More Swedes on the menu today. A couple of the finest songs of the past decade or so, these, for me. First off, there's Starfriend by Freewheel, which is quite possibly the best song you've never heard; three minutes and forty seven seconds of pure pop perfection (honestly!). Mere words can't do justice to its sheer wondrousness, so I won't even try. Just suck it and see. The fact that the song - which is now 10 years old - never became a worldwide smash is, and shall remain, a complete mystery to me. Was it even a hit in Sweden? If not, then there really is no justice. Pah
!Secondly, it's fellow Swedes Ray Wonder with We Got To Be Good To Each Other, a supreme, life-affirming blast of indie powerpop,
which fans of The Wannadies and Eggstone might well appreciate. I've only heard one album of RW's - A New Kind of Love - but I must say I do like the cut of their jib. (What strange phrases the English language often throws up - not literally, that would be hideous. Aha! etc)
Anyway, as with so many other bands you'll find on this blog, both Freewheel and Ray Wonder are sadly no longer together. Yet still Robbie Williams sells millions of records. The God of pop's a funny bugger, and no mistake.
Freewheel - Starfriend.mp3
Ray Wonder - We Got To Be Good To Each Other.mp3
Buy Freewheel stuff here
Buy Ray Wonder stuff here
Ray Wonder - We Got To Be Good To Each Other.mp3
Buy Freewheel stuff here
Buy Ray Wonder stuff here
3 comments:
Thanks for giving Freewheel some much deserved praise. I used to be a proud owner of their CD but unfortunately had to sell it - along with most of my collection... Ouch! - when I was in desperate need of cash back in the early 00's. Finding your excellent blog and rediscovering them made me go on a hunt trying to locate a copy, but it's nowhere to be found!
Oh, and by the way, the song was never a hit here in Sweden, although their song 'Sweet Swedish winter' (another brilliant single) was a favourite on Swedish radio. The album received great reviews in the press but as we all sadly know that doesn't ensure success.
I REALLY need to find that album. It's pure pop perfection from start to finish!
Hey linus. Thanks for the feedback. I'm amazed Starfriend wasn't a hit in Sweden. I wonder if it charted anywhere?
But it's good to know Sweet Swedish Winter made a bit of a splash at least. I agree - that's another brilliant song. Hope you find another copy of the album someday... in the meantime, here's an mp3 of SSW for you. Enjoy!
12 Sweet Swedish Winter.mp3
Ah, I've been searching for that Ray Wonder single for what feels like ever. I heard it 4-5 years ago on Radio K in the Twin Cities, and that's pretty much the last I've heard of it. You, sir, have made my day.
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