Amos Barshad asks, 18 years later, "How Does Ace of Base’s The Sign Hold Up?"; Answer: Weather's fine, jump into the pool, it's like you never left.
Ace of Base - The Sign (Official)
In the past year or so, I've probably only wanted to post something about Ace of Base's The Sign album about... oh, 8-10 times, esp. when I saw a perfect example or analogy to the lyrics of one of the many singles that float around in my brain.
But each time, I 'pocket vetoed' myself -and you know how painful that can be.
That album, one I actually have on a shelf just a few feet away from me and my computer right now as I write this, is one of the building blocks of "Scandipop," to utter the word that is also the name of the very popular U.K.-based music blog that I've mentioned here before, which I follow and subscribe to via my Blogger Dashboard/Google Reader function, which allows me to see the first paragraph of any blog post I subscribe to within seconds of it going online, instead of waiting for an email -cool!
I subscribe and read Scandipop in large part due to Karl Batterbee's enthusiastic and wide-ranging eyes and ears for all things pop music, Scandinavian and schlager, plus so much more, namely, a keen and discerning sensibility for understanding of what music appeals to people
and why.
Even when music groups, singers or producers I'm personally not too familiar with on account of being located here in South Florida get mentioned, they're always mentioned with some helpful context for understanding them in the bigger music picture I do know very well.
You know, the "pop pantheon"?
Plus, well, and it's only my opinion, Karl's a bit of a Pied Piper on his blog and because people know inherently that he pays close attention, folks in the know in and around the music business let him know what's what, which is all to our advantage, no?
.
He has an entrée to the music world that is VERY different than most bloggers or pop music reporters, because Scandipop doesn't just have enthusiastic readers who 'like' music, it has enthusiastic readers who actually BUY music, a difference WITH a distinction.
Record labels and media types in Europe pay close attention to what he says/thinks.
So, all that said, I've now got a good excuse to post something here about that album from 1993, thanks to the really expansive post Thursday at the Vulture blog of New York magazine, which I've also given a head's up to others about as well, including Karl.
(You remember 1993, right? Dan Marino injured and the one-year era of Scott Mitchell as Dolphins QB?)
Posts about the the national debt limit, meaningful cuts in spending and President Obama's flip-flopping and gamesmanship will have to wait 'til later.
I saw the sign
And it opened up my eyes
I saw the sign
No one's gonna drag you up
To get into the light where you belong
But where do you belong
New York magazine
Vulture blog
Nostalgia Fact-Check: How Does Ace of Base’s The Sign Hold Up
By Amos Barshad
July 7, 2011 at 3 p.m.
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Be sure to also read Karl's interview earlier this year with the two remaining members of the band: Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg.
Scan magazine
The Return of Ace of Base
By Karl Batterbee
February 11, 2011
Ace of Base - Don't Turn Around (Official)
The band's official hemsida, I mean website, is at http://www.aceofbase-music.de/ but does NOT seem to be as well-maintained and updated as you'd think it ought to be considering everything. Like for instance, releasing a new CD, The Golden Ratio.
In the year 2011, you simply can't go four months without any new and original content on your website.
Just saying...
