Nena "Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann" (2005)

Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann (compilation)

release date: 2005

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

producer: various

label: Sony BMG - nationality: Germany

Compilation album by German neue-welle band Nena released somewhat simultaneously with the release of Nena, the solo artist's eight studio album Willst Du mitt mir gehn (Mar. 2005). The background to this is probably given the fact that Nena signed with Warner in 2002, when she released the album Nena Feat. Nena, an album of old songs in new versions but previously issued by Polydor (now owned by Sony BMG) and also the compilation Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann mostly concentrating on Nena the soloist's career but also containing tracks by Nena the band. I guess, Sony BMG were provoked to show they owned the rights to release the band's original songs, so they simply used the title used by Warner, which they could rightfully claim is taken from one the band's biggest hits - originates from Feuer und Flamme (Jun. 1985).

Anyway, this is a decent compilation, which also proves that the band was much more than the 'Ballons' song.

Nena "Eisbrecher" (1986)

Eisbrecher
release date: Nov. 24, 1986
format: cd (2010 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,95]
producer: Nena, Klaus Voormann
label: Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Engel der Nacht" (tv performance) - 2. "Mondsong" - 4. "Schön wär es doch"

4th and final original studio album by the band Nena. Despite making it to number #2 on the national albums chart list, the previous album Feuer und Flamme was seen as a considerable step back for the band in Germany (the two first albums both topped the national album charts), as the band's concerts to promote the album didn't fare that well. Perhaps the German public wanted more change?
Eisbrecher is styled as a bolder mainstream pop / rock album without much of the Neue Deutsche Welle attitude, and on a stronger negative side it comes out as Nena's closest attempt to make their Pat Benatar album. It 'only' reached number #43 on the national albums chart list and the band Nena broke up the following year. Lead vocalist and songwriter Gabriele Susanne 'Nena' Kerner then initiated a solo career keeping to the band name.
This is not really the band's worst effort but it doesn't point to a new golden style and mostly just feels quite anonymous. Compared to the band's previous two albums, I actually like the production sound on this better, but it really doesn't contain evident great or memorable compositions.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Nena "Feuer und Flamme" (1985)

Feuer und Flamme
release date: Jun. 24, 1985
format: vinyl (26 546) / cd ( 2010 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,82]
producer: Reinhold Heil
label: CBS Records / Sony Music - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Utopia" (English version) - 2. "Haus der drei Sonnen" - 3. "Jung wie du" - 8. "Du kennst die Liebe nicht" - 10. "Irgendwie, irgendwo Irgendwann"

3rd studio album by Nena. With this the band makes no big differences from its first two albums. Perhaps there's a tendency to introduce a stronger funk rock rhythm section, which doesn't improve things. Uwe-Fahrenkrog's keyboard and Jürgen Dehmel's bass feel too dominant, perhaps much as usual with music from this period, but it turns out as a more anachronistic release than its too predecessors - there's simply too much Level 42 about this to my liking. The album was simultaneously released in an English version as It's All in the Game, with the same track list, only translated. The band previously made an attempt with the English-versioned album 99 Luftballons released shortly after their second album consisting of an A-side with tracks from the debut and a B-side with tracks from the second album. That is basically a compilation but in any case it was released to promote the band outside Germany. However, this was to be the last attempt to conquer the English-speaking countries 'cause (t)here they remained one-hit wonders. Nena was a German band singing and playing in German.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Nena "? [fragezeichen]" (1984)

? [fragezeichen]
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 ]

Tauchen - Prokopetz / DÖF "Codo... düse im Sauseschritt" (1983) (single)

"Codo... düse im Sauseschritt", 7'' single
release date: 1983
format: vinyl
[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Annette Humpe
label: WEA - nationality: Germany

Tracklist: A) "Codo" - - B) "Rein Gar Nix"

Single by Tauchen - Prokopetz / DÖF (aka Deutsch-Österreichisches Feingefühl). This project-band consisted of the two Austrian comedians Manfred O. 'Fredi' Tauchen and Joesi Prokopetz together with German new wave artists and sisters Annette Humpe (from Ideal) and (younger sister) Inga Humpe.

Nena "Nena" (1983)

Nena [debut]
release date: Jan. 4, 1983
format: cd (2010 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Reinhold Heil, Manfred Praeker
label: Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Kino" - 3. "Vollmond" - 4. "Nur Geträumt" (4 / 5) - 6. "99 Luftballons" (4 / 5) - 8. "Einmal ist keinmal" - 9. "Leuchtturm"

Studio debut album by German band Nena consisting of Gabriele Susanne 'Nena' Kerner on lead vocals, Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen on keyboard, Carlo Karges on guitar, Jürgen Dehmel on bass, and with Rolf Brendel on drums. The band plays German pop / rock in a mix of synthpop and new wave, which may be labelled as Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) or new German wave, but with its focus on a pop and synthpop sound with less focus on the punk rock element (art punk, post-punk) and political or cultural criticism like Ideal, D.A.F., Nina Hagen, and Spliff. The producer-duo Reinhold Heil and Manfred Praeker were both members of Nina Hagen Band and later in Spliff (which was formed by the former members of Nina Hagen Band as she pursued her solo career) as keyboardist and bassist / vocalist, respectively, and Heil in particular has become regarded as one of the leading forces to the style of NDW with his contributions to the music of Nina Hagen Band, Spliff, and Nena.
Unfortunately, Nena's hit single "99 Luftballons" became more of a burden as the band soon were labelled "one-hit-wonders" and were only associated with that particular song. However, Nena is much more, and this debut contains several fine songs to prove that. Both "Nur Geträumt" and "Leuchtturm" were well-received in Germany but failed as international singles, perhaps because most songs except "99..." have a more dominant and special style of NDW, which didn't succeed that well outside Germany. The album is a bit of an anachronism. The sound and the production are restricted to a specific time, and the band comes out as a German blend of Blondie, Pretenders, and... Pat Benatar. The album contains fine songs but also lesser compositions, which makes it a difficult listen.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Ideal "Bi Nuu" (1982)

Bi Nuu

release date: Nov. 1982

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: Micki Meuser, Gareth Jones, Ideal

label: Eitel Imperial / WEA - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Keine Heimat" - 2. "Ask Mark Ve Ölüm" - 3. "Tränen am Hafen" - 4. "Schöne Frau mit Geld" - 6. "Wir zerstören unser Glück (Tu' mir weh)" - 10. "Müde"

3rd and final studio album by Ideal following one year after Der Ernst des Lebens introduces a new production sound aided by British sound engineer / producer Gareth Jones and German producer Micki Meuser.

Stylistically, the band has made its biggest move towards a more general pop / rock universe. The arrangements have both become more complex, the sound more slick almost without the new wave characteristics, but at the same time the album is their so far most experimental. A few songs stand out: "Keine Heimat", "Schöne Frau mit Geld" and "Wir zerstören unser Glück (Tu' mir weh)". Some would probably argue that the first composition (only lead single) is the only with actual hit-potential as traditionally structured rock-song. As was the case on the predecessor, most songs are credited the whole band, while Annette Humpe remains the band's songwriter with a variation of Humpe as lead vocalist and male vocals. The overall impression is bound to much incoherency. Ideal is obviously influenced by many stylistic variations, with several members having previously played experimental jazz-fusion, and that style emerges here and there in combo with other styles - not as something extra, but more as a sudden style-shift and often in combo with krautrock-inspiration but also with bits pointing towards more electronic music, e.g. Kraftwerk. A song is in Turkish language, some are schlager-like and other songs like contrasts - there's simply too much happening, too many directions in one huge pot.

Saleswise, the album didn't fare as well as their previous albums. Bi Nuu peaked at number #20 in Germany, where the two predecessors made it to number #2 and #3 respectively. Apparently, both label and band took this as a stronger rejection than it may actually have been. Nonetheless, a planned tour was cancelled and the band simply split in 1983.

The album is by no means a poor one - it's full of good ideas and several fine compositions, it's more the fact that the songs hardly speak to one another, as if the band tries too hard to show us how well they master all stylistic aspects and posibilities of Neue Deutsche Welle - they are renewers and pioneers who contain it all and, unfortunately, they try it all at once. Following the disbandment, Annette Humpe joined her sister in the duo Humpe Humpe (or: Inga & Anete Humpe) aka Swimming with Sharks and Bamby, and she later released the solo album, Solo (1990). From 2004 she has been one half of the more lasting duo Ich + Ich with Adel Tawil.

Recommended.

Trio "Da Da Da Don't Love You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha" (1982) (single)

"Da Da Da Don't Love You...", 7'' single
release date: Apr. 1982
format: vinyl (6005.210)
[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Klaus Voormann
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Germany

Tracklist: A) "Da Da Da Don't Love You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha" - - B) "Sabine Sabine Sabine"

Single release by German new wave, Neue Deutsche Welle, Trio (stylised: TRIO) consisting of Stephan Remmler on vocals & keyboards, Gert Krawinkel on guitar and Peter Behrens on drums. The A-side became the band's best-selling and only international hit. The single was first issued in February with its original German title "Da Da Da ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht aha aha aha".

Ideal "Der Ernst des Lebens" (1981)

Der Ernst des Lebens

release date: Oct. 1981

format: cd (2005 remaster)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Konrad 'Conny' Plank & Ideal

label: Warner Music Group - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Eiszeit" (4 / 5) - 2. "Schwein" - 3. "Sex in der Wüste" - 5. "Feuerzeug" - 6. "Immer Frei" - 8. "Monotonie"

2nd studio album by German quartet Ideal following an unexpected national sales success with the debut Ideal (1980), originally released on the band's newly started Eitel Imperial label. On this, the band has teamed up with Kraftwerk producer 'Conny' Plank to ensure it was state-of-the-art sound. The quartet remains unchanged, as it would throughout the band's lifetime.

Compared to the debut, the immediate difference lies in how much better this is produced. The style remains somewhat unchanged, although, the small difference is a move away from the reminiscence of energy-based new wave rooted in punk rock towards a bolder style of art rock and new wave with heavier use of synths. Annette Humpe is still credited as songwriter but now with the whole band credited all music. Ideal was primarily with Humpe as lead vocalist but on this, several songs are with leading male vocals. WEA promoted the album and tempingly called it 'dance music'. Well, that's a bit taking the mouth full, but nevertheless, there's certainly a stronger stress on the rhythm-section, and when having B52's in your mind, this comes close at times.

"Eiszeit" is the lead single and the strongest track here, although, "Sex in der Wüste" is another highlight but pointing in a complete different direction, sounding more like crafted by D.A.F. And that's touching on the 'problem' with this fine follow-up: it really contains some great compositions, a few of which take up the tone from the predecessor but then the band both experiment with rhythm, using stylistic input from reggae, calypso and electronic music, and they also vary the level of energy as well as the arrangements - some tracks are harsh and more simple, whereas others are more complex, and you end up wondering if they aim to be a German version of Blondie, B52's, XTC, or they would rather pick up the baton from Nina Hagen - "No wait! It's the band who shows Depeche Mode how to deal with synths!" Yes, it's a bit of a mixed bag, although, mostly a positive one. Comming to think of it, when revisiting this album the first thing that struck me was vocal by Einar Örn from the Sugarcubes. Anyway, the two aforementioned "Eiszeit" (both being highly original and yet linking to Joy Division) and "Sex in der Wüste" are my personal favourites on this, and they are really so far from one another that you wouldn't expect them to be from the same album, and hardly from the same artist. Another minor weakness is the decrease of great songs in the second half of the album where only "Monotonie" shines. That said, Ernst... is still a great album that shows a band with great potential.

Not as coherent as the debut but still an essential new wave album.

Ideal "Ideal" (1980)

Ideal [debut]

release date: Nov. 1980

format: cd (1990 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Klaus D. Müller

label: WEA - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Berlin" - 2. "Irre" - 3. "Telepathie" - 4. "Blaue Augen" - 6. "Luxus" - 7. "Rote Liebe"

Studio album debut by Berlin quartet Ideal originally released on the independent label Innovative Communication founded by German artist Klaus Schultze and Michael Haentjes. The band consists of vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Annette Humpe, guitarist Frank Jürgen 'Eff Jott' Krüger, bassist Ernst Ulrich Deuker, and drummer Hans-Joachim 'Hansi' Behrendt. Both Humpe and Krüger had previously played together in X-Pectors, and Humpe was also a member of Neonbabies where she figured alongside her younger sister Inga before leaving that band to concentrate on Ideal.

Ideal counts ten compositions of which three have music credited all members, two are credited Humpe and Krüger, whereas the five remainders are credited Humpe alone.

Stylistically, this is one of the earliest examples of the German variation of new wave that came to be known as Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW), a style based on British and American new wave and art rock (think Talking Heads, Devo, Pere Ubu, David Bowie, XTC). The style may be regarded as the fuse of energy transformed from punk rock with inspiration from a simplistic and experimental rock style with that of a strong social dimension - a trait that later fell in the background on the expense of melodic pop arrangements - here you may think of a musical progression from early Ideal (this album) and Nina Hagen Band via Spliff, Extrabreit, Fehlfarben and DAF to Nena, Trio and DÖF.

Despite being released on a small independent label, the album went as high as to number #3 on the national albums chart list, and the band made way for a general interest, as well as that from more established labels, in other artists playing NDW.

I vividly recall watching the band on TV transmissions on (German) Rockpalast back in the early 80s, and I really enjoyed their sound but at the same time witnessed how little interest they garnered in the English music press. This very album stands as their perhaps best effort as a cornerstone, not only in Germany but as an important pioneers of European music that has inspired many more artists to follow. I hear much of their music in later Danish acts like Warm Guns, Voxpop, TV2, and Clinic Q.

Highly recommended.