Twisted - Del Amitri

Twisted was released in 1995 and since that day has been one of the most loved, most listened to and most comforting cds in my collection.
I think that anyone who really likes music wants to find that one special band, that one particular sound that makes everything seem just that little bit easier when you hear it.
For me, Del Amitri is that band.
I listen to their music and for that time i feel uplifted, happy, relaxed, comfortable ...
...i am listening to some very accomplished musicians.
And so, to Twisted, i would say, in my opinion, this is their best known album. Certainly amongst people i know anyway.
I also know someone who claims to hate Del Amitri and yet even he admits to liking 3 of the songs on this album, which i think speaks volumes in respect of this being a very fine album indeed.
I'll try to give a little bit of information about each song and ... more

Twisted was released in 1995 and since that day has been one of the most loved, most listened to and most comforting cds in my collection.
I think that anyone who really likes music wants to find that one special band, that one particular sound that makes everything seem just that little bit easier when you hear it.
For me, Del Amitri is that band.
I listen to their music and for that time i feel uplifted, happy, relaxed, comfortable and more to the point, content with the fact that i am listening to some very accomplished musicians.
And so, to Twisted, i would say, in my opinion, this is their best known album. Certainly amongst people i know anyway.
I also know someone who claims to hate Del Amitri and yet even he admits to liking 3 of the songs on this album, which i think speaks volumes in respect of this being a very fine album indeed.
I'll try to give a little bit of information about each song and hope that anyone reading this stays to the end!!

Food for songs:- The most uptempo song on the album. It has a rocky feel and kicks the album off nicely.

Start with me:- Another rocky sounding song. About being with someone who wants to save the world and all you want is for them to start with saving you.

Here and now:- For anyone who listens to the radio you will have probably heard this. It is one of Del Amitri's songs that can actually be catogorised as pop. It's a lovely song if you let yourself take the words in. about the fact that nothing that might happen matters. That the feeling of love between 2 people and just being with them is all that counts "here and now".
"You can turn traitor, you can turn on your heels, but you can't change later, here and now just how good we can feel".

One thing left to do:- This is a heartbreaking song, cleverly written and Justin Currie captures the sentiment exactly in his voice. About not being able to give enough to the person you are with.
"What you wanted i couldn't give, i guess i needed it to live. And did you want me to give my heart to you? Well i wanted to but i wasn't sure who it belonged to".

Tell her this:- This is about being crazy about someone but not being brave enough to say it until you realise how much pain it is causing.

Being somebody else:- About pretending to be somebody you aren't and ultimately losing sight of who you are.
The lyrics are very clever in this song and make more sense the more you listen to it.
"The troops in your head won't obey what you say and the mutiny seems to spread, and all you can hear is a voice in your ear and it's telling you that you are dead".

Roll to me:- Another radio favourite! About knowing someone who goes from bad situation to bad situation and you just want them to come to you. Very pop sounding with a bouncy catchy tune. The video for this single is also worth checking out as its quite amusing.

Crashing down:- Again i think the more you listen to the lyrics in this song the more poignant they become.
About surrounding yourself with fun people and beautiful things but when they go, being left with only loneliness.
"You'll be hurting in a way you can't explain and all those pretty things you love will look so vain. Cos the laughing crowd is such a hopeless sound when loneliness comes crashing down".

It might as well be you:- About being lonely and missing someone and just wanting to fill that void with someone, even if just for one night and it doesn't matter who.
"It might as well be you that i wake up to tomorrow, it might as well be you that tonight whispers my name. And it might as well be you that i cling to, that i laugh with and sing to, that i kiss goodbye and never see again"
Not the most romantic song i admit, but still cleverly written.

Never enough:- How many of us have felt we wanted more at some point?! I know i have. That's what this is about, wanting more. "Life ain't worth living without a little love, but a little love is never enough".

It's never too late to be alone:- About everything seemingly being ok but knowing deep down its not everything you want or need.
This song is quite relevant to me and it is quite reassuring to know i'm not the only one who has felt this.
"So everything is settled or so we do pretend, from a beautiful beginning to a muted kind of end."

Driving with the brakes on:- There was a lot of speculation about this song when it first came out. Some people said it was written by Justin Currie about his then girlfriend who apparently had an abortion without telling him. He neither confirmed nor denied this.
As for me, i think it is just about a couple who are having problems and he feels he has no control over any of it.
It is beautifully written and very moving.
"We might get lost some place so desolate that no one where we're from would ever come, but shes got the wheel and i've got to deal from now on. But unless the moon falls tonight, unless continents collide. Nothings going to make me break from her side".

And so, that it! 12 songs later and it feels as though you've been on a real journey with the Dels.
I come away feeling that these songs written by Justin Currie and Iain Harvie are based on real experience, real feelings, real pain. Not written by someone else for people to get rich like so many bands today. Not written full of cliches or seemingly just because it rhymes quite well. But written because it means something. To Justin Currie, to Iain Harvie, to the rest of the band and this ultimately comes through and makes it mean something to the listener.
From the very first day i heard my first Del Amitri song i have been hooked.
If like me you want to hear beautiful, inspiring lyrics written by the person actually singing them, instruments expertly played, stunningly beautiful melodies and an incredible, soulful, moving voice from the lovely Justin Currie, well then you should give Del Amitri a try.
I cannot recommend them highly enough!!

 

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