As I mentioned in my review of Austrian Eurovision songs, I would be writing more about Global.Kryner, the Austrian entrant in 2005.
They opened the Contest that year with this Latin/German beer hall number.
Global.Kryner "Y Asi"
It didn't do well, coming in 21st out of 25 songs in the the semi-final, but based on the presentation video above, it was far and away my favorite song that came out of that year's contest.
I loved it so much I actually ordered the album, the first time a performer from the Song Contest actually made me part with my hard earned money.
And I'm glad I did, because they are a fantastic cover band.
They sold me on a Madonna song!
Global.Kryner "Like A Virgin"
They made me realize what a great piece of pop writing this is!
Global.Kryner "Toxic"
They were able to reinterpret an overdone standard in an interesting way!
Global.Kryner "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
f you haven't listened to their music, you really should go seek them out and pick up one or two of their CDs. They perform sunny, fun music that is well worth a listen.
I admit it, I'm proselytizing a bit, but they are Eurovisionary, and well worth a bit of promotion.
After letting my jury take a few weeks off after the 2012 contest it was time for us to go back fifty years to the knockoff Dior dresses and Sinatra-like crooning of the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest.
Since Luxembourg's entrant won the previous years contest, Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Radiodiffusion hosted the contest from their studio, Villa Louvigny, on March 1962.
No new countries entered, so the same sixteen countries in 1961 participated this year. Some countries even sent the same singer.
Fud Leclerc "Ton Nom" Belgium
Leclerc made his fourth and final appearance representing Belgium in the 1962 contest, coming in last place, garnering nul points from the European juries. We were kinder to him. He came in ninth.
We were much less kind to this song:
Camillo Felgen "Petit bonhomme" Luxembourg
The European juries though this was the third best song in the contest. The Alaskan jury put him last, the second time Felgen has come in last in our voting.
But for the winner of the contest, we agreed with the voters on the night. The French entry was the winner.
Isabelle Aubret "Un premier amour" France
Aubret's song was a runaway winner in the European juries, but it came in first in what is our closest vote ever. Aubret just pipped this song for first place:
Lola Novaković "Ne pali svetla u sumrak" Yugoslavia
At the end of the voting of our voting, the two songs were tied, with an equal number preferring each of the two songs, so I had to invite another person to vote--and Aubret won by just one point.
So, Alaskans agreed with Europe again, and next is 1963, one of the more interesting contests in Eurovision history, so look for our post in the next few weeks.
It's taken me over a month to sort through and rate all of the Austrian Eurovision songs. The sheer number made it difficult to place them in an order. But after going over them, I'm confident of my placing and hope you enjoy my top five songs.
Doing this review, I finally figured out how I can be Austrian-American and Lutheran.
So let's start with the song I ranked as fifth:
Global.Kryner "Y Asi" 2005
You've got to love a song that's completely out of the box, and this fusion of yodeling, Austrian folk music, and Latin rhythms is just infectious. I admit their performance was a little flat and I can see how they didn't make it out of the finals, but I can't rank a future Eurovisionary entry anywhere less than fifth.
What came in fourth was a complete surprise:
Stella Jones "Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt" 1995
I would never have thought that a very 90s light R&B song would be up on the top of my list, but Ms. Jones, who started performing with her mother in Germany when she was seven years old, has the stage presence and light touch with the lyrics that makes me want to listen to the song again and again.
And let's face it, the female saxophonist with the blowout and the lace gloves is pretty freaking awesome.
Third place was another fun discovery:
Marianne Mendt "Musik" 1971
It's 1971, so the song is hip and happening, the orchestra is a little heavy on the piccolo, and Mendt's nerves are definately on full display, but I cannot get this song out of my head. It a tragedy she had to sing first in the 1971 contest; I suspect had she drawn someplace later in the contest, she would have done much better.
Second place was another suprise.
Camilla Corren "Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder" 1963
The BBC did wonders when they put on the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest and this allowed Corren to shine while performing her song. Instead of a live concert, 1963 was the only contest that looked and felt like a pre-recorded show, and the shots of Ms. Corren selling this romantic ballad help make this song even better than is.
That said, Corren's voice is lovely, and even without the visuals, it's a compelling song to me, with a rudimentary understanding of German, and is definately fantastic.
And finally, my top pick:
Nadine Beiler "The Secret Is Love" 2011
The biggest issue with Austrian entrants to Eurovision is that they alway seem flat in one way or another. Even with some of the top five, there's usually something not completely pulled together.
However, Beiler's performance in 2011 was perfect in every way. I cannot find a flaw with her performance, and although it wasn't to Europe's taste--she came in 18th in the final, I consider this to be Austria's best Eurovision song.
And that's my take on the Austrian Eurovision songs. I'd love to know your opinion on Austrian entries, so feel free to post below or e-mail me at eurovisionalaska@gmail.com.
