Susanna And The Magical Orchestra / Melody Mountain
Album: Melody Mountain   Collection:General
Artist:Susanna And The Magical Orchestra   Added:Nov 2006
Label:Rune Grammofon  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2007-04-15 Pull Date: 2007-06-17
Week Ending: Jun 17 Jun 10 Jun 3 May 20 May 13 May 6 Apr 29 Apr 22
Airplays: 1 2 1 3 1 2 3 8

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 04, 2023: Some Songs Without Words
It's A Long Way To The Top
4. Jun 06, 2007: I once was Canadian
Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. Jul 27, 2013: Music Casserole
Hallelujah
5. Jun 06, 2007: Anywhere Out Of The World
It's Raining Today
3. Jun 13, 2007: I Once was Canadian
Love Will Tear Us Apart
6. May 17, 2007: Fiction Romance
Crazy, Crazy Nights

Album Review
David McWade
Reviewed 2007-01-15
Very ethereal, mostly minimal ballads-- and, an album of covers.

Norwegian singer Susanna Wallumrod has a unique way of making a song her own, and to fill the lyrics with the emotional content they require.* This was made very clear with her stunning interpretation of Dolly Parton's classic 'Jolene' recorded for the duo's debut album 'List of Lights and Buoys' (2004)-- a song covered by many artists, but seldom with such heartfelt sincerity.

With Melody Mountain they have chosen to do an album of only interpretations, some quite radical, of mostly well-known songs, all personal and moving (and slowed-down, usually) performances with Morten Qvenild's naked and to the bone playing an important part of the overall soundscape.

best: 3, 5, 8* (4, 7, 10 also strong)* FCC clean

(1) (Leonard Cohen) 'Hallelujah'* (begins with a whisper, close to
acapella, faint keyboard and 4AD-ish [or 'In This World'-era Cindytalk]
background string-like arrangements)
(2) (AC/DC) 'It's A Long Way To The Top'* (stark harpsichord)
(3) (Matt Burt) 'These Days' (piano, sparse, excellent)
(4) (Prince) 'Condition Of The Heart' (most radio-accessible track, in the commercial sense)
(5) (Joy Division) 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' (amazing, I think electronic keyboards, slow)
(6) (KISS) 'Crazy, Crazy Nights' (similar rhythm/structure to #1)
(7) (Bob Dylan) 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' (sparse instrumentation, gets more developed with about 2:20 left, then sparse again with about 1:00 left)
(8) (Scott Walker) 'It's Raining Today' (echoic vocals interplaying with similar ambient-ish echoic synth a la Harold Budd, vocals become more prominent with 2:05 left, really good if you're patient)
(9) (Depeche Mode) 'Enjoy The Silence' (similar instrumentation to #5, but with one more layer of Budd-ish ambience)
(10) (Fairport Convention) 'Fotheringay' (synth-woodwind sound)

Track Listing
1. Hallelujah   6. Crazy, Crazy Nights
2. It's A Long Way To The Top   7. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
3. These Days   8. It's Raining Today
4. Condition Of The Heart   9. Enjoy The Silence
5. Love Will Tear Us Apart   10. Fotheringay