Eurovision strikes again (Eurovision Song Contest 2009)

Member Name: mjc121

Product:	Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Date:	05/09/09 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: some good tracks

Disadvantages: the usual odd ones

Ever since the 2002 contest the annual smorgasbord of European 'popular' music has released the CD of the contest. Over the years the number of countries wanting to take part has increased. This year's version had 42 entries to it, or 43 if you include the Song from Georgia which was disqualified for being too political.

Now the first thing is don't expect the performance of the song to be the same as in the contest. Some of the entries on the CD are sung in the participants native language where as in the contest they may have performed it, or part of it, in English. However, the advantage is that the studio tweaking etc does help to improve the sound of some of the performance.

This year as has been the case for several years the CD is spread over two discs and includes all the finalists along with all the semi-final entries who failed to make it to the final of the contest. There is the usual mixture of the up-tempo songs and ballads along with the good, the bad, the ugly and the 'Oh my god - how did this win the national selection' ones.

Still I have obtained a copy of the CD every year ever since 2002 (the year I was part of the UK back-up jury). "Why?" I hear many people scream, well I just love the song contest. It's a night to have a major party and the nurse the hangover the following day. This year was one of the better years in terms of entries even though a number of questionable ones made it through to the final. We also saw this year the return of the international juries. Ever since 1998 the jury was used as a back up in case the phone voting went wrong on the night in any country. Apart from this the jury had no say. In 2009 the juries made up 50% of the scoring for each country (sort of like in strictly come dancing) so the voting/scoring appeared to be fairer.

Anyway back to this year's CD

As there are 42 tracks I hope you will forgive me for not going into each song as that would take an age to read. I'm mainly going to go for a few of the good bad and indifferent ones.


The Winner - Norway 'Fairytale' performed by Alexander Rybak.

Whilst not one of my favourites it was one which I felt had a chance of winning. It is sort of a folk music based track with the main instrument being the violin which was incredibly difficult to get out of my head after hearing it. Whilst lyrically it may not have been the strongest in the contest it was quite catchy and it's simplicity with no massively over synthesised backing track probably helped it to win.


The Good (well in my opinion anyway)

Greece - 'This is our night' performed by Sakis Rouvas

Sakis does have a reasonably good voice and this is probably the best of the up-tempo 'pop' songs on the CD. A strong backing track and fairly good lyrics but it seemed to lack the catchiness of others. Easy to dance to but at times it seemed that the backing track was almost drowning out the vocals.



Turkey - 'Dum Tek Tek performed by Hadise

Another up tempo track which has made use of more traditional instruments in the backing track. The beat of the song, well just think 'belly dancing' and you won't be far wrong. The track especially the chorus is very catchy but perhaps the instrumental sections are a little to long.


Malta - 'What if we' performed by Chiara

A good strong ballad performed by someone with possibly the most powerful voice in the contest. Whilst there is little to the backing track (mainly drums and a couple of string instruments) the actual song itself is the performance. Whilst it isn't the strongest track Chiara has done in the contest (this is her 3rd attempt) it is better than the other ballads. Her voice builds during the song from fairly soft to almost full power by the end


Iceland - 'Is it True' performed by Yohanna

Probably the best ballad of this years contest, slow with a good backing track. The lyrics are good and the vocals are excellent. (This one should have won). The song does build up in volume towards the end and the use of the singer's voice does portray the sorrow in the song.

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The Bad

Finland - 'loose control' performed by Waldo's people

Perhaps this could have gone in the odd section. Still the backing track is up-tempo/dance music combo but then it's a cross between a rap number and a sung chorus. Neither of which were very good. Really this falls into the 'how did this make the final' thoughts.


Israel - 'There must be another way' Noa & Mira Awad

Israel is one of those 'hit or miss' countries. Their entry is either very good or so awful it should be buried in lead lined concrete, this one falls into the latter. The vocals sound as if they are singing flat all the way through And the backing track just doesn't work.

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The "meh" ones

The Netherlands - 'Shine' performed by The Toppers

Ok think 1980s disco and you won't go far wrong for how this track sounds. Heavily synthesized backing track esp in the chorus. Lyrically the less said the better again way too 1980s. The lead vocalist also appears to have trouble holding a note for more than a couple of seconds.

Portugal - Flor-de-lis performed by Today as Ruas do Amor

Again another sort of 1970s/80s backing track. Whilst the vocalist isn't bad in the way her voice sounds and the use of the traditional instruments do work well within the track it is instantly forgettable. Also at some points the backing track and the vocalist appear to be battling to be heard over the other.

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The just Strange


Sweden - 'La Vox' performed by Malena Ernman

Ok this track is just plain odd. What exactly is this? Well it's a cornucopia of ballad, up-tempo and opera. OK the performance may have a good operatic voice but this was just plain strange. It starts with a pop like track with a fairly good backing track then the voice goes up by about 3 octaves with no warning. Play this too loud and it will have your fillings shaking in your mouth not to mention getting worried about your windows. This track is not for the faint hearted.


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The UKs Entry


UK - 'my time' performed by Jade Ewen

Well a lot of fuss was made over the UK's attempt at this years contest. Mainly as it was written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber in an attempt to make it look like we are taking the contest more seriously. Ok musically it is a good track but why muck it up with those lyrics? They were too repetitive and for part of it just did not fit the backing track. Well we have to give it some credit after all the UK did finish in the top 10 for the first time since 2002.

Unfortunately Georgia's song is not included in the disc due to it's disqualifacation form the contest.

Oh well roll on the 2010 contest.

I did get my copy for free but it can be bought from amazon.co.uk for £8.98

Full Track listing:

Disc 1

Le Teva Decisió (Get A Life) - Susanne Georgi (Andorra)
Carry Me In Your Dreams - Kejsi Tola (Albania)
Jan-Jan - Inga & Anush (Armenia)
Always - AySel & Arash (Azerbaijan)
Bistra Voda - Regina (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Copycat - Copycat (Belgium)
Illusion - Krassimir Avramov (Bulgaria)
Eyes That Never Lie - Petr Elfimov (Belarus)
The Highest Heights - Lovebugs (Switzerland)
Firefly - Christina Metaxa (Cyprus)
Aven Romale - Gipsy.Cz (Czech Republic)
Miss Kiss Kiss Bang - Alex Swings Oscar Sings! (Germany)
Believe Again - Brinck (Denmark)
Rändajad - Urban Symphony (Estonia)
La Noche Es Para Mi (The Night Is For Me) - Soraya (Spain)
Lose Control - Waldo's People (Finland)
Et S'il Falliat Le Faire - Patricia Kaas (France)
It's My Time - Jade Ewen (United Kingdom)
This Is Our Night - Sakis Rouvas (Greece)
Lijepa Tena (Beautiful Tena) - Igor Cukrov feat. Andrea (Croatia)
Dance With Me - Zoli Ádok (Hungary)

Disc 2

Et Cetera - Sinéad Mulvey And Black Daisy (Ireland)
There Must Be Another Way - Noa & Mira Awad (Israel)
Is It True? - Yohanna (Iceland)
Love - Sasha Son (Lithuania)
Probka - Intars Busulis (Latvia)
Hora Din Moldova (Dancing Moldova) - Nelly Ciobanu (Moldova)
Just Get Out Of My Life - Andrea Demirovic (Montenegro)
Neshto Shto Ke Ostane - Next Time (FYR Macedonia)
What If We - Chiara (Malta)
Shine (New Wave Eurovision 2009 Mix) - The Toppers (The Netherlands)
Fairytale - Alexander Rybak (Norway)
I Don't Wanna Leave - Lidia Kopania (Poland)
Todas As Ruas Do Amor - Flor-de-lis (Portugal)
The Balkan Girls - Elena (Romania)
Cipela - Marko Kon & Milaan (Serbia)
Mamo - Anastasia Prikhodko (Russia)
La Voix - Melena Ernman (Sweden)
Let' Tmou - Nela Pocisková & Kamil Mikulcik (Slovakia)
Love Symphony - Quartissimo feat. Martina
Düm Tek Tek - Hadise (Turkey)
Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl) - Svetlana Loboda (Ukraine)

Summary: well it is eurovision, it doesn't have to be good.