A Whiter Shade of Pale

A Whiter Shade of Pale is a very popular and successful song in the history. Originally produced by British band Procol Harum, it is adapted and sung by hundreds of artists over the decade. The song or even only the music can be heard in many movies, sometimes as soundtrack or background score. When released, the single reached number-one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967 where it stayed for a total of six weeks. In the years since, it has become an enduring classic.

'A Whiter Shade of Pale' is written by Keith Reid, and composed by Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher. The music of the song is inspired from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Sleepers Awake" and "Air on a G String" though the song is not a direct copy or paraphrase of the Bach pieces. When you listen "Air for G String" for first time, you certainly recognise "A Whiter Shade of Pale", but it is different enough to say that Procol Harum's song is more than an adaptation of Bach's "Air for G String".

The lyrics of "a whiter shade of pale' is remarkably unusual. When I first heard it, The Miller's Tale of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales immediately striked to my mind. And there is no stop to argument for its true meaning. Also I don't want to start a fight here by writing what I understand from the lyrics. I like the lyrics, I love the music, I adore the song. However, you can read various powerful interpretation of the song here.

From hundreds of versions of the song, I like, obviously, the original version of Procol Harum and the version sung by Sarah Brightman in La Luna. Sarah's version is orchestral, soft and more thoughtful.

You can listen both versions here-

More versions here.

The Flame Within

My heart is broken.



Track: The Flame Within
Album: If I could tell you
Artist: Yanni


Listen Here

Aria : Dido

By Dido, you must be thinking about the british singer Dido. No no, Dido is an opera (Dido and Æneas) by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell. Henry Purcell was an English Baroque composer. He has often been called England's finest native composer. Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements but devised a peculiarly English style of Baroque music.

Dido and Æneas is based on a story from the fourth book of Virgil's Aeneid, of the legendary Queen of Carthage Dido and the Trojan refugee Æneas. When Æneas and his crew are shipwrecked in Carthage, he and the queen fall in love. However, Æneas must soon leave to found Rome. Dido cannot live without him and awaits death. This aria is the lament of Dido.

Therefore, the music of this aria is very dark and intense. You can easily get it from Café del Mar Aria vol,1. You can listen the track here.

A trance remix attemped by Armin van Buuren is available in Dj Tiesto's "Summerbreeze" album. Listen it here.

Moby's Extreme Ways

You all must have remembered a Nokia commercial which was on TV all the time an year before. Ya, it's a Nokia N-Series TV Ad in the background of which you can listen a fast beautiful piano music and a song "in my heart". You liked the song, didn't you ? You must have tried to get that song or might have thought that the song is nothing but composed for nokia. Abra-ca-dabra, the song is of the album "18" and the artist is Moby.

Highly acclaimed for his techno music, Moby is versatile musician, singer, and lyricist. Originally named Richard Melville Hall, his nickname 'Moby' is inspired from the novel "Moby Dick". He was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Darien, Connecticut.

In 1995 his first album "Everything Is Wrong", earned his early critical acclaim and spanned several vastly different genres of music though gained minor commercial success. Beside music, Moby is an advocate for a variety of causes. His involvement with organisation like MoveOn and Peta, influenced his later album "Animal Rights" which surprised many who never expected him to do an all-out rock record. Moby's breakthrough album was 1999's "Play". It was the first album in history to have all of its tracks commercially licensed.Play has a bluesy, down-to-earth feel, with hip-hop and other influences. It was very well-received by fans and critics alike.

Moby usually writes all his own music, occasionally with collaborators. His songs are mostly influenced by his political, environmental and religious beliefs. His music is thoughtful, honest, and inspiring, and vary widely between ambient to hard rock and techno.

Extreme Ways is second single from Moby's album "18". The track has reached a wider audience and is included in 2002 movie The Bourne Identity. I like this song for its music and moving lyrics. I was thinking to make a video using this song but the work has already been done by someone at Youtube. You can watch that video here.

Listen the song here-

Reflections of Passion

"Reflections of Passion" is Yanni's one of the finest composition according to me. The album, also titled Reflections of Passion, is Yanni's 6th album released in the year 1990. The album features some of the most successful tracks of Yanni. The album was at #1 on "Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart, and at #29 on the "Billboard 200" chart in the same year.

"This album represents my life's passions during the past ten years. It is an expression of love for the people in my life, as well as for some very special and inspiring places I can never forget"- Yanni

Whatever value it holds for Yanni, the title track of this album is very very special to me. Whenever I listen this track, I instantly go back to my childhood days. I remember the special moments of my life- my love, my relationships, my brother sisters. How I used to play, how I I used to laugh, how I used to quarrel , how I used to cry , then how others try to make me laugh again........... how I.....how I....... please don't disturb me now and listen the track here-