When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog

Jens Lekman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 7, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Secretly Canadian
• ASIN: B0002QO36Y
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,492 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #45 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop
  • #84 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Chamber Pop

Editorial Reviews

Call it a curse: Jens Lekman’s world is populated by an endless stream of women. There he is, his hair mussed and glasses off-kilter, sitting in the corner of the cafe with his journal once again – and he’s being torn in two. Moments ago he fell in love with the redheaded barista who nailed his order – when she scooted that cappuccino across the counter, it was clear that there was a connection. And now, his eye catches the picture of divinity in the shape of the most finely featured brunette he’s ever seen...and she’s looking his way. But which way to go? It’s tragic having to make such choices. Like Fellini’s The Man Who Loved Women, Jens Lekman is a man forever at a crossroads between competing inspirations.

At only 23, Lekman has deservedly been the center of much hype in Scandinavia. Having made a name for himself performing under the name Rocky Dennis, he recently hit #2 on the Swedish National Pop Charts. Most everyone who’s heard him believes him to be the next great pop star emerging from the streets of the DIY underground. With an angelic voice and golden ears he seems to be drinking from the same hard waters as The Carpenters, Harry Nilsson, The Magnetic Fields, Runt-era Todd Rundgren, Bill Callahan’s Smog, The Modern Lovers, Rufus Wainwright and Belle & Sebastian.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Genuine Talent, April 23, 2005

By 

steamloaf (Leiden, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Audio CD)

I purchased this EP late last year and, within a month, I owned every piece of music that Lekman has published. The guy is a true talent---a great ear for melody and brilliant compositional skills.

He combines simple, sweet melodies with low-res samples, blurred horn and string arrangements and quirky lyrics to deliver some of the most refreshing music I've heard in over a decade.

If you're a fan of succinct, educated conanical pop ala early-Costello or The Smiths and/or indie fare such as Belle and Sebastian (Arab Strap days,) Kings of Convenience and the Acid House Kings, then I can't recommend his music strongly enough. As with any groundbreaking body of work, its sophistication lies in its honesty and simplicity.

If you get a chance, you MUST catch one of his live shows. I saw him in Amsterdam in early-2005 and it was easily the most memorable set I've ever attended. 30 minutes into his gig, the venue's management cut-in on him, informed him of a scheduling snafu and asked him to pack-up.

Instead of abandoning his audience, he grabbed a ukulele, invited the attendees outside and finished his set in an adjacent alley. With trams jingling in the background and residents of a neighboring building cheering him on from their windows, he strummed and sang for 45 minutes, blowing-away everyone within earshot. He played simply for his love of music and a sense of obligation to those who had paid to see him. Needless to say, it was a genuinely special experience and everyone was very touched.

The guy is a true musician, a born entertainer, a consummate professional and, as such, an enormous breath of fresh air. You can't help but fall in love with his work.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Come Dance With Jens Lekman!, June 1, 2005

By 

el dangeroso (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Audio CD)

I don't know why I had never heard of Jens until recently, he's fantastic! This album has not left my cd changer and I have recently won a bloody battle with my meager wallet over ordering everything in his back catalog. Sure, he sounds like the Swedish Jonathan Richman, but you wouldn't believe what a good thing that can be. Where else will you find handclaps and doo wop dancing together in songs about starting riots, tin-drum laden birthday shout-outs, orchestras floating over lyrics promoting the joys of erotic asphyxiation, and toe tapping tunes about vandalizing luxury cars, lover's vomiting at office parties, and making out in church with an existentialist? Truly marvelous. I must say that I really don't see the Morrissey comparisons. Besides Jonathan Richman, I would think you'd fall in love with this if you appreciate the Magnetic Fields, Belle and Sebastian, or any kind of off-kilter, witty pop. According to Amazon he's a giant Top-40 star in Sweden. So how come we get stuck with Maroon 5? Wonders never cease.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars soothing, intimate, wacky, with a touch of melancholy, October 18, 2004

By 

Anthony D'Auria (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (Audio CD)

Lekman's intimate, gentle, stripped down Swedish pop reminds me of Kings of Convenience, though with brighter sound and often hilarious and wacky lyrics. His love songs (6, 7, 9, 10) are ironic and sensitive. His pleasant voice, reminiscent of Stephin Merritt dominates the songs, making his self-deprecating humor and political witticisms (3) really stand out.

Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3*, 5**, 6**, 9**