Lionheart rev. & canasta

[Marcel Rijs <100276.2176@compuserve.com>]

Hi,
 
Hey, another Dutchman on gaffa! Gezellig!
nvbaren@bio.vu.nl (Nico van Baren) writes:
 
> Now there is something that struck me in most people's lists: the
> uniformly low rating of Lionheart. This also holds true for me.
> Although I can claim no psychic knowledge of what went on in the
> studio when LH was made, to me it has an atmosphere of being a
> rushed job, for which quite a few songs from her large collection
> of 'old' songs were used (since a number of the songs can also be
> found among the Cathy Demos).
 
Indeed, Lionheart's low rating is rather uniform among KaTeFans. I
have always wondered why, since it's such a wonderful, beautiful
album. I guess if an other artist would've recorded it she would
have been praised to death. But anyway, that wasn't the issue, this
was:
 
> Now this led me to the following What-If: What if KaTe had picked
> some other songs from her KolleKTion?
[And the following tracklist appears:]
> (A): Symphony in Blue / The Craft of Love / Wow / Pick the Rare
> Flower / Something like A Song
> (B):  Nevertheless / Keeping me Waiting / Kashka from Bagdad /
> Coffee Homeground / Hammer Horror
 
I think this tracklist is interesting, but it changes the whole
atmosphere of the album, of course. Anyway, I think the point Nico
raises is an interesting one. I would have missed "In the warm
room" and "In search of Peter Pan" intensely, not to mention the
title-track "Oh England". KaTe may not like this song, as well as
many of her fans, but it's one of her most beautiful songs
IM(definately not)HO.
But, this is the remark I mainly wanted to make: are there more
people who think "Frightened eyes" would have been beautiful when
performed with a big orchestra? I think she shouldn't have
discarded that jewel, as well as "A rose growing old", which is her
finest piece pre-TKI.
 
> I'd love to hear other gaffans' & Love-Hounds' ideas &
> suggestions on this subject. Track-lists, anyone...?
 
Okay, I'll give you one:
A - A rose growing old / Symphony in blue / In search of Peter Pan
/ Wow / Frightened eyes / Oh England my Lionheart
B - I don't see why I shouldn't (Pick the rare flower) / In the
warm room / In my garden (Something like a song) / Coffee
Homeground / Hammer horror
 
BTW, I really don't like "Coffee Homeground" that much. I would be
tempted to replace it with "Lionhearts". (Would be pretty fitting
for the album too, two songs referring to it). But I think too many
people like "Homeground", and it would of course be very unkind to
Peter F-M, what would he call his Wonderful Magazine after...? :)
 
Also, you'll notice I put 11 songs on the album. That's because I
think Lionheart is too short as it is...
 
Finally, something else: does someone know what "Canasta" (as in
"Playing Canasta") is? I don't think I know that game...
 
> N.B. I don't expect KaTe ever to return to these songs; wonderful
> as it would be to have some of these songs recorded with a band,
> I like her current work just as much.
 
Well, I hereby officially announce the KaTe Covered project
started: covering these demos would be a perfect opportunity to
make those songs sound near-professional! So if you're interested
in recording a Kate-song, do e-mail me, and I'll give you more
info!
 
Regards,
 
Marcel Rijs * "Conan the librarian" * Den Haag * The Netherlands
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100276.2176@compuserve.com                          mfgr@sara.nl