Dear All!
Today is Christmas Eve, and I’m writing this from the homeland of the original Santa Claus. Finland.
Great with a few days rest during the Festive season, and perhaps some time to listen to music we haven’t had time to listen to, read books we haven’t had time to read, see films we haven’t had time to watch, meet people we haven’t met for long, and do thinks we’ve planned to do but have not.
Below are some ideas for the moments of stillness and rest that perhaps appear between eating, socializing, partying and/or doing what’s on the program for these days.
And, spare a thought for all that will not be fortunate to experience a peaceful, jolly Christmas season 2023, here, there and everywhere, especially for innocent children trapped in places torned and hit by extreme war machines and the innocent victims of sharply widening welfare gaps.
To All of You, From All of Me:
Have a Peaceful, Merry Christmas!
I dag är Julafton och jag skriver dessa rader från den sanna Jultomtens hemland, Finland.
Skönt med några dagars vila i jultid, kanske tid att lyssna på den musik vi inte hunnit höra, läsa de böcker vi inte hunnit läsa, se de filmer vi inte hunnit se, träffa de människor vi inte hunnit träffa, och göra de saker vi planerat men inte hunnit med.
Här nedan några tips för de stillhetens vilans ögonblick som kanske uppstår mellan måltider, socialisering, fester och/eller allt annat som finns med i helgprogrammet.
Och, skänk en tanke till alla dem som inte är lyckligt lottade att få uppleva en fridfull, fredlig eller glad Jul 2023, här, där, och överallt, och särskilt till alla oskyldiga barn utelämnade på platser som träffats och slagits ut av extrema krigsmaskinerier och oskyldiga som drabbats av skarpt vidgade välfärdsklyftor.
Till Er Alla från Hela Mig,
Ha en Fridfull, God Jul!
FOR CHRISTMAS HOIDAY / Julhelgens tips
TV-series: Bron (The Bridge) Season 1-4, Blueray box set. Perhaps the best ever detective thriller series and my favorite. All four seasons are great, even though series 2 might be my personal favorite. The theme song and episode intro scenery are fantastic together, puts you right in the mood and vibe. Intelligent and cool Swedish-Danish cooperation.
TV-series 2: An older favorite (1993, Series One) is Cracker, a detective series with a criminal psychologist as main character, wonderfully played by the late, great Robbie Coltrane. Not as dark as The Bridge, and with humor and human shortcomings almost as central to the series as crime-solving. A classic tv-series, available on DVD.
New Albums:
Lars Winnerbäck: Neutronstjärnan. This is a strong contender for album of the year. High-class throughout, from wonderful opener Min gata i stan to ending song Vår tid.
Depeche Mode: Memento Mori. What a strong return from Depeche Mode the year they lost founder member Andy Fletcher. However, the album was actually conceived before Andy’s death. Live cuts from Berlin or Barcelona for example, (see youtube-liveclips from these gigs) show that the two remaining members are putting on a great live show. Sad they did not play in Helsinki this summer, the biggest live disappointment of the year when that concert was cancelled.
Udo Lindenberg & Das Panikorchester: Live (6CD/ 6 LP). New box set. Last 4 records are great, and mostly with versions that have not been available on vinyl before. The first two are from albums available before on vinyl and, well, fine, but could still have been replaced by strong versions that are not available on vinyl, like an excellent Das Leben with Nathalie Dorra. But as a live-taster of a long prolific career, a very nice live box.
Retro Albums:
Funf Sterne Deluxe: Die Leude (12”). Cool remixes of a great hip hop hit by this Hamburg crew. I strongly like the cuts Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and Newsledder too. Party on!
Die Fantastischen Vier: LiveundDirekt (2CD/3LP). Classic early live and remix album from the biggest Hip Hop crew in Germany. Bought both versions during my last trip to Germany. Great, and quite costly on vinyl.
R.E.M.: Tour ’95 (Part 1). Found this CD for one (!) euro on the same trip as above, this December. A great bargain. Always room for fine versions of songs like What’s the frequency, Kenneth? and Man on the Moon.
Christmas Album: I always buy one album that I open on Christmas Eve. No, not Christmas music. Just great music I really want to enjoy and have time to listen to. This year I went for Deichkind: Bitte Ziehen Sie Durch (3 LP). The Jubiläums-Edition, including also rarities and remixes. On three coloured vinyls. Great album! And just the right colour for Christmas on first vinyl, Christmas red! The other two are orange and white - and, more importantly, the musical content is fabulous.
Book: Street Art in Zeiten der Klimakrise, är en liten men tänkvärd bok med graffiti som genialt illustrerar miljömedvetenhet och protest. Snyggt, coolt, och väldigt allvarligt. Korta styckeslånga texter på tyska kan man googletranslate, illustrationerna är det centrala.
Book: Risto Vuorimies: Pyörremyrsky - Hurriganes-kuvia 1973-1976. Kan det bli för mycket Hurriganes? Tveksamt. Det mest legendariska finska rockbandet, i Finland, har senaste åren kommit ut i flera tidigare outgivna liveinspelningar från hela sin storhetstid. Risto Vuorimies tog de klassiska bilderna under hela Love records-eran och här är bilder och texter från de tre första åren, med den klassiska uppsättningen Remu-Cisse-Abe. Fin julläsning. Och för den riktigt detaljintresserade kom i höst också en bok om bandets utveckling dag för dag. Petri Lahtis Houlama! - Hurriganes päivä päivältä 1971-1984.
Bok retro: Tim Marshall: Geografins makt. Boken kom ut redan 2015, men i år i svensk pocketupplaga. Angeläget, inte minst i vårt tid, om hur geografin påverkar oss, och formar historien. Läsvärd!
Peace on Earth!
God Jul! Merry Christmas! Hyvää Joulua! Frohe Weinachten! 🎅🏻🎄
