release date: Jan. 27, 1984
format: cd (2010 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Reinhold Heil, Manfred Praeker
label: Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music - nationality: Germany
Track highlights: 1. "Rette mich" - 2. "? (Fragezeichen)" (live) - 3. "Das Land der Elefanten" - 5. "Küss mich wach" (live '84) - 6. "Lass mich dein Pirat sein" - 7. "Ich häng' an Dir" - 12. "Der Anfang vom Ende"
2nd studio album by the German new wave and pop / rock band Nena, actually only titled ? but commonly referred to as 'Fragezeichen' [German for 'questionmark']. Stylistically, the album just continues where the debut ended. It's the same pop-rounded new wave or Neue Deutsche Welle, and it's also the same producer-duo as on the debut.
The album doesn't include a hit single like "99 Luftballons" but it contains several fine compositions primarily written and composed by guitarist Carlo Karges and keyboardist Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog Petersen, making it a general improvement to the promising debut. A few tracks, like the title-track have lyrics (and / or music co-written) by Nena Kerner, and not seldom, these actually work as the better songs.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
