Review:
Here's Jan Scholtz, Valiant Swart and a mean posse of insanely talented musos with the magic behind the story. Song vir Katryn started on kykNET in 2003 - Valiant Swart (Jinx), Therese Benade (Katryn), Mel Botes, Marius Weyers and others in a local and lekker story of 13 episodes. Musos like Valiant (umm - like - yeah! on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, dobro, keys and harmonica), Schalk van der Merwe (kick-ass bass), Barry van Zyl (drums and spicy percussion), Melissa van der Spuy (ivory keys), Shannon Mowday (succulent sax), Mel Botes (brilliant electric guitar), Simon Orange (suave on keys), Schalk Joubert (yes - that bass), and Albert du Plessis with Anika (very unshabby background vox).
The first track kicks you straight into dance mode with the Delta blues twanggg of the slide guitar. Whhrooom-whrooom goes the motorbike down the road with "Dans Met My Baby" - what a raunchy blue shuffle. "Wat's jou nommer Baby, wat is jou naam, en waar kom jy so skielik uit die bloute vandaan?" You will dance. Ohhh yeah. Then there's the deep, slow "Ek wens jy was hier". Find the old rock guitar rhythm and nuances of melancholy, listen to "Jy lag vir my oor jou glas se rand" - strong, no frills. "En ek weet dit is eintlik net jou donker kant." Dark hypnotic glimpses of a phantom woman in "'n fontein in die sand". In the breezy "Jakarandastrate" you hear the tale of the unquiet traveller, walking through strange cities, finding continents and islands, his search taking him home with "en ek volg my hart waar hy gaan".
Yummy piece of slow sad love in "Hawelose Lewe". It's got a harmonica in there that will turn your heart into mush - "jou oë die weerkaatsing teen 'n muur van klip". Oh and here's "Lekker Verby", same harmonica, stuffed with happy thoughts. Also bodaciously frisky. "Dan vat ek jou ver met my saam langs die hoogspanningsdrade" and ooohh yes, "dan kuier ons saans met jou katte en jou tapes en jou wyn". Now we're getting' it on - "Meisie van die plaas, met jou wil ek rol in die hooimied, al wil jou pa my doodskiet" - listen to the shotgun talk!
"Jy Is Opium". You hear an old, dark slide guitar with echoes of dark hungry nights and desolation. You see dusty red plains, wild horses, taste the heat. You see the guitar. "Die opium van my lewe is die lyne van jou lyf, jou oë die planete wat deur die melkweg dryf, en ek en jy ons wentel in 'n dubbele spiraal, hoe is dit dat ek en jy nog saam dans in die strale" - feel the hair at the back of your neck stand on end. GOOD ONE. "As ons ons harte aan die somerhemel hang, saam met Jupiter en Venus en die maan" haunts your ears and brings gooseflesh right into your room.
"Die Sewe Af" chugs with a chummy rhythm from De Aar and back "waar die jakkalse tjank en die engele wag, om jou weg te dra na jou graf in die nag". The guitar snarls in the back while you shoot through the wind on the roof of the train. There's yet another mood change in "Verdwyn", with a moody, bitter and bluesy tune. "Herinnerings waai weg soos winterdatums" - previews Jinx and Katryn's evocative alliance. "Maar jy was altyd iewers in die gange of agter 'n gordyn" - and the guitar stays in your head. Then it disappears.
The three 'jive' tracks are "Die son sak in Danville" (to the tune of Valiant's hectic 'Durbanville' creation), "Dad Se Vastrap", and "Hey Hey Katonkel", the tune about Jinx's motorbike. Two remixes of "Verdwyn" and "Hawelose Lewe" close the door most deliciously.
Just a soundtrack? Yeah right.
- Carina Laubsher, SA Rock Digest, April 2003
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