del amitri | nothing ever happens

not sure this really can be classed as a power ballad, but it's certainly a ballad and round these parts del amitri aren't on any "cool" lists, so in my mind this fits the bill.

i was introduced to del amitri while slaving away clearing tables in a tourist trap in bath. i got talking to a girl (it's always a girl isn't it) about music and she taped "waking hours" on one side and that edie brickell album on the other. nothing ever came of the girl, but i did listen to the tape. not my usual fare but the earnestness of a number of the songs dug its claws into me and have yet to let go.

this is a song destined to play over that scene where the girl sits and hugs herself and cries on a bench in a park overlooking the city.

::: del amitri - nothing ever happens

photo nicked from here.

queen | who wants to live forever?

okay this is a stone cold classic. queen were my first love; i must have played their "greatest hits" tape a million times. and i defy anyone to not sing along to this, maybe while holding a microphone at the end of a short stick, maybe doing a bit of air guitar while marrying anita dobson, in leather chaps. admit it, i saw you, it's okay, you're safe.

::: queen - who wants to live forever?

rod stewart | every beat of my heart

i have a huge softspot for rod stewart. i blame my dad for playing him (and elton and lennon) in the car, over and over. as a result, as far as i'm concerned rod's "camouflage" album is up there with the greats.

and similarly, this song gets me all a-flutter. yes it's a cliched chart-topping power ballad, and you can almost hear rod counting the money (he's famously tight after all), but still, you know?

::: rod stewart - every beat of my heart

mr big | green tinted sixties mind

whoops - so much for doing one of these every week... anyway, whatever happened to mr big? i got into them as a wannabe bass muso when their first album came out mainly because of their shredding abilities. then i forgot about them after their second album. and it seems a lot of other people did too. and now it seems they've reunited and have been touring japan or something.

naturally as your basic indie fan, a band like mr big is either the devil incarnate or just a big joke. but i can't help having a soft spot for them. besides, you have to respect a bass player with scalloped frets, you dig?

::: mr big - green tinted sixties mind

extreme | more than words

yup, another ballad of the week, and this one brings back memories of school and being a guitar geek (even though i played bass). as well as my indie schmindie band, i also played in a soft rock covers band called epic, after the faith no more song. it was all pretty tongue in cheek but huge fun at the same time. we never tried this song, but i do have a 4-track recording of our version of 'here i go again' by whitesnake, so be grateful i'm not inflicting that on you.

anyway, once again this song is a guilty pleasure.

::: extreme - more than words

bad english | when i see you smile

first update in 10 days... got lots of stuff going at home at the moment so not had much energy left for this. but fingers crossed things will improve somewhat about half way through july...

anyway, i was washing up the other day when i was overcome by the desire to listen to this song. so i did. and now so shall you.

consider this the first of a possible weekly feature: power ballad of the week. this one helpfully comes from a compilation called "power ballads", most of which is pretty dire (chad kroeger anyone?). but there are a couple of nuggets in there - the kinds of songs that get you singing and punching the air, despite your better judgment. perfect accompaniment to a spot of washing up.

::: bad english - when i see you smile