February 7 - Trist at det skulle ende slik

This is the end of the first week of great Norwegian music that isn't Motorpsycho - and I think the song I have chosen fits the occasion. The song is called Trist at det skulle ende slik - or "It's sad that it should come to this" I think that means that there will be another week of great Norwegian music later this year - but I have other plans for next week.

I came to Raga Rockers in 1988 - or should I say that they came to me. I was working in Radio Ung, and this record came in with a fairly interesting cover - it was their fourth album, called Forbudte Følelser (Forbidden Emotions), and when the needle dropped on the first track, I liked what I heard - but when it reached track 4, I was hypnotized and mesmerized. The song was Rundt og Rundt (Around and Around - but with no relation to Chuck Berry's classic song). The riff churns and churns, and the monotony of the vocals suits it perfectly.

Seeing them live was seeing a solid band, but they were pretty static. The singer, Michael Krohn, stood pretty much straight up and down - but the music gained so much more power played live. I started diving into their back catalogue, and their debut album, The Return of the Raga Rockers, has some great songs on it. The song Trist at det skulle ende slik is about how people change and abandon their ideals as they grow older, and as I grow older, the meaning of it grows with me - although I don't think it's sad that it should come to this...