About Alexandra Heep

About Alexandra Heep: The internet has allowed allowed Alexandra to maintain a semblance of life when encountering an unexpected, lingering health crisis. The Internet is a lifeline which not only allows her to remain connected to friends, but also survive, via writing.While Alexandra Heep is her pen name, she does not hide behind it. Instead, she used it to brand herself on the Internet and to create opportunities.

Alexandra published her first book, a collection of her best poems, on July 11, 2012. You can buy it at Lulu.com

Support independent publishing: Buy this book on Lulu.


Friday, April 6, 2012

F is for Fair Warning

No, don't groan about more mainstream, this is not about Van Halen's album or their tribute band by that name, this is about the German melodic hard rock band Fair Warning. Although, when you put Fair Warning into the search engine, you'll have problems getting to this band. Hence, it makes this Fair Warning hard to find. Too bad really. I have often wondered if bands would have more success if they had chosen different names. Alas, before the Internet no one thought of these things. Also, it does not help that their name is close to Fates Warning, a progressive metal band.

So, how did I find this Fair Warning then? A while back I bought a CD by Uli Jon Roth that featured Tommy Heart as a singer. (Uli Jon Roth has ties to the Scorpions, a favorite band of mine, is why I acquired the CD). I found that CD while shopping for a guitar for my daughter. Anyway, I was blown away by Tommy Heart's vocals, sought out more material, and found out he is the lead singer for the German band Fair Warning. After a lot of searching, I was able to buy a CD off Amazon called Go! online. I had to sell it later on unfortunately, but that is another story. Thank goodness for YouTube (and Spotify), although you need to know a song name in order for the correct Fair Warning to pop up.

Anyway, they have released 23 albums from 1991 to 2006 and just released another one in March 2012. I love them because of the awesome vocals and song writing skills.

I chose two songs to highlight:

1. One Step Closer because I can relate to the lyrics and it has, in my opinion, a killer rhythm section often missing in this type of music.
2. Eyes of a Stranger because of the lyrics.

(Scroll down past the lyrics for each video). I included the lyrics because if this is not your style of music, the lyrics alone may do it. And because I am a word nerd.

1. One Step Closer

There's a voice in my head
And everywhere I go
It is telling me to come home.
And I know what I need
is a million miles away
From the smile that makes me live again.

There's a ringing in my ear
And it's telling me to listen
To the words my heart will always say.
I can feel all the heartache
and I can feel all the pain
You are going through since I've been away.

It's the call of your heart I feel
It's the call of our love taking me night by night.

One step closer to you every beat of my heart
Every move that I make brings me
One step closer back home- 'cos I know you'll be there
Still waiting for me, waiting for me.

I've been out on the road
Every day and every night
Just to hold you in my arms again.
I've been losing my mind
Every lonely night grows colder
When the light of your love's far away.

It's the call of your heart I feel
It's the call of your love taking me night by night.

One step closer to you every beat of my heart
Every move that I make brings me
One step closer back home- 'cos I know you'll be there
Still waiting for me.

[Solo]

One step closer step by step
One step closer to you

One step closer to you every beat of my heart
Every move that I make brings me
One step closer back home- 'cos I know you'll be there
Still waiting for me, waiting for me.

It's the call of your heart I feel
It's the call of your love taking me night by night.
It's the call of your heart
The call of your heart I feel.



2. Eyes of a Stranger

Tears running down
From the face of the silence
Into the dreams of my night
Open my eyes
´Til the wake of the grey morning light
See how we walk down
The roads of illusion
Cautiously pacing in line -
Soldiers of fate
On our way through the deserts of time
Seeing myself with the eyes of a stranger
Making my way through this land
Watching me rise from the past to the future
Laying my soul in your hand -
In your hand
Travellers appear
From the coastlines of nowhere
Crossing the rainbows of light
Guiding our way
On this lonely crusade through the night
Seeing ourselves with the eyes of a stranger
Making our way through this land
Watching us rise from the past to the future
Laying our souls - laying our souls -
In your hand
I´ve seen myself stumble and fall
Into this life
Finding no place where I belong
You picked me up - eased up my mind
I will be there
When time has come
Seeing myself with the eyes of a stranger
Out on the fields of this land
Watching me rise from the past to the future
Laying my soul - laying my soul
In your hand -
In your hand

6 comments:

Red said...

I love both of these. The sound for me was nostalgic, but the lyrics are great. Terrific find, Alex.
Red.

Alexandra Heep said...

Thanks, Red, for taking the time to read, listen and comment. As always, you get it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

He's got a very clean voice. First time I've ever heard of them.

Anonymous said...

interesting F
do check out my F at GAC a-z

Glorygarden@msn.com said...

Wow, another I never heard of. I liked it too.

Laurie Tysinger said...

https://www.facebook.com/fairwarningrocks

We have a Fair Warning here in North Carolina too, Heepy!

I grew up with some of them, and was just about to include them in my A to Z Band Challenge! How synchronicity laden is that!? I put a link to their FB page at top, as I think you may like them as well! ;)