As the hell freezes over...

I owe many thanks to a lot of English musicians who have given us a number of timeless melodies. Though the progressions in the songs, the chords used, are considered standard and monotonous by our classical music experts, there is always a very different and beautiful sense of emotion in each of them. The tactful use of harmonies, the movements from minors to majors to combine a variety of emotions etc. really open ones mind to the beauty of their music.

My earliest memories of enjoying English songs goes just 12 years back when the FM era was in full swing. I had a habit of recording songs from the radio, on old cassettes which were in plentiful at my place. I also happened to find a nice old cassette, recorded by my uncle, which contained a number of beautiful melodies by artistes like Linda Ronstadt, The Jackson 5, The Carpenters, The Eagles etc. The cassette was my treasure, but sadly it deteriorated in no time.

My engineering days offered me my second chance - facilitated by my brand new PC (Intel Pentium 4, Win XP, 80Gig HD, 256MB RAM - a very obsolete configuration for today's generation), I was now able to collect a lot of songs from my friends who were more than happy to share them with me. This is when i discovered my love for the music by the band - The Eagles.

Hotel California - every newbie to English music will swear by this one. And i was just awed to listen to the guitar solo this song starts with. And there were other amazing songs as part of one collection i had just received. The sound of the clean guitar leads and strums, the violin ensembles, the soulful bass and the vocals, the electronic sounds so distinctive of the early 90s - these were the elements which gave me the kicks. I soon realised that these were not the original songs, but the ones the Eagles had performed for their 1994 tour titled  Hell Freezes Over.

"For the record, we never broke up, we just took a 14 year old vacation", Glenn Frey says before starting with the lovely "Tequila Sunrise". This song, along with Hotel California, Desperado are well known - they identify the band to the World. (Tequila Sunrise was sung by one of my best friends in her school time, and I had sung Desperado in my college days).

All the three mentioned above are timeless classics and perfect examples of the lovely fare this band was famous for. However, the one that i am sharing from the tour is the one which i have really come to love.

Most of the songs you love are the ones which address the exact situation you are in. Many of the songs grow on you. But only a few hit you hard for their music and orchestration first, and for the lyrics later when life brings you to a situation perfectly described by them. There is only one number that fits this description for me - I Cant Tell you Why, performed by Timothy Schmidt (the bass player).

The bliss of this song, I cannot put it in words. The violin chorus, the well timed vocal chorus, the nice feminine voice of the singer, the synth effects. And God, i love the guitar leads in the end, played in this version, by Don Felder. If you happen to see the video for the song, you will be more amazed by his expressions while he is playing the guitar. Shows his love for music, which makes the leads sound so good.

The Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why (Hell... by olatoniggg

Look at us baby, up all night 

Tearing our love apart 

Aren't we the same two people who lived

through years in the dark? 

Ahh... 

Every time I try to walk away 

Something makes me turn around and stay 

And I can't tell you why 

When we get crazy, 

it just ain't to right, 

(try to keep you head, little girl) 

Girl, I get lonely, too 

You don't have to worry 

Just hold on tight 

(don't get caught in your little world) 

'Cause I love you 

Nothing's wrong as far as I can see 

We make it harder than it has to be 

and I can't tell you why 

no, baby, I can't tell you why 

I can't tell you why 

No, no, baby, I can't tell you why 

I can't tell you why 

I can't tell you why

There is a beautiful imagination that the song and its music paints in my minds eye....

A blue cool night. The beautiful melody playing in the background. A heart warm with love but paining with a little ache. And a hint of hope deep within. Two lovers are having a rough time, but know how deep their love is for each other.

Tonight is gonna be a restless one. 

We both know how foolish we can be at times, and feel that its over, but we know it isn't. 

I am happy we are still here, but sad that we are sitting so away. 

Why don't you understand, o silly one. 

And i cant tell you why i still feel the same for you, o my sweet child....