Don’t Forget the Songs-365: Mach Dos: Day 234
Mon. Sept 3, 2012
“Music is Power”
Richard Ashcroft
2006
“♫ let
the song
carry you
on/ keep
you
strong ♫”
“Music is Power” is a video I remembering seeing when we went to Roma a few years back. Can you believe they actually show music videos on M-TV Europe? My wife and I spent some of our early morning downtime in our hotel watching vintage music videos. We watched videos from The Smiths, R.E.M. and even Richard Ashcroft which they would never show back across our side of the pond. It’s a shame that M-TV is more about original programming because a kind of miss some music videos like “Music is Power.”
Many will remember Ashcroft as the enigmatic front man who crudely ran into people on the sidewalk of the video of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” The video of “Music is Power” is the evolution and reintroduction of the former lyricist for The Verve, Richard Ashcroft. The video shows a more gracious Ashcroft trying to get on stage to sing “Music.” [“Power’s” clip reminds me of a more lyrical video version of that classic kitchen scene in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.]
After The Verve disbanded Ashcroft recorded some memorable solo albums. 2006’s Keys to the World is no exception, Richard brought back Chris Potter who produced the Urban Hymns sessions for The Verve. You can hear Potter’s influence especially on “Music is Power.” Trying to reach the same triumphs of The Verve’s most famous hit, it sounds like that “Music is Power” is the ying to the yang of The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” Ashcroft penned both songs, “Symphony” was a hit single and “Power” is an anthem that should have been a number one song.
Talking about his advice from “Music is Power” from his 2006 album Keys to the World, Richard Ashcroft once said, “What you have to find is your redemption. And that’s why music is power. It’s about listening to it, performing, thinking about it. There is no key, no specific key, there is just finding your individual way through life.”
With an ear towards the future, music is starting to revive me again and Richard Ashcroft’s anthem is the first step in that sound direction. Fans of The Verve will rejoice in this 2006’s gem from Ashcroft. There’s no bitterness in this symphony. Start your new week off right, courtesy of Richard Ashcroft’s soundtrack of hope, “Music is Power.”
Don't Forget The Songs 365 