Showing posts with label CV Jørgensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CV Jørgensen. Show all posts

14 March 2018

C.V. Jørgensen "Fraklip fra det fjerne" (2002)

Fraklip fra det fjerne
release date: May 27, 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Kasper Winding
label: Columbia - nationality: Denmark


13th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen and his final album with new material for the time being. The album was released eight years after the critical acclaim Sjælland (1994). It's the second consecutive album with Kasper Winding in the role of producer and on the album, in addition to Winding, it's only recurring performances by guitarist Aske Jacoby and drummer Gert Smedegård, who most recently participated on I det muntre hjørne (1990) and who may probably be C.V.'s most used musician since the his beginning in '74. Aske Jacoby and Per Both play guitar on some tracks, just like C.V. again is credited with the instrument on most tracks, while Kasper Winding once again is credited as bassist and multi-instrumentalist. Other new musicians include the two Swedish musicians Gustav Ljunggren on pedal steel and mandolin, as well as Jesper Nordenström on keyboards, while Flemming Agerskov plays trumpet as a returnee from the '94 album. Text and music are solely credited C.V., while the music is arranged by Both, Valentin & Winding. The individual tracks are characterised by being recorded with different musicians, and several of these only participate on single songs, while it's exclusively C.V. and Winding, we hear on all ten tracks.
Eight years is a considerable time in between studio albums, and C.V. was perhaps even written off by many as an active musician. Following Sjælland, he somewhat turned down his touring life and withdrew from the spotlight, so that he now shows up with new material at all is actually a bit of a surprise. With the title - which is another word play ['Fraklip fra det fjerne' translates to 'Outtakes from afar'] - he basically jokes about his absence and perhaps indicates that these are mere glimpses of life from a self-chosen exile. It's not surprisingly an album on which C.V. cultivates the poetic, the ethereal and the introspective - as he demonstrated this style on the predecessor. A few tracks on that were predominantly electronic with a clear instrumentation taken from jazz with trumpet, double bass and percussion, and that approach is lived out in full bloom on this new one. The lyrics are not entirely positive. Again, they bear the mark of C.V.'s eye for social criticism and new trends, which in particular characterised his earlier albums. However, it's far from the wordy narrative threads of his early stage, but instead, it's much more based on his own life and identity. At the same time, it's performed in his more recent lyrical style, where the narrative is subordinated linguistic means. However, there is plenty of sulkiness, e.g. on "Endnu en vinter" ['Yet Another Winter']: "Jeg føler mig en anelse gudsforladt - & skriger på frelse hver eneste nat - Det hele er blevet mig for sammensat - Mon jeg nærmer mig endnu en vinter", ['I feel somewhat forsaken by God - and (I) scream for salvation every single night - It's all become too complex for me - I wonder if I'm heading towards another Winter' (my translation)], and on "Dagdriverdrømme" ['Dreams of Lazybones']: "Mit ego har spillet fallit - Mit jeg er ikke længere mit - Mit æresord er i miskredit" ['My self-esteem is failing - My own self is no longer mine - My word of honour is being discredited' (my translation)]. However, it's not only pure pessimism as for instance on the end track "En stor dag" ['A Great Day'], where he might narrate about turning his back on everything: "Det er som er jeg ramt af et trylleslag - Jeg har svært ved at huske mine nederlag - Dagen er reddet & kysten er klar - Jeg er den der er skredet så skaf en vikar" ['It's as if I've been hit by the wave of a magic wand - I find it difficult remembering my defeats - I'm out of the woods & coast is clear - I'm out of here, so find a replacement' (my translation)]. That's is how the album ends, and since then, C.V. hasn't released any new material. However, he has continued his concert life, at intervals, where his old stables have been rearranged and adapted to his new musical style.
Fraklip fra det fjerne was generally well-received, apart from a few critics who poked fun at his isolated life at his 'own preserve'. At the Danish Music Awards 2002, C.V. Jørgensen eas awarded IFPI's Honorary Award, while at the following year's nominations the album was on the list of Danish Album of the Year, which on that occasion was handed Saybia's debut album The Second You Sleep.
Nowadays, the album marks a fine poetic end to perhaps the one of the finest careers in Danish popular music. The album doesn't reach the level of his albums of the past two decades, but it's nevertheless original and artistically justified. However, as no other, C.V. Jørgensen has left his lasting mark in Danish music history by the release of several unique and diverse albums of high quality.
The front cover is once again credited C.V.'s girlfriend Annemarie Albrectsen. Since this, other albums have been issued, which include the two fine double live albums Så live som muligt (2003) and Sange fra scenen (2012), as well as number of compilations. The documentary "C.V. Jørgensen - skygger og skønhed" by Jens Folmer Jepsen was issued in 2006 (DR2 pre-presentation). Since 2011/12 circulating rumours have announced that he was in the process of recorded new songs, but now a decade onwards it's unfortunately still without any visible proof.
[ Gaffa.dk 4 / 6 stars ]
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14 January 2018

C.V. Jørgensen "Sjælland" (1994)

Sjælland
release date: Sep. 26 1994
format: cd (PCCD 8074)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,22]
producer: Kasper Winding
label: Pladecompagniet - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Ude af sync" (4 / 5) - 2. "Blåt blod til alle" (4 / 5) - 3. "Fuld af forundring" - 4. "Florafobi" (5 / 5) (short live clip) - 5. "Spildte bedrifter" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 7. "Skygger af skønhed" (5 / 5) - 8. "Intet er mig helligt" - 9. "Hvad mere er der egentlig at sige" (4,5 / 5)

11th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen released a long full four years after his fine I det muntre hjørne (1990). In the meantime, Elap released the compilation 16 hits (1992) as a revised edition on cassette and CD of the previously released Det Ganske Lille Band's bedste from 1980. After having produced his two most recent studio releases on his own, C.V. returned the task to someone else taking care of the production sound. All his previous albums have been grounded in traditional rock but by engaging with the bolder 'pop' artist, vocalist and producer Kasper Winding, he ensures a distinctly different expression. C.V. had already worked with Winding in '78, when the two collaborated on the music for Morten Arnfred's film "Mig og Charly" and also the following year for the music to "Johnny Larsen". Since 1990, C.V. gradually turned down the concert activity and led a slightly more withdrawn existence, so the release of new material has been awaited with great excitement. The album's title is a play on the words 'soul' ['sjæl'] and 'country' ['land'] - put together in Danish also happens to be the name for the island of Sjælland [Zealand] - indicating a collection of tracks with a spiritual quality. In that way, it's also a highly personal album, which was also made completely without the usual close team of stable musicians. C.V. is credited on guitar in addition to his vocals, and Winding acts as multi-instrumentalist handling bass, keyboards, and drums, while the tracks are otherwise made with few other musicians, and where only trumpeter Flemming Agerskov is heard on several tracks.
Stylistically, C.V. always had a soft spot for jazz, and on his breakthrough album Storbyens små oaser from '77 you'll clearly notice a special jazz tone on several tracks - something you may also sense in small measure on his last two albums, but with Sjælland this is further emphasized with a style that combines previously unknown terrain - at least when it comes to the discography of C.V. Jørgensen. There is basically no focus on rock in a traditional sense, but only in a combo of trip hop and free jazz in a synthpop wrapping. It's a totally different expression than any other of his albums and in relation to his idiosyncrasy, which has given him status of a national rock icon. The inclusion of electronic instrumentation and a distinct synthpop style founded on keyboards, synths and rhythm programming fused with elements from free jazz is a most daring and remarkable change of style - something that e.g. shares traits with the '89 album Hats by Scottish band The Blue Nile.
Sjælland was released to mostly positive reviews, and although several critics were not exactly enthusiastic about Winding's production, the album ended up as one of Jørgensen's most praised albums. It's also my impression that the first critics of the album's sound nevertheless forgot their first judgment at a later stage.
It's C.V. in his most poetic corner, thus far. It must be remembered that at this point of his career he had been put on a pedestal as the outstanding national rock artist with an unusually sharp pen, which he directed against consumerism, double standards, social conflicts, as general ridicule of those in power and criticism of the political establishment without him taking a stand in relation to a clear left-right sympathy. He then advances here as a 'real' poet with songs full of lyrical features such as inner dialogue, sentiments and figurative language, which in places are the opposite to the characteristics of the epic narrative form and his image as a songwriter who was widely considered some kind of equivalent to that of the short story only adapted to a musical expression.
I attended one of his first live concerts with the album tour in '94, and the weirdest thing from the concert was my shock experiencing the aversion of the audience to his new songs. It was C.V.'s first live tour in four years with new material, and yet all a large group of fans clearly wanted was to hear him play his old stables, which meant that whenever the band started up with one of the new songs, people showed their contempt by hooting and booing. Apart from that 'detail', C.V., band and music were excellently executed, but I still left the concert with a bitter taste in my mouth after witnessing something that was so utter disrespectful. And with that in mind, I can't help thinking that experiences like that on that particular tour may be linked to C.V.'s later renunciation to live performance and also to his otherwise somewhat general withdrawal from the spotlight.
However, Sjælland was both an artistic triumph and a sales success, but it's also clear that fans were immensely divided about the his new musical direction. Some of long-running fans simply couldn't come to terms with C.V.'s progress as an artist, and he would at times be referred to as someone who had 'sold out'.
Imho, this album is no less than the best Danish album of the 1990s. It's C.V's best and most coherent album, and it's simply among the best Danish albums ever. It's nearly right up there fighting for the title as Best Danish Album Of All Time fighting side by side with Hip by Steppeulvene and the album Supertanker by Kliché.
The front cover is routinely credited C.V.'s girlfriend since 1970, Annemarie Albrectsen.
Highly recommended - a must.

1994 Favourite releases: 1. The Prodigy Music for the Jilted Generation - 2. Everything but the Girl Amplified Heart - 3. C.V. Jørgensen Sjælland
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14 November 2017

C.V. Jørgensen "I det muntre hjørne" (1990)

I det muntre hjørne
release date: 1990
format: vinyl (gatefold) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: C.V. Jørgensen
label: Epic Records - nationality: Denmark


10th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen following two years after Indian Summer (Aug. '88) is like that produced by C.V. Jørgensen himself. And just as was generally the case with the predecessor, the lyrics and music here are credited Jørgensen himself, with the exception of "Træt som en junkie", which was composed together with Lars Hybel. The album offers nine tracks and has a total running length of just over 40 minutes. Among the participating musicians are a number of old acquaintances including Lars Hybel on guitar, banjo and bass, Jacob Andersen on percussion, and with Gert Smedegård on drums. The album shows a reunion with Aske Jacoby, who also took part on four tracks on Vennerne & vejen (1985) and who has been a stable member of C.V.'s touring backing band. Here, Jacoby is featured on on all tracks and he is credited guitar, mandolin, and keyboard - normally, instruments Jørgensen's long-time fellow musician, Nils Henriksen, previously handled, as he did on Indian Summer.
As the title and certainly also the cover indicate, C.V. here is in a more positive mood than previously heard, and it's an atmosphere he brings to the musical expression. Incidentally, the title is taken from the song "Pligterne kalder". Musically, he continues some of the positive tones you'll find on the predecessor, and the style is warm and laid back. It's a turn back to the folk rock that initially inspired him, but which he has never really made as stylishly as he does here. There is a clear inspiration from his old role model Dylan, as well as both Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. On his earlier albums, the inspiration was clear, both musically and lyrically, while this is almost like a tribute to a musical style, as the music is quite original and the lyrics are also Jørgensen's own shape, which has gained a clearer layer of humour and a positive tone. The album may easily be seen as Jørgensen's own comment to national music critics who have long labeled C.V.'s albums as sarcastic sulkiness, just as he has long fought against a media image as a left-wing social critic, although he has never professed to a political position and instead deliberatedly have pointed to the corrupting power. On most of these new songs, he continues his new narrative 'I' form, which he initiated on Indian Summer. He says, among other things, that he is ...'so tired of being a communist' with a barely concealed salute to the critics' predicate, and on the album's end track "Tak for sangen" he thanks his sources of inspiration and his musical acquaintances. After poor sales figures with the album Indian Summer, the band Sort Sol's cover of the title track, released as a single in late '91, helped to bring new focus to this very album, and C.V. here sends a direct greeting to the band with the line: "...tak til Sort Sol for den lyse nat" [...'thanks to Sort Sol for the bright night'] - in other words: With their tribute, Sort Sol helped pointing out the qualities of the album.
I det muntre hjørne found positive reception, and the album was nominated Danish Album of the Year at the 1991 Danish Music Awards, it won as Danish Rock Release of the Year, and C.V. was handed the award for Danish Songwriter of the Year.
In sales numbers, the album is one of Jørgensen's biggest successes, although, critics were divided. Some hailed C.V.'s new positive style and the musical turn, while others found it too light, without his trademark of social awareness and without his sharp wit with which his name was bound.
In Jørgensen's discography, the album is one of my absolute favourites and the it's the only C.V. album I so far have purchased on vinyl.
Front cover and artwork are (as usual) credited Annemarie Albrectsen.
Highly recommended.
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21 June 2017

C.V. Jørgensen "Indian Summer" (1988)

Indian Summer
release date: Aug. 11, 1988
format: cd (462483 2)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]
producer: C.V. Jørgensen
label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark


9th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen was released more than three years following Vennerne & vejen (May 1985) and for the first time it's with C.V. himself in the producer seat. Of course he also released the live album Lige lovlig live in '86, but this is the first time this long time pass in between his studio releases. The album feature the usual lineup with Lars Hybel on guitar and bass, Nils Henriksen also on guitar, bass and keyboards, Pete Repete on keyboards, and with Gert Smedegård on drums. In addition, Jacob Andersen is recurring percussionist on three tracks, and Nanna Lüders also participates on backing vocals. More interestingly, Lars Hybel is credited as a co-composer on four of the album's nine tracks (tracks #1, #7, #8, and #9).
Musically, it's once again a new expression without exactly speaking of a definite change of style, because it's more or less tried and tested territory for C.V. Jørgensen. The music has become more subdued and in places it may sound a bit like a return to the more jazzy style you'll find on the breakthrough Storbyens små oaser (1977). However, there are still room for songs cut more as on Vennerne & vejen without touching on repetition 'cause something darker has crept in on all compositions. In general, the songs are more simple in expression - as cut to the bone. The biggest change is probably found in the lyrics, which predominantly reflect a positive outlook on life, but which have acquired a clearer lyrical quality, where C.V. focuses on moods and often avoids linear pieces in his narration. At the same time he makes use of a language heavily loaded with symbols. And speaking of 'positive', that doesn't necessarily mean happy as a clam mood because, although he expresses a positiv stand, his lyrics are also about spirituality, and about life and death.
The title track is with reference to the rhythm of life, and if you to that consider that the artist's mother died during the making of the album, the title song takes on a very special meaning. The band Sort Sol made a strong cover of this song, which was issued as a single Dec. '89 (also featured on the band's 1992 compilation album Fog Things), and for which C.V. thanks on the successor I det muntre hjørne (1990) on the song "Tak for sangen".
Indian Summer is another strong outing from a standout in Danish music, and it points quite nicely onwards to C.V.'s following album, which otherwise may be experienced as a completely different outing. The front cover is, much to the usual, credited Annemarie Albrectsen.
Strong recommendation.
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05 December 2015

C.V. Jørgensen "Lige lovlig live" (1986) (live)

Lige lovlig live (live)
release date: 1986
format: cd (1991 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Nils Henriksen
label: Columbia - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Søndagsseancer" - 3. "Lediggang agogo" - 5. "Morgendagens stjerner" - 7. "I en blågrå kupé" - 8. "Sæsonen er slut" - 10. "Et satanisk mesterværk" - 11. "Johnny & Djiim" - 12. "Hotel Halleluja" - 14. "Hamburger Sally" - 16. "Datadisciplin" - 18. "Costa del Sol"

Live album by C.V. Jørgensen originally released as double vinyl lp are the live recordings from various concerts from Feb. '86. Originally, it was released on vinyl only, the '91 single-CD edition is 74 minutes long and excludes the track "Flik-flakker" appearing on T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser (1975) to accommodate the maximum running time of CDs. The album feature Lars Hybel and Nils Henriksen on guitar and bass, Pete Repete on keyboards, Gert Smedegård on drums, and Jacob Andersen on percussion. The selected tracks span the majority of C.V.'s total discography - which, however, avoids the first two releases, apart from the vinyl edition. Of the 18 tracks on the CD-issue, five are from his most recent album Vennerne & vejen (1985), four are from Lediggang agogo (1983), three each stem from both Vild i varmen (1978) and Storbyens små oaser (1977), two comes from Tidens tern (1980), and only one track is taken from Sold to stanglakrids (1979).
As a single CD, it's quite an excellent selection of songs, although, you'll always see personal favorites among the shortcomings, and then you have to remember that this isn't a best of album, and quite naturally, his most recent albums play a major part on Jørgensen's first live release.
The cover is here credited to C.V. himself.
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26 February 2015

C.V. Jørgensen "Vennerne & vejen" (1985)

Vennerne & vejen
release date: May 1985
format: cd (1991 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Nils Henriksen
label: Columbia - nationality: Denmark


8th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen released 15 months following Lediggang agogo (Feb. '83) was originally released on CBS. Following the '83 album, C.V. toured with a backing band consisting of the musicians playing on that album with the addition of guitarist and bassist Aske Jacoby and keyboardist Pete Repete (from Malurt). On this, he then makes use of the same garrison with Nils Henriksen, Lars Hybel, Aske Jacoby (all three credited on guitar and bass), Pete Repete on keyboards and with Gert Smedegård on drums, while Jacob Andersen, who was busy recording as studio musician for Alberte, Danseorkestret, and Sanne Salomonsen, only participates on the first two songs. All tracks are written and composed by Jørgensen (except "Vive la vie", which was composed with Henriksen).
Musically, the album sounds like an extension to Lediggang agogo - and mostly like a sonically improved coherent release. The '83 album certainly has its qualities but it's as if C.V. and his backing band here really reap the benefit of their joint forces - and perhaps Henriksen has just turned into a better skilled producer. Stylistically, it's very much of the same territory, but the music has become somewhat broader, and you clearly hear the contemporary sense for heavy rhythm arrangements à la Simple Minds and Springsteen ("Messe for en masse" and "Endnu en weekend"). It's primarily a rock album both containing ballads and more uptempo tracks, and you can only imagine how C.V. and the band probably had listened closely to The Police, Simple Minds, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, as well as Danish act, Malurt.
The album was quite well received in the press and by the public, and although C.V. with the album strikes a rather pessimistic tone, the music functions as an uplifting counterpart. Gloomy lyrics on "Datadisciplin", "Vennerne & mig" and "Morgendagens stjerner" don't distract the impression of musical momentum, and these songs were soon incorporated into C.V.'s canon. The predominantly negative lyrics deal with topics such as abuse, cynicism, nationalism, cold human relations, exploitation, human loss, and life behind the scenes. On "Endnu en weekend" he sings: "Endnu en weekend med flimrende fjerner - for et stakåndet publikum - to døgns trampen i begge pedaler - på fordummelsens harmonium... Endnu en weekend med enkeltindivider - på hovedet flere timer i træk - for at virkeliggøre drømmen om et liv i luksus - eller dø unge i eget bræk" ['Another weekend of flickering TV - for a choked-up audience - two days of stomping both pedals - on the harmonium of stupidity... Another weekend with the self-centered - spending several hours straight upside down - trying to realize the dream of a luxurious life - or to die young in your own vomit' (my own translation)]. Not exactly what you would call an uplifting outlook for the future. And on "Emigration" about being misunderstood and once again about a lack of faith for the future: "Min lod i livet er at drømme noget - der traditionen tro bli'r misforstået - sådan er det og sådan bli'r det ved med at være - min fremtid hvis jeg da har mig nogen - ligner på afstand en hallucination - sådan er det og sådan bli'r det ved med at være" ['My lot in life is to dream about things - which according to habit will be misunderstood - that's how things work and that's how things will stay - my future, that is if I have any - from a distance look like a hallucination - that's how things work and that's how things stay' (my translation)]. In fact, there is not one single song of positive thoughts, and the album hardly helped Jørgensen's reputation as a distinct seer of moodiness.
Admittedly, there are generally no further encouraging stories on Vennerne & vejen, but the music stands as a strong counterpoint with fine harmonies, good guitar riffs and catchy choruses. To my ears, it has always been an uplifting album in spite, because music is so much more than accompanying lyrics. It's the final essence that really matters - and as a product, the album sends a refreshing and vibrant feel.
The front cover is credited Annemarie Albrectsen.
Strongly recommended.
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02 November 2014

C.V. Jørgensen "Lediggang agogo" (1983)

Lediggang agogo
release date: Feb. 1983
format: cd (MdCD 6130)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Nils Henriksen
label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark


7th studio album by C. V. Jørgensen released approx. 2½ years after his to date most successful and critically acclaimed Tidens tern, and with that comes a reunion with Nils Henriksen as both album producer and guitarist. Tidens tern was certainly a commercial highlight, but for C.V. it wasn't without costs, and after his break in '81 with Delta-Cross-Band, which had briefly been a regular backing band, it appears as if he now seeks - perhaps also by establishing greater self-control - to find his own path as an artist and as soloist . On this new album, Jørgensen is now the only one credited songs and music, and he's in charge controlling his music in a new musical direction as opposed to what seemed imminent after a commercial peak. The touring and the collaboration with Delta-Cross Band had come to an abrupt end in the Spring of '81 - C.V. didn't feel at home with the musical direction, and you could be tempted to ask yourself if he had felt trapped in the new narrow bonds. Billy Cross was co-composer on almost all tracks, and he was credited as musical arranger on a score he also produced. In that professional partnership, it's not difficult to see Jørgensen reduced to a vocalist and simple passenger on a cargo ship, over which he was no longer in control. Previously, he had only just freed himself from restrictive ties with Det Ganske Lille Band in the company of a number of stable musicians, only to find himself in even stronger ties. With Lediggang agogo, he finally stands alone as soloist with nine new tracks, and he has teamed up with guitarist Nils Henriksen, who produced T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser (1975) and Storbyens små oaser (1977). Former drummer Gert Smedegård is also back, but it is obviously not a desire to reunite old forces, because on both guitar and bass, Jørgensen has hand-picked Lars Hybel (from Warm Guns, also former member of Spillemændene) and percussionist Jacob Andersen (from Sneakers) - and apart from a few other participants, this is the tight little unit who plays on the album.
C.V. Jørgensen has already made significant style changes several times in his career. The first time was with Storbyens små oaser (1977) and a turn towards laid-back soft rock with distinct elements from jazz, and already on the sequel Vild i varmen (1978) he was in a new place jumping into mainstream pop / rock with bigger arrangements, a bolder uptempo beat and with the inclusion of funk. Tidens tern (1980) offered a distinctly American-arranged version of traditional rock with roots in blues rock, and now on this, his most recent album, C.V. finds himself in a softer version with focus on lyrics. The songs are supported by lighter arrangements, which appear to link more to a British version of soft rock and with tempting hints of new wave, which could have drawn inspiration from bands like The Kinks and the more uptempo tracks from The Knack. You'll find splashes of jazz, but overall it still appears as a rock album, where the production probably has become slightly more scrappy, but the end result is that it presents itself more in harmony with other contemporary rock releases.
The album was certainly not what the audience or reviewers expected. Some critics saw the production as narrow and thin, and Lediggang agogo 'only' sold 30,000 copies in contrast to the quadruple sales figures of its predecessor, but C.V. was apparently happy with the new expression.
In the early eighties I considered this a minor album, but in retrospect I think it's better than it was then regarded to be. Compared to his 1980 album, Lediggang agogo is perhaps narrower but at the same time, it's also more focused, and it contains a number of fine tracks. I really enjoy the sound of Lars Hybel's guitar, which nicely pulls the surf rock guitar into the present, and which recalls the strength of Warm Guns. Likewise, Henriksen's guitar adds a layer of quality with a flavour of Andy Summers. The simple but tight arrangements give a sense of newer European rather than older American styled music. The tone of the narratives has also changed. It's no longer C.V.'s raised index finger against everyday consumption and other people's daily lives but a less stomach-churning view of life - or a more nuanced view. There have also crept in more introspective lyrics in 'I' form, which may be found on "Fingeren på pulsen", "Johnny & Djiim", "Byen uden midler", and best of all on the two brilliant songs: "Verden fra mit vindue" and " Elisabeth", where the latter is with the singer's mother in mind.
As usual since '79, the cover is credited C.V.'s girlfriend, Annemarie Albrectsen
Recommended.
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06 April 2014

C.V. Jørgensen "Tidens tern" (1980)

Tidens tern
release date: 1980
format: cd (1994 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Billy Cross
label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark


6th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen following one year after Solgt til stanglakrids was originally his first album on the newly established Danish record label Medley. About the same time, his former label Metronome released the compilation Det Ganske Lille Bands bedste. The new studio album is C.V.'s only with Billy Cross (aka Billy Schwartz) as producer. Following two albums with producer Stig Kreutzfeldt, which had contributed in a broader pop / rock mainstream sound, Jørgensen began a collaboration with Delta-Cross Band in the wake of a completed tour with his normal backing band, who at the same time had embarked on a project with the aim to release music under the name of C.V. Moto. Free from usual collaborators, Jørgensen and Cross had composed the majority of the tracks for a new album with a more regular rock sound as accompaniment to a collection of new songs filled with social awareness. American guitarist Billy Cross had been lead guitarist in the band Topaz (where he performed under the name Billy Schwartz), later he was guitarist on Dylan's two albums from '78: Bob Dylan at Budokan and Street-Legal. In 1977 he began a collaboration with the Danish band Delta Blues Band in Denmark - and shortly afterwards now with Cross officially incorporated in the band, they changed name to Delta-Cross Band. For the album Tidens tern, Cross hired American sound engineer Jay Klugman, who had previously worked with prominent names such as Lou Reed, J. Geils, The Dictators, David Johansen, and The Blues Brothers - on the album he's credited as co-producer [perhaps rather brought in to help Cross fill the role as producer, since this is the very first album with Cross in a role of technical personnel?]. The music was recorded without anyone from C.V.'s normal backing band. Instead, Delta-Cross Band fills this part, which means that Billy Cross is credited on lead and rhythm guitar, he is co-composer, and additionally, he is also musical arranger, Søren Engel is bassist, Troels Jensen handles piano and organ, and Preben Feddersen is drummer. Seen in this light, it is quite natural that the album marks a new chapter in C.V. Jørgensen's discography.
Musically, it differs from his earlier but also his later albums by being kept in a more traditional rock style, which predominantly is based on an American blues rock school - as an obvious result of the strong influence of Delta-Cross Band. It's an album without funk rock, country rock, and folk-oriented mix that had come to characterise Jørgensen's last two albums, and instead this new album sounds more like a period-typical mix of pop / rock with obvious ties to Lou Reed, Link Wray, and perhaps even Springsteen. The songs here are simple harmony-based compositions with Jørgensen's characteristic vocals and lyrics. The combination proved to hold up quite well, at least in terms of raising critical acclaim and good sales figures. The reviewers were enthusiastic, and the album gave Jørgensen his first and probably biggest hit ever with the country plague "Costa del Sol", which soon became a Danish classic and which, four decades later, still is a song you'll hear played on national radio. In Scandinavia, Tidens tern lifted Jørgensen into the league with the greatest contemporary pop / rock artists, and at the beginning of the new millennium the album was selected and found worthy of inclusion in the Danish Agency of Culture's canon list of the finest Danish works [link].
What particularly works so fine on the album is the uncomplicated music in combination with Jørgensen's far from simple lyrics. When you think of his musical background with its sarcastic tone, which precisely had been the hallmark of the traditional political folk and singer / songwriter style he found inspiration from when he first started out as a songwriter, then it's perhaps not too difficult to imagine that C.V. simply himself had difficulty coming to terms with how his astute lyrics at times created a kind of distance to parts of his audience. By wrapping the lyrics in simple traditional rock arrangements, people may have found it easier to digest the extra layer his lyrics contributed. Granted, I still think the album is among his better, but C.V. didn't care much about it himself. He certainly toured with the music for a single year in company of Delta-Cross Band, but already in the Spring of '81 he ended his collaboration with Delta-Cross-Band only to make another artistic U-turn in an attempt to distance himself from the "Costa del Sol"-syndrome he felt subjected to. That also meant a minor break with the new mainstream pop / rock, for which he himself had become one of the biggest apologists.
Tidens tern is a Danish classic without actual fillers, and the album contains several fan favorites - tracks fans simply expected to be played at his concerts.
Once again, the front cover is credited C.V.'s girlfriend, Annemarie Albrectsen.
Great recommendation.
[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars (2018 reissue) ]

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18 July 2013

C.V. Jørgensen "Solgt til stanglakrids" (1979)

Solgt til stanglakrids
release date: maj 1979
format: cd (1988 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Stig Kreutzfeldt
label: CBS Records / Elap - nationality: Denmark


5th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen is originally his final on Metronome following 15 months after Vild i varmen (1978) and is C.V.'s second of two consecutive albums with producer Stig Kreutzfeldt. On this, C.V. is backed for the last time by Det Ganske Lille Band, here consisting of a quartet with 'the three regulars': guitarist and co-composer on most tracks, Ivan Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and drummer René Wulf, all three of whom have participated on Jørgensen's last three albums. The backing band is now without Thomas Grue, who only appears on Vild i varmen - he never really fell in with the relationships in the band and returned to play with Kim Larsen (and Frede Fup). In his place, keyboardist Lotte Rømer has taken over, she is also co-composer on the first track. Before recording the album, both Wulf and Horn had only just participated on Rømer's debut album and together they reportedly persuaded C.V. and Falck to include Rømer in Det Ganske Lille Band.
Musically, this is not a change of style. The band continues in the continued mainstream pop / rock or soft rock mix based on folk, country rock and funk rock that was heard on the predecessor. Likewise, the songs are like new chapters in the history of new trends in society, styles in art, moneymen, illusions and disillusions - in short: the contemporary lifestyle exposed to critical eyes with a good dose of irony added. It's just like taken from exactly the same shelf as C.V.'s previous album and in a way that it almost sounds like leftovers from the same recordings, and in retrospect it's not one of his best albums. Most of all because it is without strong numbers and good choruses. If you compare it with new musical currents such as new wave and punk rock, it is also remarkable how old-fashioned the album here sounds. However, it is quite clear that C.V. by no means overlooked the new trends. In the song "Surf à la mode" he talks about the new British band Siouxsie and the Banshees and notes that Siouxsie is the only interesting thing, because the band "i sig selv er nemlig ikke en nikkel værd - lige bortset fra som baggrundsfyld - af og til når det fungerer kan man ligesom abstrahere - fra den møgbeskidte lyd der fumles med" ['per se isn't worth a nickel except as background filler - occasionally, when it works, you may be able to ignore the dung-dirty sound they are fumbling with' (my translation)]. He continues his categorization of the band, which he clearly doesn't like: "vi har det ind imellem med at placere - ting på hovedet så hvem ved måske en skønne dag - er Siouxie og the Banshees på toppen - af hitlisterne landet over inklusive den hos Irma"['we sometimes turn things upside down, so who knows maybe one fine day Siouxie and the Banshees are topping the charts all across the country including the one at Sainsbury's' (my translation)]. Yes, yes, he has evidently noted new sounds in popular music, and no, he doesn't like it.
After three years of hectic life going from one concert to another, C.V. had to call it a day after a short tour with the new album. He was not a fan of the new band, in which Rømer and Horn now also formed a couple, and he needed a break, all the while the backing band continued to tour under the name C.V. Moto. He was now determined to move on artistically, and already in the autumn of '79 he announced to Horn, Falck, and Wulf that they had come to an end. With a collection of new songs written by C.V., with Lotte Rømer on vocal and with music by Rømer and (boyfriend) Ivan Horn, C.V. Moto released the stand-alone album Lampefeber in 1980. While the previous backing band had been busy touring and recording the new songs, Jørgensen had inititated a collaboration with Billy Cross, which simultaneosly led to the album Tidens tern (1980).
The reason I'm not a big fan of Solgt til stanglakrids isn't because of C.V.'s aversion to punk rock, it's simply because with this he basically stopped contributing with anything new to the collection of Danish classics and only delivers a few good songs to his repertoire. The band now sounds as if they are playing in 1973 while founding the music on J.J. Cale, Little Feat with the addition of guitar solos by Clapton and seem fully satisfied spitting out new songs as success rolls in. This is actually the first time you hear C.V. on repeat and without the ability, or the desire to move - and perhaps that was what he actually sensed himself when he made the decision to call it quits.
Incidentally, the cover is the first credited to C.V.'s girlfriend, Annemarie Albrectsen.
Not recommended.
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27 February 2013

C.V. Jørgensen "Vild i varmen" (1978)

Vild i varmen
release date: Feb. 1978
format: cd (1988 reissue) (460833 2)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Stig Kreutzfeldt
label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark


4th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen originally released on Metronome, is Jørgensen's first of two consecutive albums to be produced by Stig Kreutzfeld, who served as sound engineer on the nine-month-old predecessor Storbyens små oaser (May 1977) and who had otherwise made a name for himself as part of the psychedelic folk duo Stig & Steen in the early seventies. The album introduces a more mainstream pop / rock sound, where focus has shifted from a primarily folk rock and country rock expression to that of a broader soft rock style, often referred to as AOR (Adult-Oriented Rock), where the jazzy element is completely cut away. Jørgensen's backing band, Det Ganske Lille Band, has here been expanded to a quartet featuring three renowned names: guitarist Ivan Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and drummer René Wulf, who all appeared on the '77 album, as well as new member, guitarist Thomas Grue (from Kim Larsen's backing band and studio musician for Jomfru Ane, Røde Mor, etc.). Grue already joined the tour in the fall of '77 to release C.V. from the role of rhythm guitarist so he could concentrate on singing. Stig Kreutzfeldt is heard on keys, but what perhaps marks the biggest musical shift is revealed in the composer credits. On Jørgensen's three previous albums, he is alone to be credited as songwriter and composer, but here the majority of the tracks are credited 'Valentin - Horn / Valentin' - with Valentin as alias for C.V. Jørgensen as songwriter and most tracks dedicated 'Valentin - Horn' as an indication of having been composed by Jørgensen in collaboration with guitarist Ivan Horn, who also acted as musical arranger.
With Vild i varmen following only nine months after the successful Storbyens små oaser, it already marks another change of style, which here implies a move towards more uptempo tracks with a tighter rhythm section, as well as showcasing more melody-based guitar and an obvious inclusion of funk.
All in all, it's a style that caters far more to a mainstream audience with preferences for J.J. Cale, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, and Little Feat and approaching domestic popular artists such as Gnags, Bifrost, and Gasolin'. "Hotel Halleluja", "Lænker & laster", and "I en blågrå kupé" are this album's three additions to Jørgensen's classics, while the final track "Clue" he actually delivers a clear love song. During this period, C.V. Jørgensen was mainly perceived as a band, and it's with three albums in the course of three years that they tour country and kingdom as one of the biggest Danish names.
Vocalist C.V. Jørgensen shows Danish rock with a flair for smart stories about ordinary people's everyday life, which is far removed from Springsteen's romanticisation of the conditions of the working class. In C.V.'s small portraits, Danes and their working life are instead made fun of with sharp ironic distance in an anonymised form, which is addressed more generally to parts of the population. He has sharpened his pen and talks about alienation and narrow-mindedness in a new and entertaining way. The songs are packed with humour without loss of the lyrical facet with a strong sense for melody and chorus, which in a way always points back to an inspiration drawn in the expression from especially American folk rock songwriters.
Vild i varman is a quite coherent album with sharp lyrics and an uptempo beat, without the same laid-back jazzy coolness of his most recent album. It's an album that shows C.V.'s new path to a position at the top of the hierarchy in popular Danish rock.
Recommended.
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14 October 2012

C.V. Jørgensen "Storbyens små oaser" (1977)

Storbyens små oaser
release date: May 1977
format: cd (1988 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,02]
producer: Niels Henriksen
label: CBS Records / Elap - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Det ganske lille band" - 2. "Entertaineren" (5 / 5) - 3. "La containe" - 4. "Tobaksvejen" - 5. "Hamburger Sally" (4 / 5) - 6. "Storbybeduinen" - 8. "Bellevue" (5 / 5) - 9. "Abonnenten" (4 / 5)

3rd studio album by C.V. Jørgensen following two years after T-Shirts, terylenebukser & gummisko and originally released on Danish label Metronome. Nils Henriksen is again credited as producer, as on the predecessor, and although he is already a recognized guitarist, he is only credited additionally on backing vocals and on timbales. The album offers a reunion with guitarist Ivan Horn, who appeared on the debut album En stynet strejfer (1974), and together with bassist Erik Falck, keyboardist Per Wium, and new drummer René Wulf (replacing Gert Smedegård on the previous two albums), this is the quartet which became equated with 'Det ganske lille band', mentioned in the opening track, and for the rest of the decade was to become the unofficial name of C.V.'s backing band.
The album is generally regarded as Jørgensen's commercial and artistic breakthrough, and it marks a shift towards a softer version of folk rock with a distinct jazz tone. The significant inspiration from Dylan, The Band, Neil Young, and Little Feat is not absent but considerably toned down, just as new stylistic expressions have appeared. On this, you'll find similarities with soft rock from The Doobie Brothers, but especially country and blues influences from Steely Dan and J. J. Cale, which is the style now dominating Jørgensen's soundscape. In addition to the American artists in singer / songwriter, folk and country, there is a turn towards the British Isles with inspiration from Eric Clapton and new contemporary influences from David Bowie and Brian Eno. Bowie is mentioned on "Bellevue" and Per Wium plays a piano sequence on "Abonnenten", which was supposed to be inspired by Mike Garson's piano solo on Bowie's Aladdin Sane. In continuation of the new musical expression, C.V. also developed his songwriting in such a way that he expresses himself more satirically in relation to national politics and in comments about Danish everyday life.
The majority of contemporary Danish musicians spoke unequivocally and strongly confrontationally against conservatism and older generations from a clear left-wing perspective, which often seemed like a bombardment without nuances. Together with Kim Larsen, Sebastian, and Trille, C.V. Jørgensen appeared as one of a few significant songwriters who would be able to carry on the legacy of Eik Skalø - a position he not only maintained, but also came to substantiate in the coming years, and by the end of the decade he positioned himself as perhaps the best and most important Danish songwriter of a generation.
I was already quite familiar with C.V.'s music from early on, but this album was my first acquisition by C.V. Jørgensen, and I purchased that album simply because it was already considered a modern classic. Over the years, its status hasn't exactly faded. The Danish music magazine Gaffa chose Storbyens små oaser to represent C.V. Jørgensen on its list of the best Danish albums ever. Four decades later, it still has classic status - and especially in comparison with other acclaimed releases from 1977, and in a Danish musical historical context, you cannot skip Storbyens små oaser.
Highly recommended.


~ ~ ~
This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

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22 February 2012

C.V. Jørgensen "T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser" (1975)

original cover
T-Shirts, gummisko & terylenebukser
release date: 1975
format: *cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Nils Henriksen
label: Frituna - nationality: Denmark


2nd studio album by C.V. Jørgensen and the follow-up to En stynet strejfer (1974) originally C.V.'s second and final on the label Hookfarm. The album is his first with actual producer credit, attributed guitarist Nils Henriksen (from the band Culpeper's Orchard), who would also later produce the sequel, on which he got a more significant part, but with this album he actually initiated his career as a record producer. The backing band is largely identical to the musicians from the debut. Per Wium has taken over the role as guitarist from Ivan Horn, but both bassist Erik Falck and drummer Gert Smedegård participate here. Although, Nils Henriksen contributes on slide and electric guitar, his role here is primarily as producer, whereas on later albums he took a more prominent part in Jørgensen's backing band playing guitar and keyboards. Incidentally, the album's title is a line from the first track, where the words come in a different order: "...han rendte fremmedgjort rundt på Vesterbro iført T-shirts terylenebukser og gummisko".
Musically, Jørgensen's first two albums are closely related in that both are clear expressions of psychedelic rock, and they also both take their point of departure from roots rock and folk rock, as characterised by The Band, Neil Young, Little Feat, and Dylan in particular. At the same time, both albums also point in several directions - sometimes they are experimental and bold psychedelic expressions, where you hear hints of inspiration from Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, and Cream), at times you'll notice an influx of funk rock, and at other times the music is characterised more by straightforward folk rock and country rock, which sometimes makes the band sound like a Danish copy of British and American idols. With this album, Jørgensen introduces a more distinctive narrative style of his own towards more positive stories with a touch of irony in portraits of people like himself: artists on the road, young people doing nothing or who are searching for their path in life, or when he outlines the daily life of common people.
T-Shirts, gummisko... was promoted with the release of the single "Flik-flakker" which didn't come close to a national success. However, the album clearly helped establish C.V. Jørgensen as a new Danish songwriter worth keeping an eye on, and the album paved the way for a better record deal. It's not an album that has aged particularly well, and in the main it mostly sounds like Jørgensen and band, who are attempting to make a Danish version of what international names have already established. Still, the album is a clear evidence of the development that C.V. has started, and especially with tracks like "På en fortovsrestaurant" and "Pak dit grej" it points quite nicely in the direction of the much more original and solid third album, Storbyens små oaser (1977), where he demonstrates a new high level in contemporary Danish rock songwriting.
The album was released with two different covers: the first edition had a 'beach' front cover (à la Neil Young On the Beach), whereas a later edition came with a 'portrait' cover.
*included on the compilation De 2 første ['The first two'] (2004), a 2-cd-release containing Jørgensen's first two albums.

'portrait' cover


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12 January 2012

C.V. Jørgensen "En stynet strejfer" (1974)

En stynet strejfer [debut]
release date: 1974
format: *cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: non-produced (rec. with sound engineer Werner Scherrer)
label: Frituna - nationality: Denmark


Studio album debut by Danish singer / songwriter C.V. Jørgensen aka Carsten Jørgensen - in whose name the V is for 'Valentin' which is an artistic addition - originally released on the label Hookfarm.
C.V. Jørgensen is credited as songwriter and composer of all nine tracks, on on this he is backed by guitarist Ivan Sonne Horn, bassist Erik Falck, and by drummer Gert Smedegård Andreasen.
Musically, the album places itself far from Jørgensen's later releases by being a fairly experimental and psychedelic rock release (with some inspiration from The Mothers of Invention and Cream) as well as being folk rock-founded with clear inspiration in Bob Dylan. As songwriter, Jørgensen narrates in a contemporary stereotypical psychedelic style, which bears some of the same features as early compositions by Marc Bolan, and especially the lyrics by the two fellow-countrymen songwriter Leif Roden in Alrune Rod and Eik Skalø as heard on the landmark debut by Steppeulvene: Hip (1967).
The album didn't attract much recognition, and several tracks also sound like jam sessions in the studio without a clear direction - perhaps inspired by Captain Beefheart? - but on the other hand it's clear that the participating musicians are skilled instrumentalists, and already here, Jørgensen has a distinct original vocal quality, which attracts some attention to the lyrics.
In Jørgensen's discography, the album shares several similarities with the sequel T-Shirts, gummisko og terylenebukser (1975), and together they may be seen as part of his formative years on an artistic journey somewhat detached from his later style and works.
On the album here, the individual compositions at times sound like several connected ideas, where one melodic line is abruptly juxtaposed with another - which was probably an artistic choice that defined a certain music, which was not only chaotic, but nevertheless, could be seen as a result of an improvisational approach - again with some reference to the old Captain.
En stynet strejfer is an interesting piece of music history, which mostly functions as fan material.
*included on the compilation De 2 første ['The first two'] (2004), a 2-cd-release containing Jørgensen's first two albums.
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