USC 1976 review

So we are here in the fabulously great 70ies again. Many great songs in this one. I enjoyed almost all songs in one or another way. Since there is no draw order yet I will present them alphabetically instead. (Actually as article was to be published the draw was made so its as it should me. red note)Management say there might come more entries later on even though the deadline is crossed by days. (Which will not happen now as draw was made just now) So maybe there is still hope for a reconsideration about both DDR and Daddy Cool. USC 1976 is a great contest I can higly recommend to listen to. (Hope is out)

01. Switzerland - Peter Sue & Marc - Cindy

Oh this is very boring and lyrics are stupidly bad. Next. 1 star.

02. Czech Republic - Karel Zich - Dum c 5

So, now we know the east had also the 70ies style songs. This guitar pop tune is very very good and the change in tempo could make a song messy but here it works just fine. Should deserv the upper half. 4 stars.



03. Slovenia - Alenka Pinteric - Lutke
Another sleeping pill…what can we say…she sings with great conviction but poor girl has such an awful song that she is doomed. 1 star.

04 Netherlands - Champagne - Rock And Roll Star
This is very nice. The most eurovision like song and that has a bit rocky 70ies in it as well. I give 4 stars cause it is not as good as the others but still I get that familiar winning feeling here too. Watch out for this one. Netherlands will fight in the top. Mark my words!!!! A pure pop song with weak lyrics but still…4 stars.

05 Greece - Haris Alexiou - Matia mou, matia mou
Please, this is 1976 and not 1876. Yes a song that could be 100 years old has nothing to do here than in a cultural museum. Bye bye Greece. Everyone who give points to this is mad. NO STARS

06. Austria - Peter Alexander - Die kleine Kneipe
I smile, and I smile of joy and a weird feeling that Austria sent this as a joke but it is probably dead serious. A very French song but from a period 20 years ago. I remember the song as a child in Swedish and also the French Mirelle Mathieu version. Wasn’t this once an Edith Piaff song? Maybe someone will tell us. But as you listen you can simply not resist the cosy feeling it brings. Bravo Austria. The laughing smile turns into a real smile when listening to this one. 4 stars.

07 Fyr Macedonia - Dragan Mijalkovski - Kazi nesto draga
Hmfr…this is one of those songs I do not enjoy in 1976. Sure, he is passionate but woman is annoyingly awful and the style is weird and too schreaky and circus style and etno for many points. Fyrom will see herself at bottom with Estonia. 1 star.

08 Estonia - Heli Laats - Kannikesed emale

If the Edith Piaff style songs were “old” they still gave you an modern 1976 feeling. This one is simply just old and it is not 1956 dear Estonia. Annoying house wife voice. 1 star for melody.

09 Luxembourg - Michel Sardou - Je Vais T'aimer
This is going to do so bad. And it is a total scandal. It is one of the best songs we have heard in the history of the contests. It has it all. A fantastic singer singing with power and emotion and a conviction this masterpiece with splendid lyrics. Close your eyes and enjoy a very musically style of song but it is pure art that won’t be very appreciated here. 5 stars and I must put in a small 6th also. We can only bow to Mr Yannick and the best Luxembourg song ever. Merci. 6 stars.

10 Sweden - Abba - Dancing Queen

And now this contest is over. Everyone else can go home. We have ABBA again in Sweden with the enormous support from the home audience after Abbas victory in 1975 with “Mamma Mia”. What can stop them from their 2nd victory? Who? France? Netherlands? I doubt it. This is probably a walk away runaway victory like in 1968 and 1975. Everything but a Swedish 20p margin win is a sensation. OK, I have to rank the song also. The ladies sing fantastic and the song is great even though I don’t have it at all as one of the top 20 Abba songs. I even prefer both France and Luxembourg to this one. But…Abba is Abba…and well 5 stars. Sweden rules.

11 Spain - Jarcha - Libertad sin ira
Oh, I know there is great Spanish songs in 1976 but what have TVE done here? Well, it has some qualities but I wouldn’t play this more than once unless I had to for the review. But after the 2nd listening it is better and then it grows more. His voice is nice and the song is nice as well. 4 stars.

12 Italy - Peppino di Capri - Non lo faccio piu
zzzzzzzz….the first sleeping pill of USC 1976 won’t see much support on the night. Slow motion and the song never takes of, it is like a long intro. But the man has passion in his singing and I like the instrumental part. 2 stars.

13. Cyprus - Anna Vissi - Paramythi Xehasmeno

This is not one of the best Anna Vissi songs in USC. Very ethnic and guitars are really nice but still it is too sleepy for high position but still Annas voice is lovelly. 3 stars.

14. U.K. - The Wurzels - Combine harvester
The only real joke song. Good night UK. You finally made it is USC also. The zero point is not impossible now with 18 entries. It can very well be the worst song that has ever been sent to USC. NO STARS. ABSOLUTELY NO STARS AT ALL.



15. Andorra - Tony Landa – Adios
Andorra surprise us all with a great song that is an explosion of 1970ies sound. Great singer and melody can only result in high rating. A top 5 result I expect. 4 stars.

16. Belgium - Annie Cordy - Nini la chance

Songs in the spirit of Edith Piaff continue and this is even more Edith, but not as good as the Austrian one so only 3 stars here. But still very good.

17 France - Dalida - Besame mucho
Now we are talking. Welcome to Dalida club 76. Lets move our bodies to the USC queen. The dancing Queen gives us an disco version of this classy song that blows me away. Winner feeling all through the song. Bravo France. Bravo Dalida. If not in top 2 then there is something very wrong here. A sure 5 star entry.

18. Germany - Jorgen Drews - Ein.Bett im.Kornfeld

The poor Germany was robbed of their “Daddy Cool” song from Boney M so this is the replace song. But people do not cry over spilled milk cause here we take a tripp right into the fantastic 1970ies with this country pop shuffle song that is very very good. One of the best songs “ West Germany” has taken to USC. 5 stars. Sehr Gut Deutchland!

So after this contest there is a few awful entries but the rest are very very good!. Sweden will win, but there could be some competition from France and Netherlands….but I hope for Luxembourg. Celine deserved very much to win for Luxembourg but this time it should be Luxembourg at the top.