Search - Frida :: Ensam

Soft core porn cover; hard core fans' delight

Marcus Aurelius | PA USA | 12/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have a taste for the downright weird--my favorite Christmas album is Kiki and Herb's DO YOU HEAR WHAT WE HEAR, love the Stones version of "As Tears Go By" in Italian, and Abba somehow fit into the mix. There's something about it when they sing that they're "feeling like a number one" that makes me happy, shudder, and smirk at the same time. Abba recordings in Swedish are even better--one is not distracted by the lyrics, and I can listen to the music for what it is--well crafted, light, and meaningless. This cd answers my taste for the bizarre and the musical needs that call out to me in the middle of the night. Frida's voice is just fine on her own. While nothing is on the level of su-pa-pa-trou-pa-pa, I never thought I'd hear Bowie's "Life on Mars" with new years. It was made for this Swedish lyric. There's a no frills version of Brian Wilson's "Wouldn't it be Nice"; if only Brian had moved to Scandinavia during his darkest hours to deprive himself of sunlight, perhaps he could have written the Swedish lyrics sung here. Oh yea, Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" deserves lyrics that only Swedes can understand but the rest of us can enjoy. I never liked Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, but listen to "Young Girl" a few times in Swedish, and you'll have visions of Frida in a 7th Cavalry uniform. Great for driving by yourself or sharing with neighbors who play their music too loud. If you love Frida, it's a must; if you just revel in the balance between unbelievable and likeable, this is just for you. It's like The Shaggs learned to play and moved to Sweden."