THE ALBUMS OF LENE

Another Day

DVD Edition

(September 22, 2003)

Album Review 

Introduction

As EMI Virgin Norway's first artist ever, Lene Marlin's "Another Day" was released simultanously in both an ordinary 10-track CD album format, as well as in an extended DVD video/DDSS 5.1 sound production edition, including an acoustic set of bonus tracks, the album version of all songs (except for "My Love" which is acoustic live) and a 12 minute documentary. All the lyrics,  hand-written by Lene herself, is also included in the DVD version, making it optional to either view the lyrics as the songs are played out, or watch Lene and her band perform each and every song before your very eyes, in Wessex Studios in London. The total playing time for the DVD edition is approx. 82 minutes.

General Review

Let it be said at once, this is a very high quality production. The value for money is almost unprecedented in this category of DVD production. The team behind the DVD and Lene with her band members have made an outstanding effort to bring the atmosphere and the feel of the recordings which was going on at the venerable Wessex Studios in London. The main feature of the "Another Day" DVD, and which starts by default when pressing play to watch it, is the 54 minutes movie with all 10 standard CD edition songs in their usual sequence. The thing is, however, that the movie is extended with footage and comments for each song, showing how, for instance, Lene and the band were rehearsing before the recording of each song, or Lene's and Mike Hedges' (the producer) comments from their standard location on a bench outside of the studios. Lene seems very happy in this footage, obviously enjoying every bit of the recording process of her second full album, something she also confirms in several interview bits spread throughout the movie, and also in the separate 12 minute documentary which is available under the "Extras" menu option.

It's particularly moving how she interacts with her band members, and especially how happy she seems discussing things with Mike Hedges. The last photography session displayed in the documentary, with Lene, her band, and Mike, shows this very clearly. Check out also how she reacts in the very end of the documentary movie, shouting a good-humoured "daaaamned", while clapping her thighs in spontanous surprise about being listened to without her being fully aware. It's almost heartbreaking to watch, but in a very good way. The great mood and the inspiration Lene must have felt during this process must have rubbed off way into her song-writing and her personal and artistic development. After her long absence from this kind of work, she must have felt an awakening few others in her line of work have ever felt, and it must have been a glorious period in her life, the Fall of 2002 through the Winter of 2003. And yet, every bit of this process was kept secret for the starving Norwegian press, nobody knew nothing until the larger newspaper VG started to write about how Lene was coming back, as late as in early days of July 2003. And the rest of this story everybody knows well by now. From this, it's not hard to understand how "Another Day" has become one of the greatest pop albums in the entire Norwegian musical history.

Bonus Tracks and Discrepancies from the Standard CD Album

The DVD edition contains all the standard CD album song versions, except for "My Love", which on the DVD is different by being recorded in an acoustic live setting, with Lene singing together with her band (Parfitt on classical guitar, Mako on percussion, and Mattson on the bass guitar). While the live version of "My Love" is utterly great, it also means the standard album version of this song is not included on the DVD. However, in addition to this discrepancy, you also get a live acoustic version of "Sorry" as a bonus song, this time recorded in a slightly different setting than "My Love", where Lene and the band is performing in the room where Lene used to think out her new songs during the recordings, at the 2nd floor of the studios. This is also a great, toned-down version of a song that Lene obviously cares much for, as "Sorry" has been included in her current promotion concert track-listing (both in Oslo and in Paris this song was performed live in 2003). In addition to this, you also get the full version of "Enough", live in studio, where Lene sings with head-phones, as the band members are playing together in their separate compartments, seemingly enjoying every second of Lene's song-writing. A great scene to watch, not to be missed at all.

Now for the really good part, the two extra live bonus songs, entitled "Hope You're Happy" and "It's All Good". These two are DVD edition exclusives, and Lene proves her very high standard of quality song-writing. These two tracks are both equally great, and on par with the rest of the material chosen to be included in the standard CD album, in our opinion. The acoustic live setting they're performed in gives them a clear, untouched expression, with Lene's brilliant voice giving us the complete chill every time we listen to these fantastic bonus songs. Simply put, these are unmissable Lene songs, and Lene must also be quite pleased with them, as "Hope You're Happy" have been performed live in the recent promotion concerts in both Oslo and Paris, September - October 2003.

Conclusion

To conclude this "Another Day" DVD edition review, we must go to Lene's producer Mike Hedges, whom we believe hits the nail perfectly when he states in the DVD feature something along the lines of "I've never followed the trend in the music industry; I've just recorded Lene as Lene; I think the music is so strong, it's timeless in a way, and we didn't need to fit in with anybody."

Timeless, indeed. I couldn't have said it better myself.