't like to read? Maybe he remembers these characters from childhood stories and uses them to set the mood and tone of each song. Maybe he uses them as a cultural reference point.

A baby girl = more problems??

2006-04-01T23:10:00.000-06:00

If blog neglect is a crime, I'm guilty. Lock me up. Nearly a month and no update. Shame!

An article from Se & Hör, which was published by Aceisland.de today, notes that Ulf and Johanna are expecting another baby. Great news for the family! ...

But, something stuck out when reading this article and it was the fact that Ulf equated a problematic pregnancy with the sex of the baby. He thinks they will have a girl because the pregnancy has been more troublesome than the first.

"No, she is doing a little bad, that's why we think it's gonna be a girl this time." - Ulf.

Is there a real connection here? Do women who are pregnant with girls have more trouble than if they are pregnant with boys? I've never heard of anything like this in my life.

I think it's just Ulf being Ulf. He has always said he wanted a boy and if he had to try a bunch of times for a boy, he would. Well, he got a boy on the first try. And now, he wants another boy.

"I would rather have another son..." - Ulf.

Obviously, girls are worth less than boys in his mind.

If this new baby does turn out to be a girl, will she be just as loved as a boy might have been? I hope so.

Nature in Linn's lyrics

2006-03-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

Oddly enough, it's taken me 12 years to realize that many of Linn's songs have elements of nature included in the lyrics. Unfortunatley, we don't have too many of her solo songs to tell if this is a trend or just a coincidence but I'm guessing it's just how she writes. She did say that she liked to be in nature, playing in the woods as a child. Maybe she's more into nature than her siblings.

"Whispers in Blindness" -

Swedish summer nights are hot
And the trees can talk
We lay on the grass

Trees are whispering

"Just N Image" -

I'm driving through the night
I'm driving through the rain

The wolves cry out tonight

The sun will rise without a love without a smile

"Strange Ways" -

You're turning all this stone into a heart

As you're fighting the fire when I burn

And nearly all of "sång" contains lyrics pertaining to nature - "woods, bird, blossoming, winter, moss, crystals, stars, night, tree."

Is vs. Are

2006-03-08T08:32:00.000-06:00

A post that's going to shock the world and is of great importance! In the spirit of the hilarious "Ace of Base" vs. "Ace Of Base" debate that went on in Acerdom, I have another debate we can begin. If I wanted to say that AOB will perform, would it be "AOB is going to perform" or "AOB are going to perform"? I know American English rules specify "is", but I believe British English rules specify "are". I use both "is" and "are" and blend them at times but, I suppose, for the sake of continuity, I should use only one, but which one? Hmm... I told you it would be shocking and of great importance! ;o)

AOB celebrity matches

2006-03-05T22:15:00.000-06:00

There's a site called myheritage.com and it has a neat little feature where you can upload a picture of yourself and it will match you with the celebrities that look most like you. I don't think AOB is in there anywhere, but I did upload pics of AOB to see who they "matched" with. Here are the results I got from using these promo pics from Da Capo:

Linn's pic from this photo:

Jonas, Ulf and Jenny's pics from this photo:

Linn -
Celina Jaitley - 71% alike
Madonna - 70%
Winona Ryder - 70%
Tarja Turunen -67%
Kate Hudson - 66%
Kirsten Dunst - 63%
Nicky Hilton - 63%
Preity Zinta- 63%
Ursula Andress- 62%
Queen Rania - 62%

Jonas -
John Malkovich - 72%
Colin Firth - 63%
Kenneth Branagh - 62%
Jean-Paul Sartre - 61%
John Steinbeck - 61%
Erich Maria Remarque - 60%
Sharon Stone - 59%
David Beckham - 58%
Antonio Sabato Jr. - 57%
Stephen Baldwin - 56%

Jenny -
Calista Flockhart - 75%
Katrina Kaif - 74%
Elizabeth Taylor - 74%
Jennifer Garner - 73%
Liv Tyler - 73%
Kim Novak - 73%
Mary-Kate Olsen - 73%
Kristen Dunst - 73%
Heather Locklear - 73%
Holly Marie Combs - 72%

Ulf -
Gherman Titov - 68%
Mikhail Saakashvili - 62%
Errol Flynn - 57%
Matt Damon - 57%
Orlando Bloom - 55%
Charlie Sheen - 55%
Paul Walker - 54%
David Arquette- 52%
Steve Fossett - 52%
K.D. Lang - 51%

I've never heard of some of these people, but that's expected in a database made up of 3,500 celebrities. What do you think about the matches? Does it sound right to you?

I tried to post a pic with Ulf in glasses and it pulled out several celebrities with glasses. So, I think the program recognizes your most obvious features and pulls up celebrities that match those features.

If you want a little ego boost, check out myheritage.com and sign up to see who you match with.

Jakob and his brilliance

2006-03-01T12:02:00.001-06:00

Granted, this doesn't really have anything to do with AOB but I have to say that Jakob Petrén's piano playing is brilliant! I'm uploading the Lärjungagården concert that took place in October 2004.

AceIsland.de is going to host the files! But, I was listening to file #3 and the majority of that file is Jakob playing the piano. He plays a song and the piece is from a musical about a man who knows he's going to die shortly. The song he plays is incredibly layered with emotion and deep contemplation. You can feel the man's pain, joy, sorrow, doubt, hope, despair... It's so complex, I just have to rave about it.

Jakob's skill wows me everytime I hear it. I told him at Hunnebostrand that his piano playing was incredible and asked him how long he had been playing. He said that he'd been playing ever since he was in his mother's womb, and made a gesture like he was playing a tiny piano. Cute. He went on to say he'd been playing since he was 4 years old. So check out that piece from the Lärjungagården concert when it shows up on AceIsland.de. It's part #3. Don't miss it!

All I ever needed to know...

2006-02-27T20:43:00.000-06:00

Trying to better understand Linn's "sång" lyrics, I Googled "crystal and moss" and realized that I've learned a great deal of information over the last twelve years just by looking up information related to AOB. Yes, the information mostly consists of small facts - the type you'd use on Jeopardy. The information would also be what the Berggren's dad called "dead knowledge", I suppose. But, the information surely has provided some use over the years.

I've learned more about the media by being an Acer. The radio industry and music industry are very familiar to me due to all the research put in to understand things like royalties, promotion, airplay, and contracts. I think many Acers also have a basic knowledge of Journalism as well. I've taken two classes in Journalism and realized that I already knew most of it from being a fan all these years.

My vocabulary has also expanded as an Acer. I remember specifically learning certain words from AOB words and lyrics. A few of the words I know I learned directly are humility, succor, inscrutability, salvation, da capo. High school vocabulary lessons were a pain until I realized I could write sentences pertaining to AOB to better remember the meaning of a word - "Ace of Base's new album contains euphonious vocals and melodic hooks." I had written a splendid sentence concerning Ulf and chutzpah, but, sadly, that sentence has been lost to time.

In high school, just as Flowers/Cruel Summer was being released, our English class read "Catcher in the Rye" I spent a solid hour in mid-flight from Houston to Dallas trying to decipher the meaning of LIAF and NGL in relation to this passage from the book:

"What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy."

I also learned a great deal about Sweden over the years, even lived there a few times - learned Swedish too, and that has come in handy more than once.

So, actually, when I think about it, it's not all dead knowledge. Most of it is, but some of it isn't.

One day, you'll see me on Final Jeopardy answering "What is Kaksikymmentäkaksi rullatuolia?" when given the clue "The correct spelling of "22 wheelchairs" in Finnish." I'll be sure to use some of the cash winnings to gather more knowledge on obscure, AOB-related subjects.

Arose lyric changes - part 2

2006-02-22T09:56:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Sylvain, there's a clip of High Life up on his site mister-ace.com. :) I still think it's very important for us to buy the album in order to support Jenny. Think of it this way, this is one of her jobs and when she goes to a record company for her solo album, they're going to take into consideration the success, or failure, of this Arose album. So, I think it's important to buy the album if you also choose to download the mp3s.

And what do I think about Linn supposedly singing on the album? I think it's not true. There was an Arose article where Magnus was interviewed and he mentioned Linn instead of Jenny in the article. Ray e-mailed Magnus and asked about it and Magnus said it was not true about Linn being on the album, that it was Jenny. It seems like the names were mixed up in that article and the same thing happened in the album liner notes.

It does appear that Jenny sings the "lyric change" on High Life. I have a little conjecture here: I have always felt that Emrik didn't really like the fact that Jenny was in the group. It showed in the Nyhetsmorgon interview last May. I thought he wasn't fond of her because of the "image" of AOB. But, I'm wondering if he wasn't happy with this lyric change in High Life. And when listening to the mp3, you hear Emrik in the background singing "good I felt" instead of echoing Jenny's "bad I felt". Either that is a big mistake in production, which would be quite hard to overlook, or it's a sort of protest by Emrik for the lyrics being changed. Now, I think Emrik has been much nicer about Jenny being in the band in recent articles. He hasn't made it seem like it's a bad thing and has actually mentioned she's in the group, which didn't happen much before. Either he's using her name for promotion OR he's more ok with it now. I wonder which. Or maybe it's all a conspiracy theory and I'm way wrong.

Don't Go Away

2006-02-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

I adore "Don't Go Away". It was the single that should have been but never was. The song is superb in so many ways. I do think it's one of Ulf's best works. Right up there with STL. I like the lyrics, they contain a common theme of losing a love. But, the DGA lyrics push it a bit further with a pinch of egoism.

I find that this egoism begins in two little lines:

"Two wrongs don't make a right. You're gonna regret it when you're looking back on your life."

First off, these two lines imply that a wrong has been committed in the relationship by the first person and the other wrong implied in the "two wrongs don't make a right" line would be for person #2 to break up with person #1 for this mistake. We're never told what wrong person #1 has committed but it's grave enough for them to be dumped because of it. (Yes, we're never told what the wrong is, but maybe the line "fell for temptation. It didn't mean a thing" gives a clue.) So, here's where the egoism comes in. Person #1 has done something very wrong, yet they're turing the whole situation around and saying, "Yes, I have done wrong but if YOU leave, you'll regret it." Ouch.

And that's not all the egoism evidence:

"Wanna be more than a picture hanging on the wall?
Something to remind me of how it all went wrong?
Do you want to be more than a number encoded in a book?
Holding something special, so take another look."

[Note: Acer25 mentioned that I quoted the third line incorrectly. It should be "... a number forgotten in a book", not encoded in a book. Thanks for that find Acer25!]

After person #1 berates person #2 for wanting to leave when #1 screwed up in the first place, person #1 continues the tirade by asking if #2 wants to be a nobody. It could be said in another way: "If you leave, you'll be just a picture, a number, a memory, a nothing. You've got me and I'm 'something special'. Don't be so stupid to give that up." Hrm.

"Make the most of this love I'm giving. Better take another look at my face." "Take a look, take a look. Take another look on your way."

Yeah. If a guy started saying things like this to get me to stay with him, I'd be walking out the door even faster.

Lest the Ulf fans go crazy on me, just because the lyrics imply egoism, it doesn't mean this characteristic automatically applies to the person or people who wrote the song. Jonas makes this same attribution error with Cecilia. Jonas falsely attributes the characteristics of the guy in the song Cecilia to the songwriters of the song itself, Simon and Garfunkel.

"Simon and Garfunkel had a little problem. It was something about their hearts. You used to break them and make them go down on their knees, on and on again."

Well, Cecilia was not interested in breaking the hearts of the songwriters, she was interested in breaking the heart of the guy in the song.

"Oh Cecilia, you're breaking my heart. You're shaking my confidence daily. Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please to come home."

Sometimes the song is autobiographical, as in Ravine, and sometimes it's not.

Foreign Language quiz

2006-02-20T15:19:00.000-06:00

I just took a quiz that Mona put up on THB called "What foreign language should you learn?" And I laughed so hard when I saw my results:

You Should Learn Swedish

Fantastisk! You're laid back about learning a language - and about life in general.
Peaceful, beautiful Sweden is ideal for you... And you won't even have to speak perfect Swedish to get around!

What Language Should You Learn?

I guess I picked the right language to learn.

Arose lyric changes

2006-02-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

While listening to the sound clips on the Arose website, I noticed a little lyric change in High Life. If you listen to the clip of the song on the site, you'll hear Emrik sing:

"Everytime I woke up
in some other girl's apartment
I took the easy way out
then you know how fucking good I felt."

But, on the Nyhetsmorgon clip (and probably the album clip) you'll hear Jenny sing this:

"Everytime I woke up
in some other man’s apartment
I took the easy way out
can you understand how bad I felt."

Interesting. A little like the Tuesday's "I was Thinking of You" and AOB's "Thinking of You" is it not?

I tried to download the album from the GP and Skivhugget digital music site but it wouldn't let me, as my ISP is not located in Sweden. Grrr. But, where there's a will, there's a way.

Valentine's and Arose

2006-02-14T21:31:00.000-06:00

Two AOB news items this week, I see. I like the card that Ulf made for the Heart and Lung foundation in Sweden for Valentine's Day. It seems he's quite influenced by Eastern ideas and culture. It would be cool to hear him talk about that. I'm surprised he signed the card with his name on the outside. Maybe he thought they were supposed to do that. Dunno.

And the Arose project is heating up again. It will be interesting to see how the album turns out. I do agree with some Acers that the group seems to be using Jenny for promotion, but I think she's able to use her place in Arose to her advantage too. People will see her as a more serious musician from this, I believe. So, it goes two ways. We will see how the project turns out in the end.

eBay listings

2006-02-09T23:35:00.000-06:00

Oh, the joys of searching eBay for more AOB cds! For every one hundred cds I see, there is only one I want. And that one is the one every single other Acer wants! Quit bidding on my stuff guys! ;oP

Even if I don't end up buying anything, I do think some of the eBay listing titles are fun to see.

Here are a few listings on eBay at this very moment:

"ace of the base" - This one is for a HN Danceball album. You'd think it would be easy to look at the cover and see how to spell the band's name. Guess again.

"ace of base don't turn it arround" - At least they spelled the band's name right. You'll find the "dont turn it around strect version" on this copy.

"N1304 Trendy Ace of Base Casino Poker Necklace +Gift" - When's the last time you saw the word trendy and AOB together in the same sentence? This is for some funky Ace of Spades necklace charm. I don't get the connection to AOB, but there it is.

"ACE OF BASE?THE BRIDGES?1995 ????? - ? ????" - This guy doesn't know what he has. Is it AOB? He's not quite sure.

I laugh when I see listing titles such as this: "MEGA-RARE!!! The Sign album! Buy it NOW!" I do wonder what their definition of rare is. Rare as in thirty million rare?

There's always the odd Love is a Flower, Whell of Fortune and The Sing. One current eBay listing offers "sancer in a dayfream" on a DTA single. I'm quite sure that's the demo version.

HN Latin and symbolism in lyrics

2006-02-08T21:45:00.000-06:00

Neglecting my Statistics and American Lit studies tonight. Hey, I've studied them all day! I get a break some time. And that break is NOW.

Somehow, I started googling the Latin lyrics in Happy Nation. I found this info on a page:

"Laudate omnes gentes laudate, Magnificat in secula

This probably woun't be too much help, but I have heard these words in a song. I hope to find a translation...

Praise him, praise him, all peoples, make him great forever, even my soul, praise him.

Latin frequently omits direct object pronouns (though elementary textbooks only manage to fret about omitted *subject* pronouns) -- so if this is from a Christian context, we supply "him" (as my rendition presumes), if an Earth-Goddess context, "her", and if a polytheism context, "them". I presume a typo, translating MAGNIFICATE ("make great") rather than MAGNIFICAT ("she/he makes great"). ET functions adverbially, since all the imperatives are plural."

(from: http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:womZjjb37LcJ:www.proz.com/kudoz/1655+%22laudate+omnes+gentes%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=11)

It presents a slightly different translation than the ones we have when a few Acers took a crack at translating the lyrics. This one is obviously from someone who knows a decent bit about Latin. It doesn't look like the guy translated the whole text though.

Anyway, that leads me to some lyrical waxings on "Happy Nation" itself. I always wondered what "Nation" they meant in the song. When I was 12, I always assumed they were talking about Sweden but as I grew up, I realized the song wasn't meant to be about an actual nation, a named nation on Earth, it was more an idea. Kinda like the idea in Perfect World.

A few months ago I was thinking about it and thought it sounded much like the body of believers in Christianity. Yeah, you might say that the thought is influenced by what I believe. Maybe, but maybe not.

There's the beginning of the song in Latin, which is set up like a hymn of thanksgiving. The Latin lyrics are about praise, 'all people praise him'. Then, it is about a Happy Nation of people dreaming of perfect man. Afterwards, it mentions a situation, which leads to sweet salvation. This salvation being for the good, for mankind. We hear that a man will die but not his ideas. And afterwards, tell them we've gone too far.

Eh, I suppose it's like yesterday's post. Take it how you want.

I think a lot of AOB's lyrics have a basis in their beliefs and I never noticed it until a few years ago. I brought up the thought on THB quite a while back, but I didn't get much agreement. The general consensus was that I was interpreting the lyrics as I wanted them to be interpreted. Maybe that's true. But, it's hard to say there hasn't been any influence on AOB's lyrics.

Just thinking of some AOB song lyrics:

Angel shows up in AOL, AE, LFS, DrS, HD. Heaven in EOH, OD, KOTR. God in R, SW, TTR, E, and WTNOTG. The idea of eternity and immortality in WFM, YAI, IP, RTW. Pray in R, IP, WH, E. Other songs mention soul, mercy, disiciple, reedemer. And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, not to mention lines like these:

*I'm a prisoner of hope
*God bless you for being by my side when I fell through
*Love is devoted to those who see that the last dance you dance with the truth.
*You better believe in angels. There's no other substitute.
*Will you pass through Heaven's gate?
*Keep the focus on the rising sun.
*Please God, let it be.
*I'm living for the light. Don't cry for me today.
*Situation leads to sweet salvation. For the people, for the good, for mankind, brotherhood.
*Oh, come down and guide us before it is too late.

You could debate some of those, such as the 'rising sun' one but you can see how they can have double meaning, especially in the context of the song.

I suppose that's it for tonight. Back to my studies!

Da Capo and its meaning

2006-02-07T21:16:00.000-06:00

Ok, now that the intro is over, it's time to get down to business. First order of business, Da Capo. The song. I was reading one of Swan's recaps yesterday. Hilarious. If you want to look like a complete crazy when you're at work or school, read them.

One of the recap comments had to do with DC and its meaning. It seems that Jenny made a comment about the song's meaning during the Meet and Greet on German tv, the one that Nadia won in 2002. Jenny said the song had to do with the Berggren's dad. That's what I thought it was about on the first listen but the recap comment made it seem like most Acers didn't think that, or don't think that. Is it just me that thought "It's about their dad" upon first hearing the song or are there more Acers with that same thought?

I love analyzing lyrics and sometimes analyze too much maybe.

"One level ahead, I'm calling to you but touch you I cannot do."

And you guys are gonna think I'm really corny but I might as well start out that way. This is a blog after all. *grin* But, at the IAM BBQ in 2003 we were listening to AOB. We were all dancing and having a great time and all of the sudden, I had this sweeping feeling that their dad was there too. I know that sounds weird... cause it is. I've never met the man, don't really know anything about him. That's why I think it's weird. I wasn't even thinking about it, just dancing away to the beat, enjoying being there and having fun, when it strikes me. "He's here. His spirit is here." It felt like he was acknowledging the joy his children bring to us through their music. It didn't dampen the mood or weird me out, but it was quite unusual in the middle of this BBQ.

You can take that however you like. And now you all think I'm nuts. :oP

A bridge over time...

2006-02-07T21:07:00.000-06:00

I had this idea of starting a blog after a discussion in one of my communications classes today. I have little thoughts about AOB that don't really fit in to threads at THB or TAB, so I thought it would be fun to experiment with a blog about all those little thoughts that clank around in my brain each day. Today is the official start of this experiment then! I might have small little thoughts or big ramblings that go on for pages. What tomorrow brings the future knows!

Swan's recaps on the Come To Me board were also part inspiration for this blog!