Here We Go Then, You and I
Encyclopedia
Here We Go Then, You And I is a 1999 album by Norwegian pop
artist Morten Abel
. It was Abel's second CD as a solo artist. The album went straight to number one on the Norwegian album chart, and sold to double platinum. Among the singles released from the album were the songs "Be My Lover" and "Hard To Stay Awake".
. This first solo album was a relative disappointment after the success Abel had enjoyed with The September When. The album was recorded in England, in Lincolnshire
, Brighton
and London
during the winter of 1998. Abel co-produced the album with Steve Lovell while the mixing was done by Lovell and Pete Jones. Later, two tracks were added in Stavanger
, Norway. The title of the album is from T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
, and appears as a line in the song "Be My Lover".
. Grønneberg described the CD as one of his best musical experiences so far that year. He called the album Abel's best so far, including the work he had done previously with the band The September When
. Grønneberg mentioned musical references such as 1970s disco
, David Bowie
and Van Morrison
, while Abel managed to maintain his musical individuality. Espen A. Hansen, writing for Verdens Gang
, was less impressed. Hansen found that Abel had made an album of generally decent quality, but was too afraid to take chances and try new things.
Here We Go Then, You And I went straight to number one on the official Norwegian album chart, where it stayed for four weeks. All together it remained in the Top 40 for 56 weeks until 2001 longer than any other of Abel's albums. It sold 147.000 records in Norway, earning double platinum
status. Abel won the Norwegian Hit Award for best male artist in 2000. The album did not receive the Norwegian music award Spellemannprisen
for best pop album that year, a decision that surprised many. It has been said that it was this album that confirmed Abel's position as Norway's "king of pop".
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artist Morten Abel
Morten Abel
Morten Abel Knutsen, , better known by his stage name Morten Abel is a Norwegian pop artist, and one of Norway's best-selling domestic artists.-Career:...
. It was Abel's second CD as a solo artist. The album went straight to number one on the Norwegian album chart, and sold to double platinum. Among the singles released from the album were the songs "Be My Lover" and "Hard To Stay Awake".
Production
Here We Go Then, You And I followed Abel's 1997 début album Snowboy, which he released after splitting up with his former band The September WhenThe September When
The September When is a Norwegian rock band formed in Stavanger in 1987, by vocalist Morten Abel, guitarist Tor Øyvind Syvertsen and keyboardist Helge Hummervoll, all former members of the band Mods. They signed a recording contract with Warner Music in Norway, and released their self-titled debut...
. This first solo album was a relative disappointment after the success Abel had enjoyed with The September When. The album was recorded in England, in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during the winter of 1998. Abel co-produced the album with Steve Lovell while the mixing was done by Lovell and Pete Jones. Later, two tracks were added in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway. The title of the album is from T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, commonly known as Prufrock, is a poem by T. S. Eliot, begun in February 1910 and published in Chicago in June 1915. Described as a "drama of literary anguish," it presents a stream of consciousness in the form of a dramatic monologue, and marked the beginning of...
, and appears as a line in the song "Be My Lover".
Reception
The album was generally well received by reviewers; it received six out of six points from Anders Grønneberg in the newspaper DagbladetDagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
. Grønneberg described the CD as one of his best musical experiences so far that year. He called the album Abel's best so far, including the work he had done previously with the band The September When
The September When
The September When is a Norwegian rock band formed in Stavanger in 1987, by vocalist Morten Abel, guitarist Tor Øyvind Syvertsen and keyboardist Helge Hummervoll, all former members of the band Mods. They signed a recording contract with Warner Music in Norway, and released their self-titled debut...
. Grønneberg mentioned musical references such as 1970s disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, while Abel managed to maintain his musical individuality. Espen A. Hansen, writing for Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
, was less impressed. Hansen found that Abel had made an album of generally decent quality, but was too afraid to take chances and try new things.
Here We Go Then, You And I went straight to number one on the official Norwegian album chart, where it stayed for four weeks. All together it remained in the Top 40 for 56 weeks until 2001 longer than any other of Abel's albums. It sold 147.000 records in Norway, earning double platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status. Abel won the Norwegian Hit Award for best male artist in 2000. The album did not receive the Norwegian music award Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
for best pop album that year, a decision that surprised many. It has been said that it was this album that confirmed Abel's position as Norway's "king of pop".
Track listing
- Hard to Stay Awake – 04:02
- Tulipz – 03:59
- Don't Forget to Dance – 03:40
- Be My Lover – 04:58
- The Man with No Shadow – 05:14
- Doberman – 04:22
- Let the Good Times Roll – 04:43
- The Whistler – 04:51
- Dad's Girl – 02:46
- I Always Thought the World Was Made for Me – 05:32
- Tulipz (remix) – 06:45
Personnel
Abel played the guitar and bass on all tracks except "Don't Forget To Dance" and "Be My Lover". There were also various other musicians involved in the recording.- Morten Abel – Vocals, various instruments
- Børge Fjordheim – Percussion
- Allan Skurtveit – Keyboard
- Inge Helland – Guitar
- Kjetil Netteland – Bass
Singles
- Tulipz – (August 1999)
- Doberman – (November 1999)
- Be My Lover – (January 2000)
- Hard to Stay Awake – (June 2000)