01	Entering The Spacebike						01:28
	02	Into The Dreamscape						09:40
	03	The Ballerina From Far Beyond						07:37
	04	Daddy In The Clouds						03:57
	05	Speed Wizard						05:34
	06	An Ordinary Nightmare In Poor Mr. Hope's Ordinary Life						05:54
	07	In The Land Of The Pumpkins						09:06
	08	The Magic Rollercoaster						03:07
	09	The Gathering						03:02
	10	Three Stories i-Samuel-The Knight ii-Adam The Prophet iii-Miranda The Queen						16:41

Tomas Bodin - An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life

Released: 1996
Label: Foxtrot
Cat. No.:

Musicians:
Tomas Bodin - Hammond C3, piano, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, synthesziers, FX
Hasse Bruniusson - percussion, bicycle wheel, voice
Roine Stolt - guitars, bass
Owe Eriksson - bass
Michael Stolt - Fender jazz bass
Jaime Salazar - drums

Review courtesy John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg
Sweden again proves that the pure water from the fjords offers a great deal more than just quenching your thirst! Whilst Roine Stolt's Flower Kings are getting more and more recognition, their keyboard player Tomas Bodin has found the time to write his very own album An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life. Released at the very end of '96 it nevertheless got as high as number two in my list of favourites for 1996.

Surrounded by an authentic Hammond C3, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, loads of synths and backed by guitarist Roine Stolt, bass player Michael Stolt, percussionist Hasse Bruniusson and drummer Jaime Salazar you can easily say that you almost get a new Flower Kings album in your hands.

The end result simply is a "must" for all those who love a succession of rhythm changes done by a choice collection of some of the best musicians around. However it hasn't become a showcase for a bunch of individuals but a well-oiled group sound with of course the leading part reserved for the rich keyboard patterns from Tomas.

Don't be put off by the spacey psychedelic opener "Entering The Spacebike" as I think that's Tomas' way of including a joke, but it has to be said that there are plenty of psychedelic side-tracks throughout the album! "Into The Dreamscape" makes you glide into a deep, blissful trance just like the title suggests (and this without the use of harmful products!). There's a crowning feature for guitarist Roine Stolt in "The Ballerina From Far Beyond."

I already told you about Tomas' love for humour in his music. The best example comes with "An Ordinary Nightmare In Poor Mr. Hope's Ordinary Life" where a voice is heard saying "Number ten, number ten" as opposed to the Beatles "Number nine." "The Magic Rollercoaster" is a funky jazzy thing that is a showcase for the versatile talent of bass player Owe Eriksson.

In fact there's not one weak moment on the entire album so it's useless introducing them one by one. However I would like to stop at "Three Stories," a song based on the diverging characters of Tomas' three children. He gave each of them an appropriate title: Samuel - the knight, Adam - the prophet, and Miranda - the queen.

Ah, the life of a musician can be grand even if he only sees it as An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life. Some of them are never satisfied!

========

Tomas Bodin: An Ordinary Night in my Ordinary Life (CD, 66:06); Foxtrot
Records, Fox CD 017, 1996

10 words or less: One of the best progressive releases of the 90s.

Elaboration: Tomas Bodin is the Keyboard player for The Flower Kings but this
debut solo album is different in that it's instrumental. The album opens with
'Entering the Spacebike' which is a short sound effect piece that gives the
listener the feeling of being an astronaut in the movie 2001, a Space
Odyssey. This segues to 'Into the Dreamscape' in which a mellotron soaked
long intro gives way to a blasto energetic romp featuring an excellent
keyboard solo which then evolves into a rhythmic 5/4 section only to return
to the main theme played on guitar by Roine Stolt. Segue again to the 10/4
'The Ballerina from far Beyond'; a very 'Happy the Man' styled piece that
builds and builds and evolves within the 10/4 structure; quite a powerful
piece in which Roine Stolt utilizes Wah-wah and Whammy bar with the utmost of
taste. Piece #4 starts the 2nd section of the album. 'Daddy in the Clouds', a
somber piece, is very 'classical' in it's solo organ style. Segue into 'Speed
Wizard', a driving piece of music with some excellent, nimble soloing by
Tomas which gives way to a Hip-Hop styled coda. 'Speed Wizard' transforms
into 'An Ordinary Nightmare In Poor Mr. Hope's Ordinary Life' where we get a
'time capsule' soundscape of modern life which includes spacey sound effects
laid over a Hip-Hop rhythm during one section and a Sitar in another before
giving way to the sweet piano intro of 'In the Land of the Pumpkins'. Odd
percussion sounds take us in to the heavy chorus, which alternates with the
melodic theme of the piece. The chorus gets progressively more twisted in a
70s Crimsonish style as it builds to a manic 7/4 wall of sound before
releasing in a coda of beautiful solo piano before returning to the theme
once more at the end. 'The Magic Rollercoaster' starts during the last note
of 'In the Land of the Pumpkins' and we get the feeling that 'Neil and Jack
and Me' are 'On the Run'; yes, 80s Crimson meets the Dark Side of Floyd. The
sound of a Mellotron takes us into 'The Gathering' with an ominous, moody
feeling which evolves into a 3/4 rhythm before giving way to the sweeter
Mellotron sound of the 16 minute suite 'Three Stories' which escalates
through (Samuel - The Knight) with its ELP overtones, and heavy Crimsonesque
bridge to the haunting solo piano and Mellotron of (Adam - The Prophet). A
Floydian guitar solo comes in over a slow piano arpeggio and takes us soaring
through space as if Comfortably Numb. Fanfare announces (Miranda - The Queen)
as we march on to a fevered pitch before floating back down to earth. Rarely
nowadays do albums transport the listener as this one does. This album will
take you on a journey and leaves you with fond memories of it. ~ L Perez

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tomas Bodin: An Ordinary Night in my Ordinary Life

As if trying to prove that EVERY member of the top-notch Swedish prog band
The Flower Kings is blessed with more talent than should be allowed,
keyboardist Tomas Bodin has decided to strike off on his own with An
Ordinary Night in my Ordinary Life - a showcase of quality compositional
skills and home of some of the hippest keyboard stylings you'll ever want to
hear. Bodin is not alone however, he's joined by familiar pals Roine Stolt
on guitar, Jaime Salazar on drums, and newcomer Owe Eriksson on most of the
bass duties (Roine and his brother Michael also kick in some bass work for
the album). The personnel line up make this sort of an "alternate universe"
Flower Kings release, albeit one with Tomas Bodin and the keyboards take a
lead role, and Roine Stolt's guitar plays second fiddle. In the end, the
result are nothing short of fantastic, as Bodin explores musical styles
ranging from the funeral dirge-like church music of "Daddy in the Clouds" to
avant-garde experimentalism with "An Ordinary Nightmare in Poor Mr. Hope's
Ordinary Life" (complete with a voice chanting "Number Ten" over and over)
to what can only be described as "jungle-fusion" with "The Magic
Rollercoaster". Bodin is all over the musical map, and his styles work on
every level.

Bodin compositional prowess is at center stage here, as he deftly moves from
style to style without seeming to even break a sweat. While he does break
into some killer keyboard chops from time to time, it's obvious that he's
professional enough to show restraint and allow the other musicians to
contribute to the songs as well. After all, when you've got Stolt and
Salazar backing you up, you LET THEM PLAY! And play they do, with Stolt
contributing some incredible guitar work (did you expect anything less?) and
Salazar flying all around his drumkit with both reckless abandon and
pinpoint precision at the same time. Stolt REALLY shines in the middle of
Bodin's brilliant 17-minute epic "Three Stories," counterbalancing Bodin's
beautiful piano work with some incredibly emotional guitar work that seems
to patch directly to your soul (as Stolt's work often does). Bodin and
Stolt also score a major victory with "In the Land of the Pumpkins," which
combines standard progressive sounds with excellent piano passages and some
furious fusion to create a song that will stick in your head like white on
rice. But perhaps the most impressive musical moment of the CD comes not
from familiar faces such as Bodin or Stolt, but from bassist Owe Eriksson
who simply BLOWS THE LIGHTS OUT with his bass licks on "The Magic
Rollercoaster". His wonderful interplay with drummer Salazar on this cut is
something that simply must be heard to be believed.

Despite all the praises I have to the boys in the band, the ultimate kudos
must go to Tomas Bodin who has shown that he has compositional talent that
rivals that of Flower Kings leader Stolt. Perhaps future releases from The
Flower Kings will showcase more of Bodin's writing as well as his always
solid keyboard playing. However, if this does not come to pass, I very much
look forward to any future solo efforts put forth by this very talented man.

- Michael Askounes (michael@gscyclone.com)

CREDITS:
Tomas Bodin: Hammond Organ, Piano, Rhodes Piano, Mellotron, Synthesizers, FX & Odd Voices
Hasse Bruniusson: Percussion, Bicycle Wheel, voices
Roine Stolt: Guitars, Bass (3,7)
Owe Eriksson: Fender & Warwick Basses (5,6,8,10)
Michael Stolt: Fender Bass (2)
Jaime Salazar: Drumkit


More information on Tomas Bodin can be found at
http://www.flower-power.org.uk.




TOMAS BODIN
'An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life' (Foxtrot FOX CD 017)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweden again proves that the pure water from the fjords offers a great deal more than just quenching your thirst ! Whilst Roine Stolt's Flower Kings are getting more and more recognition, their keyboard player TOMAS BODIN has found the time to write his very own album 'An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life'. Released at the very end of '96 it never the less got as high as number two in my list of favourites for 1996.

Surrounded by an authentic Hammond C3, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, loads of synths and backed by guitarist Roine Stolt, bass player Michael Stolt, percussionist Hasse Bruniusson and drummer Jaime Salazar you can easily say that you almost get a new Flower Kings album in your hands.

The endresult simply is a 'must' for all those who love a succession of rhythm changes done by a choice collection of some of the best musicians around. However it hasn't become a showcase for a bunch of individuals but a well oiled group sound with of course the leading part reserved for the rich keyboard patterns from Tomas.

Don't be put off by the spacey psychedelic opener 'Entering The Spacebike' as I think that's Tomas way of including a joke but it has to be said that there are plenty of psychedelic side-tracks throughout the album ! 'Into The Dreamscape' makes you glide into a deep, blissful trance just like the title suggests (and this without the use of harmful products !). There's a crowning feature for guitarist Roine Stolt in 'The Ballerina From Far Beyond'.

I already told you about Tomas' love for humour in his music. The best example comes with 'An Ordinary Nightmare In Poor Mr. Hope's Ordinary Life' where a voice is heard saying 'Number ten, number ten' as opposed to the Beatles 'Number nine'. 'The Magic Rollercoster' is a funky jazzy thing which is a showcase for the versatile talent of bassplayer Owe Eriksson.

In fact there's not one weak moment on the entire album so it's useless introducing them one by one. However I would like to stop at 'Three Stories', a song based on the diverging characters of Tomas' three children. Each of them he gave an appropriate title: Samuel - the knight, Adam - the prophet. Miranda - the queen.

Ah, the life of a musician can be grand even if he only sees it as 'An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life'. Some of them are never satisfied !






Interview
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Creativity
What were your early musical influences and what made you want to become a musician?
My early influences are from the classics. My first record was Beethoven. Then I started to collect the masters for several years and turned more and more over to the russians like Stravinsky, Schostakovich, Prokofiev. BTW on the new TFK album there will be a part that is almost a copycat of Schostakovich' 10th Symphony.
My older brother was listening to Beatles, so this also influenced me. The reason for being a musician was just an inner feeling. This was what I wanted to do. I made that decicion when I was 14 years old.

Are there any musicians with whom you would like to work, living or dead?
I would very much love to work with Rick Wakeman or Patrick Moraz - I think it could be interesting to have 2 keys.

Can you tell us more about your involvement with the Swedish National Theatre and your acting career?
I wouldn't say that I have a acting career. I have made music for several theatre projects in Sweden. Also I wrote my own play. The first one was called "Ungdoms Sеr" - A story about life for teens between 16-20. (This was before Britney Spears) The second one was called "Skiljsmдssa" which is simply "Divorce". The 3rd one was "En Gammal Meny" ... a comedy about 2 guys running a restaurant.
I have been acting but I have soooooo much respect for the professionals so I prefer to call it "Pretend Acting".
The spring 2002 I composed music for a play at "Dramaten" which is the number one theatre in Sweden. The play was called "The Boston Marriage".


Pinup Guru
Your second solo CD is called 'Pinup Guru' and is being released on the 28th of October Can you tell us about the wide range of influences on the new CD?
You will find influences from typical prog, classic, ethnic, hip-hop, hard rock, negro spirituals...

One particular track - 'Harlem Heat' - features a Gospel section - How did you decide to create this?
I first composed Harlem Heat as a tribute to the private eyes during the '40ies. One day I was recording some handclap on the refrain. I realised that the sound of the handclap was very "gospellish". So from there I decided to make a musical trip into a black church. I felt it was still in the Harlem area.

Are there any guest musicians on 'Pinup Guru'?
The musicians I worked with were Jonas (bass) and Zoltan (drums) from TFK. I wanted to make a trio-keyboard album.

Are you happy with the way this CD has developed?
Yes! So far so good. I am very happy and proud. It has been a very good experience for me.

What is your favourite track?
They are all my babies. Different tracks for different days.

Do you see this as a follow up to 'An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life', or as a completely separate statement?
I would say that Pinup Guru is a very much a logical follow on. Still there is a new touch. "An Ordinary Night..." was perhaps more symphonic. Pinup Guru are based on more groove.

Will you be performing any of your solo tracks on the forthcoming TFK tour?
No there will be no Pinup tracks on TFK tour. But there will be a tour together with Jonas, Zoltan and probably Daniel. We will play music from Pinup and from Jonas' Karmakanic album. Also there will be music from the new Holst project.

Equipment & Studio Life
In a previous interview (May 2000), you provided a list of the equipment you use, both live and in the studio. Have there been many changes since this time?
No I would say pretty much the same. I have of course the new Nord Electro.

What do you think of the emergence of software synthesizers, samplers and effects?
The development has been extreme. Today you have all you need plus more in the computer. Actually, Emagic Logic provides everything..... sequencer, hard disk recording, effects, intruments like Hammond, Rhodes, Clavinet and an extremly good sampler. (I am not getting paid for saying this!!!!!)

Will your 'Sonic Boulevard' project with Roine ever see the light of day?
Yes!!!!! There will be an ambient release late next year. I will release it on my own.

Desert Island Discs
What 5 CDs would you take with you if you were stranded on a desert island and why?

Arvo Part "Spiegel Im Spiegel"
Very meditative when I don't find any coconuts
Beatles "All You Need Is Love"
Happiness when you find a coconut.
Korn "Untouchables"
Needed to open up the coconut
Fleshquartet "Goodbye Sweden"
In order to acclimatise after dinner (of coconut).
Frank Sinatra "My Way"
Mental encouragement after 200,567 coconuts!
Tomas, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.