Roxette - Have a Nice Day

Roxette rocks yet! This album made me a fan!

Two ears are barely enough to appreciate this power-pop tour de force. I thought Roxette was a one-hit-wonder but somehow I surfed into this CD a few weeks back and I noticed that even a used copy cost more than most CDs do when they are new. Then I read the rave reviews and listened to the sound samples and decided to pony up the big bucks and buy this disc.

Boy am I glad I did! This CD is quite literally worth its weight in gold to me. It must be one of the great power-pop albums of all time. To me, this represents the culmination of Roxette's approach to music much the same way Pet Sounds represents the culmination of the Beach Boys' approach. And, like Pet Sounds, when I start listening to this CD it's
very difficult to stop without listening to the end. I wouldn't call this a "concept" album per se, but it is well paced and balanced between serveral styles all in the greater genre called "power pop".

This album really has it all. You've got the hard driving dance-pop sounds of Crush On You and 7 Twenty 7, both of which I didn't want to like but I finally gave in and admitted to myself that they rocked. If you like power ballads, this album has Roxette doing what they do best (in my opinion it's the 70's style power ballad style where Roxette really stands out) in Wish I Could Fly, Anyone, Salavation, and the more subdued and gorgeous I Was So Lucky.

Then there's the wonderfully catchy Waiting for The Rain which is the kind of song you'd hear played on the radio every hour back in the 60's. And, I really grew to like the quirky euro-pop Stars. It sounds like something Abba would have done. And there's more! There's not a single throwaway track on this album.

The greatness of Roxette, in my opinion, is that they sound just like most of the music I've listened to over the past thirty years or so, only just a bit better. Most every song on this album reminds me of something I've heard and enjoyed before, but Roxette does it all just a little bit more thoughtfully and professionally than most everyone else. They've got a sound that is very polished and yet fun and spontaneous at the same time. Marie Fredriksson is definitely a superior rock vocalist who really makes you believe that she believes what she's singing. Their lyrics are just a bit more clever than most lyrics you find in this type of music. At first I found it annoying when Per Gessle took the lead vocal, as I'm partial to female vocalists, but his sound grew on me as I listened to this album.

This album sounds like it was a real labor of love, and as the song says, "I Was So Lucky" that I surfed into it. October 10, 2006

File under fun

There's a place for this stuff. It's definitely not for when you're intent on running for office and changing the world; it's for when the sun is shining and you just want to smile and forget for the moment how much the people you've elected are Not Helping.

Marie and Per are very good at granting such a wish. They rank right up there with both Andy and Vince and Neil and Chris in the realm of the great Europop duos, and this is probably their finest outing.

It has been suggested to me that my credibility as a musicologist has been somewhat diminished by the fact that I regard "7 Twenty 7" as one of the great songs of all time. So be it. The joy that these shameless purveyors of pop pageantry are capable of bringing in the space of three or four minutes is undeniable. August 7, 2006

More dancey departure from Roxette

This is a more dancey departure for Roxette but still has their unique trademark sound. There are some real humdingers on this album. It goes from being almost overly melancholic and sentimental and sad in places to being really dancier than anything they have done before. It is a darker album with pehaps less of the bubblegum happy rock of earlier albums. It is an album of extremes. The hot ones are real hot and not so hot are not so hot.
Crush On You should have been a hit on the dance floor. Why was it not released? By golly. Awesome lyrics. Would have made people stand up and take notice. Played it to a friend and he said it was the most sexual songs he'd ever danced to. Dunno about that but definitely a dnace hit.
Wish I Could Fly - Soulful ballad with hints of melancholy. Nice shades of light and dark. Cool beat too.
You can't put your arms about what's already gone - Really like this song. Some professional reviewer said this was the best Roxette song ever. Fancy that. It is quite a cool song. Some cool stuff happening in the background.
Waiting For the Rain - This song is awesome with its 60s feel. Should have been a single. Really stands out.
Anyone - Powerful heartfelt ballad. Rips your heart out. Nicely builds up and launches into Maries awesome voice.
It Will Take A Long Long Time - quite a nice catchy number with memorable chorus. A bit corny in some places though.
7Twenty7 - Now I really like this one. Its awesome. And should have bene a single. Its got cool lyrics. And is rocky and dancey at the same time. Has a cool melody.
I was so lucky - Not one of my favourites. A bit too sad and empty for me. Nice brass though.
Stars - Love it or hate it. The childrens choir. Should have been a dance hit world over. Cool video.
Salvation - Big cranking ballad. Soulful and mournful. Melancholic. Big chorus.
Pay The Price - To me this is a bit of a throwaway. Not one of my faves. Lyrically poor.
Cooper - Definitely one of the highlights of the album. I like the lyrics. Its dark and interesting. Its like Per doing Luka by Suzanne Vega with a bit more of a Scandanavian feel. Should have been a single. Nice folky storylike quality to it.
Staring At the Ground - Catchy number.
Beautiful Things - Often Roxette's album closers are some of their best songs. Perfect Day, Queen of Rain Go to Sleep, Listen to Your Heart. Another ballad this is. Perhaps not quite the same impact as those but still a nice enough number.


June 7, 2006

Roxette's Finest Album Overall

This is the BEST album Roxette released. Dance-floor worthy "Crush On You", fantastic first single "Wish I Could Fly" and 60's inspired "Waiting For The Rain" being the true standouts. The entire album failed to get a US deal -- not a huge shock considering the duo's last charting single was "Sleeping In My Car" (#50) in 1994 -- which is unfortunate since this album is strong on sound. Roxette was never a group for deep and meaningful lyrics, but that is totally irrevelant. "Wish I Could Fly" got some minor US play when it was included on "Don't Bore Us, Get To The Chorus", issued through lesser-known label Edel America Records. An absolute must for EuroPop fans. January 26, 2004

Shows them to be one of the most underrated bands.

In Denmark, it is generally regarded as lack of musical insight to like (Swedish) Roxette - it's regarded as something only kids listen to, and which you are supposed to put away "when you grow older and wiser". And whenever someone are going to express how great some new singer is, they do it by stating that "she has a voice that makes Marie Frederiksson from Roxette sound like a sick goat".

Now really, one should think there would be a limit to how stupid people should be, but (re)listening to this album, I start having my doubts. Roxette had their major breakthrough with Look Sharp, and seemeed to reach the peek of their succes with Joyride, but regarding the quality of their music, HAND is by far the culmination - even dwarwing the excellent Joyride!

This album has the perfect blend of about 25 % power-pop hits, as only Roxette can do them, complete with silly lyrics and an absolutely irresistable charm - Crush On You, You Can't Put Your Arms Around What's Already Gone and Stars. Let me quote from Crush On You:

"I'm freezin' in the summer / I'm sweatin' in the winter / No middle in the centre / No colours in the printer / No treatment at the pharmacy / No lessons learned from history / No future in the factory / No meaning in the poetry / No changin' in the weather / No Elvis in the leather / I want you now or never.

Good God I thiought the first time I heard this, but believe me, for all I tried to resist, it was impossible: This song is superb! And even better is Stars - I can't believe anyone can sit still to that song!

Next ingredient: 25% plain rock ear-catchers - 7Twenty7, Pay The Price and Staring At The Ground. One might ask what makes these songs special, and I suppose nothing does really, but ... nobody does it better. It's not sofisticated, there's nothing new, but damn - it works! And if it works, why fix it?

And then the final ingredient, which does the difference - 50 % power balads, as nobody else can do it. And this album features none less than 8 of them - of which at least 7 of them are at least as good as any of their earlier love songs! From an end ... Wish I Could Fly, Waiting For The Rain, Anyone, It Will Take A Long Long Time, I Was So Lucky, Salvation, Cooper and Beautiful Things. It might be unfair to mention any of them specifically, because they are all very different and all very perfect ... from the dreamy sound of Wish I Could Fly, featuring up-to-date, silent drumpatterns; to the perfect Motown-sound-a-like Waiting For The Rain - has anyone made a better Motown-sounding song since Phil Collin's remake of You Can't Hurry Love?; to the chilling Anyone, featuring all the pain of a broken heart:

"Anyone who felt like I do / Anyone who wasn't ready to fall / Anyone who loved like I do / knows it never really happens at all / It's over when it's over / What can I do about it / now that it's over."

Then, falling in love again on I Was So Lucky and Salvation - both among the most beautiful love songs I know. But, though it is hard to believe, considering the quality of the other songs, Roxette are saving the best for last with Beautiful Things, which is, well, undescribable ... so pained and lonely, and at the same time so tender.

"Beautiful things are comin' my way. Beautiful things, I want them to stay. But after a while my beautiful things don't seem beautiful at all. Terrible things like when you wake up and all of your dreams Seem to crack up. Like things you have done like breakin' my heart. For you it don't seem terrible at all. Is there someone I can talk to? Someone on the line? Does anybody want to hear What's on my mind?" May 2, 2003

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