NOW WE’RE GETTING SOMEWHERE

CROWDED HOUSE
SONGWRITER: NEIL FINN
COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA
ALBUM: CROWDED HOUSE
LABEL: CAPITOL RECORDS
GENRE: POP
YEAR: 1986
 
   Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn(vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour(bass). Later band members included Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn, and Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod. The current line-up includes Finn's sons Elroy and Liam and the American keyboard player Mitchell Froom. Neil Finn and Nick Seymour have been the sole constant members of the group since its formation.
      Originally active from 1985 to 1996, Crowded House had consistent commercial and critical success in New Zealand and Australia and international chart success in two phases, beginning with a self-titled debut album that reached number 12 on the US Album Chart in 1987 and provided the Top Ten hits "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong". Further international success came in the UK, Europe and South Africa with their third and fourth albums (Woodface and Together Alone) and the compilation album Recurring Dream, which included the hits "Fall at Your Feet", "Weather with You", "Distant Sun", "Locked Out", "Instinct" and "Not the Girl You Think You Are". Neil and Tim Finn were each awarded an OBE in June 1993 for their contributions to the music of New Zealand.
     In June 1996, Crowded House announced that it would disband. The band played several farewell concerts that year, including the "Farewell to the World" concerts in Melbourne and Sydney. On 26 March 2005, Hester died by suicide, aged 46. In 2006, the group re-formed with drummer Matt Sherrod and released two further albums (in 2007 and 2010), each of which reached number one on Australia's album chart. After several years of inactivity, it was announced a revised line-up of Crowded House would tour the UK in 2020. The new line-up features Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, and Finn's sons Liam and Elroy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band's planned 2020 concerts were postponed.
   Crowded House is the debut album by Australasian band Crowded House. Produced by Mitchell Froom, it was released in August 1986 and was certified platinum in four countries. The album includes the hit singles "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Mean to Me", "World Where You Live" and "Now We're Getting Somewhere".
        At the 1986 Countdown Australian Music Awards the album won Best Debut Album. In December of 2021, the album was listed at nº 7 in Rolling Stone Australia’s ‘200 Greatest Albums of All Time’ countdown.
It never used to be that bad
But neither was it great
It's somewhere in the middle then
Content and much too safe
Oh, tell me please
Why it takes so long
To realise when there's something wrong
 
Well, lay me out with your heart
Now we're getting somewhere
Push me back to the start
Now we're getting someplace
Take me out, let me breathe
Now we're getting somewhere
When I'm with you I don't care
Where it is I'm falling
 
There's money in the Bible Belt
Hugs for daddy too
Three wishes for eternity
We've got some work to do
Oh, tell me please, why it takes so long
I believe there is something wrong
 
Well, lay me out with your heart
Now we're getting somewhere
Push me back to the start
Now we're getting someplace
Take me out, let me breathe
Now we're getting somewhere
When I'm with you, I don't care
Where it is I'm falling, oh oh
 
Oh, tell me please, tell me what went wrong
'Cause I believe there is something wrong
 
Oh, lay me out
Now we're getting somewhere
Push me back
Now we're getting somewhere
Well, take me out, let me breathe
Now we're getting somewhere
When I'm with you, I don't care
Where it is I'm falling
 
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
When you took me to your room
I swear I said surrender
And when you opened up your mouth
I saw the words fall out
And when nothing much has changed
I swear I surrender
And there is pain in my heart, oh, oh
We can choose what we choose to believe.

ANGELA

THE LUMINEERS
SONGWRITERS: SIMONE FELICE; DANIEL BLUMENFELD & CHRISTIAN CASTAGNO
COUNTRY: U. S. A.
ALBUM: CLEOPATRA
LABEL: DUALTONE RECORDS
GENRE: FOLK ROCK
YEAR: 2016
 
     The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Boulder, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz(lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites(drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in Ramsey, New Jersey, in 2005. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek(cello) joined the band in 2010, and was a member until 2018. The Lumineers emerged as one of the most popular folk-rock/Americana artists during the revival of those genres, their popularity growing in the 2010s. The band's stripped back raw sound draws heavily from artists that influenced Schultz and Fraites such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. They are known for their energetic live shows and several international hit singles including "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love", "Ophelia", "Angela" and "Cleopatra". The band has become one of the top touring bands in the United States and is also popular in other countries.
   The Lumineers have released four albums on American independent label Dualtone Records(Dine Alone in Canada and Decca/Universal worldwide). Their self-titled first album was released in 2012 and peaked at Nº 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and Canada, platinum in the U.K. and Ireland, and gold in Australia. Their second album, Cleopatra, was released in 2016 and debuted at Nº 1 on the Billboard 200, and also on the Canadian and British album charts. It is currently certified platinum in the U.S. Their third album, titled III, was released on September 13, 2019 and debuted at Nº 2 on the Billboard 200. Their fourth album, Brightside, was released on January 14, 2022. The Lumineers have publicly campaigned to ban mobile phones at their concerts, providing a locking pouch for people to hold their phones in during live performances.
      Cleopatra is the second studio album by American indie folk band The Lumineers. The album was released in the United States on April 8, 2016, and contains the singles "Ophelia", "Cleopatra", "Angela" and "Sleep on the Floor". The album received positive reviews and commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200. It is the last album by the band to feature Neyla Pekarek, who left in October 2018 to pursue a solo career.

When you left this town, with your windows down
And the wilderness inside
 
Let the exits pass, all the tar and glass
'Til the road and sky align
 
The strangers in this town
They raise you up just to cut you down
Oh Angela it's a long time coming
 
And your Volvo lights lit up green and white
With the cities on the signs
 
But you held your course to some distant war
In the corners of your mind
 
From the second time around
The only love I ever found
Oh Angela it's a long time coming
Home at last
 
Were you safe and warm in your coat of arms
With your fingers in a fist
 
Did you hear the notes, all those static codes
In the radio abyss?
 
Strangers in this town
They raise you up just to cut you down
Oh Angela it's a long time coming in
Oh Angela spent your whole life running away
Home at last
Home at last
 
Vacancy, hotel room, lost in me, lost in you
Angela, on my knees, I belong, I believe
Home at last
Home at last
Home at last
Home at last
Home at last.

THUNDER

IMAGINE DRAGONS
Songwriters: Alexander Grant; Dan Reynolds; Daniel Platzman; Jayson Dezuzio; Wayne Sermon & Ben Mckee
Country: u. s. a.
Album: Ǝvolve
Label: interscope records
Genre: pop rock
Year: 2017
 
       Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their single "It's Time", followed by their award-winning debut studio album Night Visions (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "Radioactive" and "Demons". Rolling Stone named "Radioactive", which held the record for most weeks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the "biggest rock hit of the year". MTV called them "the year's biggest breakout band", and Billboard named them their "Breakthrough Band of 2013" and "Biggest Band of 2017", and placed them at the top of their "Year in Rock" rankings for 2013, 2017, and 2018. Imagine Dragons topped the Billboard Year-End "Top Artists – Duo/Group" category in 2018.
  The band's second studio album Smoke + Mirrors(2015) reached number one in the US, Canada and the UK. This was followed by their third studio album Ǝvolve(2017), which resulted in three chart-topping singles, "Believer", "Thunder", and "Whatever It Takes", also making them the artist with the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. The album reached the top five in many countries. The band's fourth studio album Origins(2018) featured the single "Natural", which became their fifth song to top the Hot Rock Songs chart. Although all four albums were commercially successful, critical reception was mixed. The band released their fifth studio album Mercury – Act 1 on September 3, 2021.
      Ǝvolve(stylized as ƎVOLVE) is the third studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on June 23, 2017, by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. After the release of their previous album Smoke + Mirrors(2015) and its respective world tour, a self-imposed hiatus for 2016 and cryptic messages from the band through their social media gained anticipation for their third album; it was finally announced on May 9, 2017, along with the initiation of its pre-order. In comparison to Smoke + Mirrors and their 2012 debut Night Visions, frontman Dan Reynolds called the album an "evolution" for the band.
        Ǝvolve peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200, and received mixed reviews from critics; some acknowledged the band's claim of evolution, while others described it as lifeless and commercially oriented. It was promoted with the singles "Believer", "Thunder", "Whatever It Takes", and "Next to Me", as well as a world tour produced by Live Nation and supported with Grouplove and K. Flay that started in September 2017. The album was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
Just a young gun with a quick fuse
I was uptight, wanna let loose
I was dreaming of bigger things and
Wanna leave my own life behind
Not a "Yes sir", not a follower
Fit the box, fit the mold
Have a seat in the foyer, take a number
I was lightning before the thunder
 
Thunder, thunder
Thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder
Thunder, thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder
 
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder
Thunder, thunder
Thunder
 
Kids were laughing in my classes
While I was scheming for the masses
Who do you think you are?
Dreaming 'bout being a big star
They say, "You're basic", they say, "You're easy"
You're always riding in the backseat
Now I'm smiling from the stage while
You were clapping in the nosebleeds
 
Thunder, thunder, thun-
Thunder, thun-thun-thunder
Thunder, thunder
Thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder
 
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder
Thunder
 
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder, thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder, thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunder, thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder (never give up, never give up)
Lightning and the thunder, thunder (never give up, never give up)
Thunder, feel the thunder (never give up, never give up)
Lightning and the thunder, thunder (never give up)
 
Thunder, thunder, thun-
Thunder, thun-thun-thunder, thunder
Thunder, thunder, thun-
Thunder, thun-thun-thunder, thunder
Thunder, thunder, thun-
Thunder, thun-thun-thunder, thunder
Thunder, thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder.

UPSIDE DOWN

DIANA ROSS
SONGWRITERS: BERNARD EDWARDS & NILE GREGORY RODGERS
COUNTRY: U. S. A.
ALBUM: DIANA
LABEL: MOTOWN RECORDS
GENRE: SOUL MUSIC
YEAR: 1980
 
      Diana Ernestine Earle Ross(born March 26, 1944) is an American entertainer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of twelve number-one hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", and "Love Child".
      Following departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo career in music, film, television and on stage. Her eponymous debut solo album featured the U.S. number-one hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and music anthem "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". It was followed with her second solo album, Everything Is Everything (1970), which spawned her first UK number-one single "I'm Still Waiting". She continued her successful solo career by mounting elaborate record-setting world-wide concert tours, starring in a number of highly watched prime-time television specials, and releasing hit albums like Touch Me in the Morning(1973), Mahogany (1975), and Diana Ross(1976) as well as their number-one hit singles, "Touch Me in the Morning", "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", and "Love Hangover", respectively. Ross further released numerous top-ten hits on the Billboard charts throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. She achieved several more global number-one singles, "Upside Down"(1980), "Endless Love"(1981), "Chain Reaction"(1986) and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" (1991).
     Ross has also acted. Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues(1972); she also recorded its soundtrack, which became a number one hit on the U.S. album chart. She also starred in two other feature films, Mahogany(1975) and The Wiz(1978), and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness(1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum(1999).
     Diana(stylized on the cover as diana) is the eleventh studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on May 22, 1980, by Motown Records. The album is the best-selling studio album of Ross's career, spawning three international hit singles, including the number-one hit "Upside Down".
     In 2020, Rolling Stone named Diana the 394th greatest album of all time. 
I said upside down
You're turning me
You're giving love instinctively
Around and round you're turning me
 
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
 
Instinctively you give to me
The love that I need
I cherish the moments with you
Respectfully I say to thee
I'm aware that you're cheating
When no one makes me feel like you do
 
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
 
I know you got charm and appeal
You always play the field
I'm crazy to think you are mine
As long as the sun continues to shine
There's a place in my heart for you
That's the bottomline
 
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
 
Instinctively you give to me
The love that I need
I cherish the moments with you
Respectfully I say to thee
I'm aware that you're cheating
But no one makes me feel like you do
 
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
 
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
Upside down
Boy, you turn me
Inside out
And round and round
 
Upside down you're turning me
You're giving love instinctively
Around and round you're turning me
I say to thee respectfully
 
Upside down you're turning me
You're giving love instinctively
Around and round you're turning me
I say to thee respectfully
 
I said a upside down you're turning me
You're giving love instinctively
Around and round you're turning me
 
I say to thee respectfully
Upside down you're turning me
You're giving love instinctively
Around and round you're turning me
I say to thee respectfully
Upside down you're turning me.