Punishing Kiss

These songs all feel very dramatic and exciting. I really like this this was a good surprise Split feels very fun and exciting as well Almost reminds me of Agatha all along songs I think because of the voice I like the male singer that occasionally appears and his voice works really well with utes Lowkey female meatloaf You were meant for me builds throughout the song and is just so fun and exciting. I wish this was the closer instead because the true closer is weaker than the rest of the album Favorites: the case continues, split, you were meant for me Probably closer to 4.5 but I’ll give it 5 case 4 feels too unfair

Is this gonna punish me?? I've heard how boring it is by a lot of the reviewers here. Actually, this sounds more like a musical. It cycles between relaxing and unnecessarily operatic. That last song though just solidifies this album as a bit too “much” 😭 (2.5-3).

This was way too theatrical for me. Wasn't a fan

Thoroughly enjoyed this.

Bastante ok.

All of that talent and still sucked that hard. Quite impressive

It made sense when I discovered she was German. Absolute dogshit, but if I were a theater kid I'd probably eat this up like alfredo pasta at Olive Garden.

Not too sure what this album is really, quite dreary and depressing. Some good parts to it. But overall it was a hard listen and not something I’d even want to try again. I don’t really get the whole nick cave thing either. Probably a genius album but for me it just doesn’t hit any spots right now.

I didn't really understand it, some songs I thought oh that's nice bit as a whole it doesn't sell me at all

Not sure about this. A number of guest artists involved, some of whom I like, some I really don't. It's described online as avant-pop, amongst other genres. Cabaret elements I suppose too. I did not love it.

I can see the artistry in this album, but it just doesn't sound great. I feel that way about pretty much all cabaret, to be fair, so this particular album isn't necessarily a poor example of the genre.

Hmm. Yeah, alright. I don't really get the whole page here acting like this is the worst sound they've ever heard. It's fine. The arranging and orchestration are generally quite nice and the same goes for the melody work. The lyrics get silly sometimes and I'm not sure where I stand on Ute Lemper's voice. It's hammy, but I can stand hammy for a small time. There are definitely much more offensive picks present for a big, impossible-to-be-comprehensive list like this, though I do concede I didn't need to hear it before I die.

letztes album for pause bis august gehrts wieder los? gleich Hendrik Lamar

Definitely odd. I can appreciate the quirkiness, but ultimately it didn't hold my attention very long. 2.5/3

2 is me being nice. It has its moments I guess, overall though its just sort of eh. It feels like music that thinks its really good but its like babies first album and it just fucking drags on and on, the male vocalist also sucks ass. 1.5

Read a review that said “ Sounds like the soundtrack to a musical I don't want to see.” and I think that’s totally spot on. There’s some cool stuff going on here but overall I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to this. Cabaret type stuff isn’t really my bag. Some of these songs have that sneaky “spy” quality that make me think they would show up in a Kojima game. 2

Blends styles unlike anything I've ever heard. It's a beautifully crafted, melancholic, and kinda Bondsian. I'm digging it!

Struggle to rate this one. Very mildly interesting, and I didn't actively dislike it. Lemper's vocals had the chance to shine at a few points. Felt like I was at a club while a singer performed in the distance, but I wad too distracted to care. I struggle to say anything positive or negative, as it just kinda faded into the background. So, 3 stars I suppose.

3.5/5

theres something to enjoy in every song. i dont LOVE her voice but damn some of the melodies and instrumentals are really beautiful. 5/10

01/04/2026 1. little water song - lovely orchestral start... not sure how to feel about this one! the lyrics are a bit weird, but i really like them. the actual music doesn't do anything for me though. 2. the case continues - nice start! production feels a little dated though... same as prev, doesn't appeal to me much :/ *3. passionate fight - liking this one a lot more than the previous two immediately... love the horns! love the little instrumental <3 beautiful!! *4. die dreigroschenoper: tango ballad - definitely dated at the start. not bad though! neil hannon! looove the lyrics! really getting into this one now! phenomenal!!! <3 <3 <3 5. couldn't you keep that to yourself - love the organ! the lyrics are realllly nice again :) nice! *6. streets of berlin - very atmospheric start... reminds me abit of the pink room from the fwwm soundtrack... 7. the part you throw away - can immediately see the tom waits influence lol. i am liking that about this album! loving her vocals and the strings in this one!! goes really nice with the accordion :) *8. split - oooo loooving the start!!!!!! neil hannon again! two minutes in and this song was made for me!!! loooooving it <<<3333 9. punishing kiss - love the start again! nice :) 10. purple avenue - loove the lyrics! *11. you were meant for me - french? looove the guitar! love how dramatic this is!! maybe going on a bit long, but still really liking it! 12. scope j - wow! very tense! definitely a bit too long and probably wouldn't listen to it again in the near future, but definitely interesting!! didn't know anything about this album before listening, just that i'd vaguely heard of the name ute lemper and that i already loved some of the music by alotof the people involved so was very excited. was initially a bit concerned, but absolutely picked up after track three and i loved it!!! whoever gave this an average rating of 2.41 kill yourselves!

I enjoyed this; she's got a lovely voice, the songs are pretty chilled and Neil Hannon's a genius so that helps a lot. Shame it's got a lower rating here than it should but that's misogyny and people who are too stupid to like The Divine Comedy for you

Very skillful but didn't like the music

Pleasant enough, some good arrangements but not sure I'd follow up with more listens

Clearly talented, and talented songwriters attached, but the style isn’t really for me.

Like listening to your least favorite aunt do shitty karaoke to show tunes

Avengers assemble! Sounds like the soundtrack of a broadway musical my mom would drag me to and I’d ask my dad for my DS every 8 minutes.

That was just plain fucking awful and beggers belief on how this gets included on the list, woeful!! 1 star

Oh wow, I know of 4 of those artists that it mentions on the cover. Most of them from here. Starfish for eyes. lol Funny how the album art can look German, which apparently she is. Hm, that first song was pretty. Tango Ballad, is cool. Kurt Weill is on this one. I clicked on his name, and his top song is Mack the Knife. I thought that was Bobby Darin. I just clicked on Bobby Darin, man they did a good job casting Kevin Spacey as him in Beyond the Sea. Wow that lead me down a rabbit hole that uncovered what a douche bag Spacey ended up being. All kinds of crazy sexual assault allegations!!

Figo, molto figo

I'm not sure what for, but "Punishing" is right. Hilariously bad lyrics but agree with the champ who wrote "soundtrack to a musical I don't want to watch"

There's something so satisfying about the structure of a lot of these songs, the cabaret/chanson inspired craftsmanship of the writing, her voice is incredible and I adore Costello and Waits. However this is a lot, it's so bloody camp and euro sleeze - see the two dreadful duets and bawdy songs about whorehouses. A little more subtlety would've gone a long way.

No thanks. Supremely boring. B sides of Divine Comedy.

This is brilliant but shouldn’t be listened to all at once. Each song is a work to be considered all on its own.

Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, a shitty singer, and it's an hour long? It's all I could've not asked for!

Wow! What a stacked lineup on each track. Sounded Operatic. Was curious to hear each track and then thought i won’t remember them at all

viel beter mee dan verwacht... gelukkig was dit geen musical muziek, maar meer cabaret achtig... duetten zijn minder sterk dan solo nummers

Horrible

Not surprised this lady did cabaret. This album shows off a theatricality mixed with an impressive vocal ability. So much of it is hilarious and raunchy. Not sure why this one in particular was chosen out of Ute’s repertoire, but it’s good.

3.5

Z2.5

2.5

This album really isn't my thing but I didn't really dislike it either. I have to say the more the songs sounded Broadway it worked for me, such as "Tango Ballad" and "You Were Meant For Me". The production was fine for what it was i guess really what gets me is for the most part this doesn't strike me any higher than a typical Streisand, Minnelli, or Brightman performance... Maybe a touch of fry to add grit, but I mainly just found this fine performances for what they were. This just seems like one of those albums that may or may not add with further listens. There is some interesting material within, but not much grabbed me out right. And the Walker track at the end probably was a little bit too out there for me. (6.75) ★★★

Very theatrical, but what a feelingand voice. 5 stars

I'm not too high on this. It's a bit theatrical for my tastes. The Nick Cave song was the highlight and had my hopes up for the rest of the album, but sadly the rest was a mixed bag for me. The two Tom Waits tracks were solid and the Scott Walker track was weird enough to pique my interest, but the others didn't really do too much for me. 3 stars.

3.5

Was going into this with not the highest of expectations but it ended up vorsprunging above them ever so slightly. Ute has a pretty evil yet rich, expressive, weirdly sultry voice with a bit of gravel not unlike Mai Yamane from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack. This whole album could easily be The Real Bertolt Brecht Blues. If there’s one goofy voice that sullies the experience then it’s Neil Hannon on the tracks that he’s on. Neil… stick to producing, as Ice Cube might say. Although you have a star-studded list of doomy gloomy songwriters helping out, the ten-minute Scott Walker one at the end really takes the evil cake. Almost a 4 for that one alone.

I really enjoyed this one. Such a great variety of music, some with an old - timey vibe and some felt more modern. Will listen again!

Are you still talking about....

With most albums I dislike, I can at least understand why they are on this list even if the are not to my taste. This album is the exception.

Sounds like something you’d hear in the doctor's office at a Renn Faire.

Wow, that album cover promises maybe the WORST lineup of guests…can’t believe it isn’t a one star album despite having so many one star ppl involved.

Quite a random, nothing album but I didn’t mind it.

Listening to The Punishing Kiss feels a bit like being cornered at a party by someone who insists on performing their entire one‑woman cabaret show directly into your face. For an hour. With no intermission. And you’re too polite to fake a phone call. Ute Lemper is undeniably talented — that’s the tragedy here. The album is like watching a world‑class chef insist on serving you a 12‑course tasting menu made entirely of lukewarm porridge. Every track promises drama, intrigue, emotional depth… and then delivers the musical equivalent of someone sighing theatrically while staring out a rain‑streaked window. The arrangements try so hard to be edgy and avant‑garde that they loop back around into feeling like background music for a noir‑themed IKEA showroom. And the lyrics — oh, the lyrics — they’re so self-serious they practically come with their own black turtleneck and cigarette holder. By the halfway point, you start to wonder if the “punishing” part of the title was meant literally. By the end, you’re checking the clock like you’re serving a sentence. If nothing else, the album is a masterclass in endurance. You made it through the whole hour, which means you can probably survive anything now.

Although it sometimes sounds as an anime intro it's also eerie, haunting and beautiful.

Great voice from someone I don't think I've heard of. Made me think of a few James Bond openings. She was a particular taste but I can't find fault with it, just not for me at the moment

This gives off a Kate Bush vibe... but in a weird way.

I mean it’s alright pero esto no se me hace que debería estar en la lista

Glad to hear some of these singers, - not quite of jazz, pop, or rock, not really chanson - not sure what this genre is called, it's not really a genre I'm too into but I've enjoyed scott walker who did similar. Also brings in friends of the list Elvis Costello and the Divine Comedy to sing the hell out of weird shit. A worthwhile expiriment.

Hmmmm…. Just wondering would this album be on this list without The Divine Comedy. Also thinking that it would be great if albums on this list would contain songs written by the artist and not a collection of big-names. Fine album but never would listen this again.

I'm stacking this up with show tunes and chanson, while it's too grandiose to be schlager/iskelmä, it has lots of qualities in common. This is music that I need more visual support (read up on aphantasia) for it to work as it was probably intended to work. I already know I'm not going to listen to this ever again, but I'm also not disliking it. Again, it's just not music for me.

nothing that i would choose to listen to for myself but i kinda enjoyed nevertheless. also never heard of her here in germany

Unusual collaborations

I didn't know this album, so tried to listen with an open mind. That closed quite quickly. Some potentially interesting collaborations even though I've never really got the Divine Comedy, but didn't work for me.

What are you doing Divine Comedy. There is a reason this only got to 104 in the album charts. A punishing listen

Approached with some dread because I'm not a fan of musical theatre and I'm not a Divine Comedy fan. Possibly the only respect in which the album met expectations. Failed even to provide a lift on a wet, misty and cold spring day. Wanted to give a bonus * because the song writers are (mostly) stellar. But on reflection that just shows how dreadful the performance really is. 1*

Ute Lemper’s voice and name are weirdly pretty special to me as a lover of theatre and a girl who obsessed over the minute distinctions between different cast recordings of Chicago. Ute Lemper did the best All That Jazz since Chita Rivera, as far as 13 year old me was concerned. that being said this album is very long and ridiculous. i cant even tell why its in here. But I appreciate it. It’s theatrical and that’s precious to me.

Just looking at all of the writers and personnel involved here tells me I'm probably not going to enjoy this... Things were about what I expected here: very avant-pop and dramatic. Ms. Lemper certainly has a voice for cabaret, I won't deny that, but the overarching themes and sound just became too histrionic for me at a certain point. I won't even bother mentioning some of the lyrical choices too. Discover that for yourselves (or better yet, don't!)

fav songs: passionate fight theatrical, chamber, dull 30/100

this sounds like a multimillion dollar Hollywood production trying an art house film. or like an AI generated Bond soundtrack

Diva. C'est chill, jazzy, Broadway vibe

J’ai l’impression d’écouter une comédie musicale allemande, très tragédien Bof bof

Très sympa

Ute Lemper is one of those artists who I have heard the name of, but egregiously have not heard her music before. She knows how to use every part of her voice and interprets songs in a very dramatic way. In fact, dramatic is the perfect word, since Kurt Weill seems to be her composer of choice. This is not typical pop or rock music, it’s straight out of the 1930’s German cabarets, and Lemper’s voice was made for this. 4 stars

A nice change of pace

interesting, diferent

I would never ever choose to listen to this. One added star because the singing talent is there, I just don't like what she chooses to do with that talent.

The vocals are grating. Lyrically, there's on the nose, then there's whatever this is. Not even some of the greatest musicians and songwriters of a generation could salvage this.

Once this album completed, the next song in my algorithm was by Bjőrk, and I thought,”Now that’s the sort of pretentious claptrap I actually like!”

# **Punishing Kiss** by Ute Lemper: An In-Depth Review Released in 2000 on Decca Records, *Punishing Kiss* represents one of the most ambitious and polarizing projects in Ute Lemper's career—a deliberate pivot from her established Weimar-era cabaret repertoire toward contemporary art-pop. The album is essentially a curated songbook featuring unrecorded compositions by Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Scott Walker, Philip Glass, and The Divine Comedy, with Neil Hannon's band serving as Lemper's primary backing musicians . --- ## **The Collaborations & Concept** The album emerged from executive producer David Sefton's suggestion that Lemper approach modern songwriters who shared Kurt Weill's sardonic, politically charged sensibilities . The timing aligned perfectly with the 2000 centenary of Weill's birth, allowing Lemper to build what she called a "repertory of today" while honoring her interpretive history . The Divine Comedy's involvement proved central—Neil Hannon and Joby Talbot co-wrote three original songs ("The Case Continues," "Split," and "You Were Meant for Me"), arranged a modern version of Weill and Brecht's "Tango Ballad," and provided orchestral indie-pop backing throughout . Hannon duets with Lemper on "Tango Ballad" and "Split," adding conversational intimacy to the theatrical proceedings . --- ## **Musical Content & Production** ### **Style & Arrangements** The production, recorded at The Town House in London in 1999, blends traditional cabaret orchestration with early-2000s pop sensibilities . Joby Talbot's string arrangements are particularly noteworthy—on Nick Cave's "Little Water Song," the strings evoke a watery grave, while the title track features what one reviewer called a "grating, cathartic synth blare" during its massive instrumental outro . The sonic palette shifts dramatically between tracks: from the boozy, Tom Waits-influenced noir of "The Part You Throw Away" to the minimalist, droning experimentalism of Scott Walker's "Scope J" (which runs over 11 minutes on the Japanese edition) . ### **Vocal Performance** Lemper's voice remains the album's gravitational center—dark, brooding, and unrelentingly theatrical. She modulates her delivery to match each songwriter's aesthetic: adopting a sardonic bite for Costello's cerebral wordplay, a haunting stillness for Cave's drowning narrative, and operatic intensity for the Weill material . --- ## **Lyrical Themes** The album's thematic architecture centers on **romantic dissolution, urban alienation, and fatal intimacy** : - **"Little Water Song" (Nick Cave/Bruno Pisek)**: Perhaps the album's most harrowing moment—a first-person account of a woman being drowned by her lover, observing her own death from underwater with surreal, poetic detachment: "my pretty breasts are piled high with stones... and tiny little fishes enter me" . Lemper described being "completely blown away" by the demo's minimalist power . - **"The Case Continues" (Hannon/Talbot)**: Frames a breakup as a noir murder mystery, showcasing the album's penchant for narrative theatricality . - **"Punishing Kiss" (Costello/Cait O'Riordan)**: Explores desire as retribution—the kiss as both allure and punishment . - **"Tango Ballad"**: The Weill/Brecht standard about a pimp and prostitute reminiscing over shared sins, updated with modern pop rhythms while retaining its moral ambiguity . The lyrics consistently privilege **dark, intellectually satisfying narratives** over emotional accessibility, with references to "big red balloons" (heads), Olympic sex medals, and theatrical violence creating a decadent, occasionally absurd atmosphere . --- ## **Critical Reception** ### **Praise** - **AllMusic** described it as "highly stylized art music given a pop element," praising Lemper's interpretive depth . - **MusicOMH** highlighted the "beautiful vocal harmonies" in the Hannon duets and Talbot's haunting string arrangements . - **The Baltimore Sun** awarded it 3.5/4 stars, noting her "graceful, passionate delivery" . - **Suono** gave perfect 10/10 scores for both artistic and technical merit, calling it "an oasis in the desert of current music production" . ### **Criticism** - **NME** delivered a notoriously scathing 2/10 review, describing Lemper's vocals as "horsey braying and murderous screams" and declaring "It's intolerable. I cannot sleep, my love" . - **CultureVulture** praised individual tracks but noted Scott Walker's "Scope J" devolved into "overindulgence," becoming "nearly unlistenable" . - Multiple listeners on RateYourMusic found the album "dated" to its late-90s/early-2000s production, with some describing it as "soulless ham fisted schmaltz" rather than sophisticated decadence . - **The AV Club** critiqued the title track's "grating, cathartic synth blare" as overbearing . --- ## **Influence & Legacy** *Punishing Kiss* occupies a unique position in the cabaret revival of the 2000s, bridging Weimar traditions with contemporary indie sensibilities . Its inclusion in *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* (2010 edition) cemented its status as a cult favorite, particularly among enthusiasts of interpretive vocal music and theatrical pop . The album expanded Lemper's audience beyond musical theater circles (she had starred in *Cats* and *Chicago*) toward alternative music fans, while reinforcing her reputation as a versatile interpreter capable of navigating multiple songwriting personalities . Live performances integrated these songs into theatrical "little stage shows" evoking pre-Nazi German cabaret satire . --- ## **Pros & Cons** ### **Strengths** | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|-----------| | **Songwriting Pedigree** | Unprecedented collection of unrecorded material from Costello, Cave, Waits, Walker, and Glass—arguably the strongest songwriter lineup on any cabaret crossover album of the era | | **Vocal Interpretation** | Lemper's chameleonic ability to inhabit each songwriter's aesthetic, from Waits' gutter poetry to Glass' minimalist austerity | | **Theatrical Cohesion** | Despite multiple authors, the album maintains thematic unity around romantic darkness and urban decay | | **Arrangements** | Joby Talbot's orchestral work, particularly on "Little Water Song" and "The Case Continues" | | **Duet Chemistry** | Neil Hannon's contributions add wit and conversational relief from Lemper's intensity | ### **Weaknesses** | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|-----------| | **Pacing Issues** | At 57+ minutes, the album can feel "a song or two too long" with Scott Walker's "Scope J" testing listener endurance | | **Production Dating** | Early-2000s "super shiny production" and synthesizer choices have aged less gracefully than the material itself | | **Tonal Heaviness** | The unrelenting seriousness occasionally misses humor in the material—some Costello and Waits tracks benefit from lighter interpretive touches | | **Accessibility** | The theatrical vocal mannerisms and "absurdist cabaret" atmosphere can alienate listeners expecting conventional pop or even traditional chanson | | **Divisive Vocals** | Lemper's vibrato and dramatic delivery are acquired tastes—described by detractors as "nasal brutality" or "theater kid" aesthetics | --- ## **Conclusion** *Punishing Kiss* is ultimately a **curator's triumph** rather than a conventional artist statement—a testament to Lemper's ambition to bridge cabaret history with contemporary songwriting. It works best when approached as a songbook showcasing remarkable material that might otherwise have remained unrecorded, delivered by a vocalist with the technical command and dramatic intelligence to honor its darkness. The album's divisive reputation stems from its refusal to compromise: it demands acceptance of its theatrical excesses, its dated production choices, and its relentless emotional intensity. For listeners willing to inhabit its world of drowning lovers, noir mysteries, and punishing desire, it remains a singular, if occasionally exhausting, achievement .

This was such a surprise. Never heard of her in my life. Campy, dramatic, over the top, crazy lyrics, weird music…I loved it.

Nope, not for me.

This is the sound of those cheesy montages from '90s karaoke. Some real goofy, sanctimonious and theatrical stuff here, but I kinda don't mind it? It's nice to listen the orchestral backing, and there are some real laugh out loud lyrics here. I can only imagine how scrunched up the singer's face must be during every vibrato. Male vocals on this are pretty terribad though...

I respect all forms of music and can appreciate quality for what it is. This seems well done, the voice is nice and i always enjoy Neil Hannon. I just couldn't find anything exciting or interesting about it.

Nice. Good voice, interesting songs, the male vocals didn´t really work for me. But nice, overall.

And yet another record that made the list largely because some sophisti-pop musician from the UK was involved. In general, I do appreciate that the editors wanted to include a few odd ones out - perhaps as a bet on “this will be a future classic.” Since the initial list must have been compiled around 2005, not much water had yet run down the Thames between the editing and the release of Ute Lemper’s Divine Comedy-arranged album, so the editors had to do a bit of guessing as to which records from that period would still feel relevant twenty years later. Punishing Kiss is - unfortunately - not one of them.

She has a great voice, but I don’t really like this style of music. It was very show tune/musical sounding- which I don’t mind if I’m watching an actual musical, but I don’t care much for it as an album.

Not at all my jam. Guess it’s good singing? Felt like a long James Bond movie intro that somehow took all those songs and made them sound exactly the same.

Rating: 5/10 Meh.

Classic

oddly enjoyable

Happy to give this a go, especially with the involvement of such an interesting range of big name collaborators. Mixed results with some tracks much more successful than others. Ute Lemper's voice is strong and distinctive. The final track of the album was screaming and awful which was a shame as many other tracks were much better. It's the sort of album that warrants further listening to reveal it's depth.

The second I saw Nick Cave’s name, I despaired. Thankfully, there are some other songwriters here I’m keen to hear more from. Unfortunately, the album itself was just very dull. I liked The Divine Comedy’s Casanova, which we had a while back, but their backing here bored me to death. Perhaps they’re just a bit one-note. Everything else about this felt flat and I won’t be coming back to it.

His was worse than I hoped for. I like that this sounds different from most of the records here but it’s not as good as it should be.

Was interested as the Divine Comedy are involved in this. There were some interesting moments, initially, then it wears thin. It's like listening to showtunes that go on for way too long and never really goes anywhere. 2 stars as musically it's not bad, but it's just boring and not an album you need to hear before you die.

2/5

I wasn't a huge fan of this. Like Broadway show tunes (which I can enjoy) but without a plot.

I thought Dimery favored singer/songwriters, not cover artists whose ambition was to star in "The Phantom of the Opera".

Not as awful as other people say. But it does feel all over the place.

I just can't listen to 'musical' type music no matter how good it is.

Btec divine comedy

I love the Divine Comedy but this was just dull.

Better than expected, I guess. Not sure I liked the singing, and the mixing and instrumental performances felt strangely soulless... I must admit some of the compositions were pretty nice or interesting

Album No. 0169 on my list. As a German, I had been aware of the existence of Ute Lemper before listening to this, but I had never consciously listened to any of her music. And phew. I really have no idea what to make of this album. On the one hand, I find it quite cool to be honest. Interesting voice, interesting music, something between classic chanson and Björk. Really artsy, really interesting. On the other hand, some songs were borderline annoying and despite very big international songwriters collaborating here (Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Neil Hannon), some of the lyrics were quite dull to be honest. But then again, some of the songs were really cool! Actually, if I follow my gut feeling, I am rather glad to have discovered this rather than annoyed by the less good songs. And besides, the thing is well produced and some of the instrumentation is pretty cool (you really can hear the Divine Comedy influences here). The album gives away many "Berlin vibes", whatever that means, and not in a bad way. I'll add "Little Water Song", "Passionate Fight", "Tango Ballad" (from Brecht's/Weill's Dreigroschenoper; glad some German classics made their way onto this)", and "Streets of Berlin" to my playlist. 4/5 stars (my fifth album of 2000 and the first one not receiving 5 stars, interestingly).

This is like a classical and pop crossover and I believe its filled with covers, going off of what Wikipedia says with the songwriting credits. It's a meh album, to be completely frank, there's just not a lot to go off of. There are of course some cool orchestral parts, but that's a more here and there thing rather than an album packed with it. Definitely one of those albums where one listen is enough listens. Highlight Song/s: "Tango Ballad" and "Passionate Fight"

406/1089 - I didn't like it at all but thought it was well done and competently sung and recorded. Just not a fan of music theater-y sounding stuff and found the mix between that and alternative rock a bit jarring.

Soft but powerful, smooth singing, really good instrumental parts. This album was a really fun listen. I wasn't expecting all the artist who joined on different songs but they did a great job of adding to the album and the atmosphere. Not an everyday listen for me but an interesting album that definitely has its merits when in the right mood.

Love her voice and this was well arranged. Props for all that. Not something I’d listen to again.

Rating is based solely on my personal enjoyment of this album. It would be impressive if I was into this type of music. Respect. But not for me

2/10

There was enough to pull this to a 2 but barely

It’s not horrible but it doesn’t have any redeeming qualities either. It’s just the most boring over dramatic show tunes style music but without the show tunes. Usually one star is truly despicable stuff but what’s more despicable than boring art?

Meh

Genuinely, why is this album on this list? It's so boring in every aspect and all over the place. Is it because it has several famous musicians that worked on it? Well, they did a shitty job, it's not even cohesive. Plus, this album had like zero cultural impact, so what are we doing???

look it's got great production value and it gets adjacent to music i think i like once in a while but it just never felt like more than a chore for me to listen through the last song started right as the emergency brakes were activated in the tunnel on my train trying to get to work so i really just wasn't in a good place for this to hit with me

Album #1,055 Theatrical music with guest stars. I thought I would hate it. I didn't. Ute Lemper can actually sing, unlike the singers on some of the albums I've had recently.

Música de fadinha e filme da Disney, só que feito pra adultos. Tankei 4 músicas e desisti

Angra encontra 007 mas perde a guitarra

Quite good.

Favorite Track: The Case Continues

Wonderful voice. The picks from this album I think mean more if you already knew them, but even without that knowledge, you can appreciate her voice and intensity. But, the last track it's a complete sidestep, and it's baffling to me how bad it is. I feel that it has that dissonance and weirdness of some contemporary music that the elite listens and that's only understandable under some serious layers of privilege and spiritual emptiness. Like the point where you don't feel anything anymore and resort to listening horrid music under the pretense that's complex and made by artists patronaged by you. And i say this as someone that has listened a decent spectrum of music. Like man. What the fuck is that repetitive guitar.

listened way too early and too hungover, super interesting form

This album was honestly hard to get through. The first 3 quarters was boring to me and felt like it dragged on and was a chore to get through. Then in the last quarter it picked up with the only two songs I enjoyed from this album and the final song that had some nice moments but was way too long.

While there are a variety of songwriters on this album Ute's vocal style makes everything sound like a show tune.

I can’t believe artists I respect would be a part of this trainwreck.

While Ute Lemper might have a great, cabaret-heavy voice, and there's a bunch of decent co-writing credits on this album; Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits; this is another instance of wondering why this is an album you must hear before you die, because it seems strange that this is included when you have to consider acts that have nothing on this list. For example, Tool has no albums on this list, nor does Blink-182, Weezer, INXS, Pat Benatar, Divinyls or Ozzy Osbourne on his own. So how does this obscure German cabaret singer get an album full of songs she didn't write on here, but those other acts I mentioned get shunned from the list? I don't dislike this record, I'm just frustrated at its inclusion on this list when those other acts I mentioned have nothing on here. Best songs: Little Water Song (because of Nick Cave's writing credit)

Me initially: Why does this sound like I'm listening to a Broadway musical? Oh, because Ute Lemper was a stage actress specializing in cabaret. And that's what you're getting in this album. I didn't hate it, but it's also not my bag. 2.5/5 rounded up to a 3.

This has some moments, but the last few songs really undermine the whole.

This is definitely not for me. Very over the top cabaret. But the singer is strong with sophisticated arrangements and great production, so I'm glad it exists and def belongs on this list.

absolutely not

I kind of enjoyed the arrangements, but the vocals were all over the place, especially on the duets.

Only Walker proves to be too weird to pull from the brink of nonsense. The rest of the songs here prove a good voice and the right arrangement can do wonders. Cabaret at its best.

I played the hell out of this one back in my record store days. I was surprised to see it pop up here - it never got much traction in the States. I was also surprised to find out the tracks in the US version are in a different order. I absolutely love "Little Water Song", but I don't think it works as well as "The Case Continues" for an album opener. The only track I tend to skip is the last one, "Scope J". I think it would be great on an album of similar songs, but is a bit jarring on an album of somewhat theatrical somewhat pop songs.

I am not sure why this is on the list ... but I did not like it!

Nice

I gave it a fair try to listen to it, but it's definitely not my speed. It's fine. She's a good singer, and the music is decent lounge music. I just don't care a lick about it, tbh.

Het duurde een tijdje voor ik wist wat ik hier van vond. Ergens hoor ik de cabaret invloeden en Ute Lemper in die rol is niet te ontkennen. Het ligt soms aan de gastartiest, de opener met nick cave is geweldig, maar af en toe is het zo over de top theatraal dat het album mij een beetje kwijt raakt. Ik vond het leuk, maar zou het niet zo snel nog eens opzetten. 6/10

chevere pero no ha envejecido bien creo, suena muy de su época

Whoever curated this list just had to sneak one more Elvis Costello album in without telling us! I listened to the whole thing half-asleep but my first impression was that it kicked major ass, luv the vocals, it's dreamy.

Whoa. A lot of people involved in this album lol

UMA MULHER! MEU DEUS T^T FAVS (top 3): couldnt you keep that to yourself, split, you were made for me mençoes honrosas: little water song, the case continues, streets of berlin, the part you throw away, punishing kiss, scope j. gente um album MUITO lindo e muito interessante, nao entendi pq ela nao é a main creditada em todas as musicas mas enfim. YOU WERE MADE FOR ME é a musica MAIS linda q ja ouvi aqui e ouso dizer q foi oq fez com q ela entrasse nessa lista, MUITO FODA!!! a outro tem quase 11 min de duraçao mas tambem é um arraso de começo ao fim, esse album é muito bom MESMO e nossa senhora AMO!! nota final: 5/5

4/10

Give this to the cabaret-obsessed high schooler in your life

oh wow the dipshit creator of this list couldn't resist stuffing Elvis Crapstello and the Divine comedy into yet. another. album.

This was a strange interlude compared to the other stuff here. It was interesting and had really solid vocals.

I feel like I should like this - so many of my fav artists involved. Musically it's great, but the content is very much not my bag baby, not into musicals or caberet, and the emotion seems so artificial and forced.

Despite taking three years of German in high school and two years in college, I’ve never heard of Ute Lemper before. However, I’m somewhat familiar with quite a few of the songwriters listed on the cover of this album, and I’m really curious as to how this album is going to sound. I can understand why this album has a pretty low average ranking, but I thought it was fine. As a whole, the album is a touch boring and uneven, but it’s saved by some really beautiful arrangements and a handful of songs that really stand out. The most consistent thing on this album though was Ute Lemper’s vocals, which I thought were really great. I wasn’t a huge fan of the two Divine Comedy albums that I reviewed, but I do think Neil Hannon has a great voice, and the songs that he was featured on were some of the best songs on the album. My biggest complaint with this album is that some of the songs were pretty boring, mostly because they just didn’t have any emotional weight to the singing, and the arrangements were a bit dull. Those songs weren’t particularly bad, but they just weighed this album down. Some notes on my favorite songs on the album: I really loved the arrangement on “The Case Continues.” The vocals were great, and I loved the strings. The intensity of the music was fantastic, ,and there was so much happening with the strings as the song went along. I wasn’t expecting Neil Hannon's vocals on “Tango Ballad,” but it was awesome to hear him singing. I liked the tinkling of the piano, and the pattern of the vocals was great. This song had a great, haunting sound that I really liked. Ute’s take on “Streets of Berlin” was great. The emotion in her singing was fantastic, and the arrangements were really good too. “Split” was my favorite song on the album. Ute’s harmonies with Neil Hannon were awesome, the arrangement was outstanding, and I especially enjoyed that keyboard (?) playing that was underneath the other music. I liked the intensity of “You Were Meant For Me.” The strings were great, and the vocals were awesome too. While I don’t fully understand why this album was on the list, I thought it was interesting, and I enjoyed listening to it.

Incredibly crisp, modern production with a variety of different moods. The piano and electric guitar really shine. Lyrics and vocal performance are generally strong, but do falter from time to time. Listened to: walking around Shkoder. Favorite tracks: Purple Avenue, The Part You Throw Away, You Were Meant For Me

I understand this album has been quite divisive on here. But as a fan of broadway and theatrical music, I enjoyed this album. It was bold, funny, and dramatic, and Ute has a great voice. The instrumentals and guest features were all good. By the end my interest was beginning to wane, and the final track really dragged, But overall the experience was positive.

Un po' troppo lirico, anche meno... Comunque non è indifferente. Alcune sonorità ricordano i VDGG

Haunting and sexy. Cool voice. Sounded like a broadway production at times. Will I be listening to it all the time? No. But I think it sounded good 3.5

I don't know. What should I think of this? It just doesn't feel quite right.

Must admit I skipped around through this one a little, I just didn’t enjoy it. I never really like this cabaret kind of stuff I guess. I can hear the Nick Cave and so forth at times which I did like more but I didn’t particularly like her voice or delivery either. I don’t know, maybe partly the wrong mood too but just not for me. (1.5 stars)

Weird, wonderful, and a diverse mix of divine voices. It's discovering gems like this that make this project such a joy.

Wat saai

kate bush, but with classical music and more conventional voice

6/10 Its interesting, different from a lot of stuff here and pleasant to listen to. I like how over the top it is. But it's missing memorable songs.

No idea how this made it into the top 1001. I would happily have never discovered it existed.

She had a strong and interesting vocal presence. I didn't care much for the style or selection of songs, but altogether it was ok.

Really interesting and unique. Amazing vocal performances paired with some really interesting instrumental stuff. 10 minute closer was really cool as well. overall 9/10 for me

You never know what this generator’s going to throw at you. I can respect the music for what it is, but it’s just not for me.

I'm shocked by the other reviews of this and wonder why most people do this project and if they're truly music fans, due to the lack of insight, inquisitiveness and open-mindedness they show. I knew of this album due to being a Neil Hannon/ Divine Comedy fan and to be clear here most of the songs were written for Lemper and this project by major luminaries like Cave / Waits / Costello / Hannon / Glass / Walker. This is a fascinating work and a great performance by Lemper and the band, brought to life by DCs Joby Talbot (his orchestrations are genius). There's a little too much strident bombast on a couple of the songs for a higher score from me, but I hope to come back to it and possibly revise at a later point. I implore you to dig deeper when doing this project, look more into context. People are so quickly dismissive of any works out of the norm, so why do this and not just stick to your collection of staple canon albums?

I think that they accidentally put this album on this list instead of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear to Hasten Death list where it belongs.

no

Some great arrangements of amazing songs with great collaborations. It was all a bit the same though. Still enjoyed it.

Much better when you're not paying too much attention, which is not a great sign. It's just a bit pretentious, some alright songs that I kind of enjoyed, so that saves it from a 1

it’s ok ig? most of the featured songwriters have a lot of personality and as soon as i hear that Tom waits penned song I know it’s him and Kathleen behind it. little water song have nick cave written all over it. such personality. I love it. But still, 3.5/5.

I wasn't prepared for this. This was too weird. It might have been better if I didn’t understand the lyrics. It sounds like they're making a soundtrack of rejected songs from James Bond movies. The last two tracks are just unlistenable. I've already had both the Divine Comedy albums from the list and felt similarly for those, but the lyrical magic on this one just takes it to the worst level.

Im Musical auf der Bühne singen ist das eine. Aber auf Platte funktioniert das nicht.

J’aurais aimé haïr ça plus que ça, des covers de Nick Cave, Elvis Costello ET Tom Waits, dans le style de la Castafiore? Je présageais la catastrophe, mais en vrai l’heure est très digérable.

Felt like I was listening to a soundtrack from 007. Probably is good, just not my thing.

Best songs were there two that involved Tom Waits. Not that I’m biased or anything. She does have a great voice, it’s just not much of it is my style.

Eine großartige Sängerin, die Cabaret-Pop mit ihrer Stimme Leben einhaucht. Für Musical-Liebhaber mega, meine Musikrichtung ist es nicht. Aber für die Gesangsleistung und das Arrangemant gibt es von mir 4/5 Sterne.

The theatrics, drama and ballad-y nature were not for me. This was tough to listen to because I just couldn't take it seriously.

Tell Me There's A Little Love Left In You 1001 Albums Generator 211 (1/22/2025) I actually thought that a couple of songs near the beginning weren't so bad, especially the energetic, odd time-signatured, crime story in The Case Continues, but it quickly became one of those albums that is just a chore to get through. The whole run from Tango Ballad to Purple Avenue that was really killing me. Ute Lemper's voice is not bad, but I don't like this style of theatrical cabaret pop at all. Idk, 1.5/5, rounded up to a 2, because it doesn't suck technically, it's just annoying. Favs: The Case Continues Passionate Fight You Were Meant For Me Least Fav: Purple Avenue

Cabaret songs written by Costello, Waits, and. Cave.

No thanks

I’m a big fan of Divine Comedy and had never listened to this so that was a welcome surprise. But even as a big fan, this list would’ve been fine with just Casanova on the list. I don’t think you need two and a half albums to understand if you’d want to delve deeper (Song of Love and this are not even in my top half of his albums, so weird choices). Rating: 3.2

I thought all the compositions here were good, but the lyrics and vocals really didn't work for me, especially with any of the male voices on here. It does feel like maybe I was missing visuals to tie this album together, but nothing really stuck for me.

I am not one for this style of music and would probably never listen to this again. I like the sound of the woman’s voice, but the lyrics are way too romantic for me and strange. Split has a really good instrumental intro though. Not bad, but not something I enjoy.

Why is this here? Why is this deemed important? What is the lasting influence of a modern collection of torch songs? I am genuinely perplexed. The album was fine. Not as bad as some of the others so far.

Favorite track(s): bootleg Bjork and a Tally Hall reject cause immense aura damage to even some of the greatest songwriters

shit from a butt

Not something I’ll listen to regularly but a fun diversion. The description of James Bond songs about everyday things seems pretty accurate.

Omg, no. 2/5

Gostei dos arranjos musicais, orquestras. Mas falta algo, parece teatral mas sem alma.

What is this doing here.

To call it "uneven" would be kind. It starts off pretty great - unique and invoking an emotional response. Then it gets a little weirdly euro-pop. But then it comes back! but then it gets boring again. Then it recovers a bit and - guess what comes next? 57 minutes of it is too long. I cannot believe this project doesn't have half stars, but even if it did, I think 3 starsis probably about right.

Overindulgent and cheesy in only the way a bad musical can be. So I'm surprised it's not a musical soundtrack. The combination of voice, lyrics, the delivery of the lyrics, and the huge amount of instruments behind the vocals is terrible, although I can't exactly point to which part is terrible (except possibly the lyrics). I've been fighting turning this off through the entire album.

Mannered, arch, cerebral, dry. One for the chin-strokers.

i tried to listen to this, but it appears to be an album of stock / advertising music? not good.

Ballads are just not my thing.

Even the Wiki page cannot really tell me why I should listen to this… like if there is not enough suffering in the world.

Never heard of this, went in blind, and loved it

Not for me

PUNISHING KISS IS RIGHT. No I don’t care for this… What’s happening here? Color me the Leonardo DiCaprio Shutter Island meme. Tom Waits… immediately no. She is so whiny. I don’t care for music like this. It also has like weird French vibes? “Scope J” gives me Severance vibes (and not in a good way).

If this were a Broadway musical it would be closed on opening night.

2/5 i liked the music and i can appreciate the good singing and lyrics, however it just didn’t do it for me!

Vond vooral de bangers die ik al kende erg leuk en “Humble Mumble”. En vette afspeel-visual

DNF

What could the lore behind this album possibly be. What is going on. I'm confused and intrigued. I'm really into whatever's going on. I would not have guessed this is from the 2000s. It feels like an artist of old making ballads with fade outs and everything. But it also feels like someone is trying to get that sound and kind've missing the mark a little. It feels theatrical. I would've guessed a theatre kid made this, not a German. But I'm enjoying it, don't get me wrong, I just don't know in what context I would listen to this casually. I perhaps don't believe I am the target audience for this, but I can appreciate it all the same. I will not be listening to these songs on the regular. Do these songs have a narrative? Like is the album a story? Because if so this is going waaaay over my head. It's just so dramatic. Like this should be a jukebox musical or something I wanna see a visual representation of this. Why are we screaming holy moly. What are we talking about right now dog. I'm very confused. None of these songs ended up making it onto my playlists. Also, the last song did not end on a high note unfortunately. Favourite: The Case Continues Least favourite: Die Dreigroschenoper

How very boring wow.

2- Stars (4/15)

Not my style

Wtf is this shit

Man, this is a bummer. I really love the musical arrangements and I wish they had someone like Kate Bush or Bjork singing. It just sounds like bad musical theater. 2 stars just because of the arrangements.

4.3

got some hundred people on the album just for it to be mid

I loved the first song and then it was more of the same style which became pretty boring

Blood Money is one of my favorite albums ever. Her version of The Part that You Throw Away is a fucking crime. It’s absolutely fucking terrible

Fantastisk vokalpresetasjon på Little Water Song. Det første jeg tenker, er Joanna Newsom minus harpe. Synes det er litt for tynt musikalsk, men det tar seg opp allerede i The Case Continues som stødig bygger seg opp til et crescendo. The Passionate Night fortsetter litt i samme spor, legger stadig til elementer som gjør det til noe mer enn bare ballade. Synes det drar veldig på midten. Og duettene med Neil Hannon funker ikke, synes ikke stemmene deres komplimenterer hverandre spesielt godt. Tittelsporet får meg til å tenke på California-era Mr. Bungle, men synes Mike Patton gjør det bedre. Fortsatt noe jeg kan like. Tror kanskje jeg liker dette bedre som idé enn å faktisk høre på det? Selv det jeg var positiv til mens det gikk, har på en måte forsvunnet helt, som om det ikke har gjort noe inntrykk å snakke om.

Dette høres ut som teatergruppa har laget en musikal-versjon av James Bond. Jeg river meg ikke i håret av å høre på det, men det er virkelig ikke noe for meg. Fin vokal

Her var det mye rart. Jeg er kanskje litt for snill her, men jeg hadde det så gøy med denne skiva!

Punishing Kiss tips its hand early and yet I still appreciated its cabaret-infused, art pop mood for what it is. But it's not for me.

I genuinely didn't think it could get worse than Velvet Underground. I was wrong. Another 0/10 that I have to give a 1/10.

First track, Little Water Song. With Nick Cave on the credits? Oh yeah sign me up! Wait, where the heck is Nick Cave? Oh, he just wrote it or something, doesn't sing on it? And the entire song is kind of slow and dull? Oh man this album is going to be a slog. Second track, The Case Continues. Never mind, maybe this won't be so bad after all. This is pretty nice! Third track, Passionate Fight, also pretty good, nice and smooth. Then we get Tango Ballad. So much fun, Ute Lemper is joined by a male singer, in a song about finding love in a brothel. Loved it! The rest of the album cruises along nicely. Split was another breakout track. The album could use some better organization, the first and last tracks are the worst. But other than that, this was pretty fun! Best song: Tango Ballad

Just looking at the names of the songwriters on the album cover and you get a sense of what you're in for. None of them are "less is more" kind of people Ute Lemper has a wonderful voice and The Divine Comedy is an all right band. But the whole thing seems overwrought and a bit self-indulgent. When Joni Mitchell did "Both Sides Now" - a similar "Diva sings with a big backing" collection of songs - she knew how to hold back enough to keep it tasteful. This doesn't hold back at all and the result is overwhelming. And not entirely in a good way.

It's like an album full of Bond themes, I like this a lot

Had no expectations outside of recognizing Cave and Costello, but this ruled. Lemper has a fantastic singing voice and the songs were very interesting. It kinda felt like I was listening to the soundtrack of a musical, even if it doesn't seem like that was the purpose of the album. Loved it and wanna listen to more similar music in the future.

Hell yeah Weimar cabaret

too weird and instrumental/orchestral. can't do it

I could probably do this as I was watching a movie or a play or a shower with shampoo but it felt pretty over the top for straight up listening. As usual, I can appreciate the artistry but not going to make heavy rotation.

Feel like several half cooked songs

It’s punishment in musical form. I will go to great lengths to never listen to this again

Tango Ballad

Fav tracks: Costello: passionate fight, Talbot: you were meant for me Didn’t get as thorough of a listen as I would’ve liked but everything I heard was full of whimsy. I love these tracks!

WOW never heard of this before but it really held my attention. Such good performances all around.

Enjoyed it! ★★★

I have a tolerance for this album's musical theatre and classical-ish edges. Cornball lyrics at times. Interesting musical ideas and a nice switch up in style for this list. That said, probably not to be revisited in full. Best tunes: little water song, tango ballad, streets of berlin, split, scope j

Talbot: Split was really up my alley. Aside from the vocals. Also all the vocals.

While this was an ok listen, I’m not sure why it’s on the list.

What a trip, musically sounds good, her voice is good, his eh, lyrically insane

Magnificent album. I have never heard of Ute Lemper but it's obvious she's talented. You don't hear this kind of powerful voice often. Reading her biography and she's a triple threat, singing, dancing, acting. Her career is very impressive. She's really the top of the top people who do this type of thing. I'm a rock guy, so I'm never throwing Cabaret music on, but I would've never heard this without this project. I've listened through a couple times and Ute elevates this album with her brilliant vocals. I wish I could've listened to this album with my Grandma.

This wasn't for me

i dont. remember

I was glad when it was over.

I really don’t get why a lot of you hate this album but also love Björk’s or even Meat Loaf's. Yes, it’s not as perfect or as memorable as the other albums on this list, but the delivery is great. Call me nuts, but it sounds like a soundtrack album from the 60s (from a James Bond movie, as they say) with 90s production quality, kinda ahead of its time. Favorite track: Streets of Berlin

Atmospheric, grand in scope, sounds like a musical soundtrack. Big ideas mostly landed. Can't say it's my jam but credit for the effort.

It was punishing, I’ll give it that.

I mean c’mon. This is just silly. Schmaltzy overly dramatic cabaret music that is for a musical that never gets produced only to be pitched again for a James Bond film that never existed in the first place.

Holy hell, what? I guess the collaborators on this got it included? Because everything else about this is crap

Sounded like some amateur doing karaoke of a musical that wasn’t very good.

This is simply too much. 2/5

I'm just confused by this one. What on earth does Nick Cave have to do with any song on here? Is this entire album just "look at how many famous people I can get featured on my album!" for an hour? Why do I see Philip Glass everywhere? Lots of unanswered questions. The questions are much more interesting than the music, though, so I don't particularly feel like looking into any of them. I feel like I'd care more about this album in general if it didn't seem like she's flaunting all of the big names she got on her album and not doing a whole lot else. That and the incredibly strange way of talking about sex. Someone perfectly said what I was going to say so I'm just gonna quote him. "I fully believe the lyrics were written by a teenager making their first attempt at erotic fan-fiction and you cannot convince me otherwise." -1001 Review Guy, 10/13/22

Listened Before? N This one was pretty good. Theatrical and well composed.. You can really hear Nick Cave's influence here as it could honestly be one of his more recent albums. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Little Water Song

I generated this on a day I was in a really bad mood and almost insta-1-starred it. Instead I sat on it. Gave it another listen a week later, and while I was able to make it all the way through, I didn’t love it. And for a mediocre cover album, I can’t in good faith give it high marks.

Interesting project, not for me

Fresh perspective. I enjoyed a few covers more than the originals.

Þetta var aðeins of mikið að reyna að vera list fyrir minn smekk en samt aðdáunarvert hvað margir listamenn komu að hverju lagi. Ég min gleyma þessari fljótt

Music is interesting but the vocals often do little for me. Sort of a weird cadence and sound to the vocals much of the time. I particularly dislike the male vocalist who's on a few of the tracks. "Passionate Fight" is pretty decent. "Punishing Kiss" is pretty annoying. Funny that Costello contributed to my favorite and least favorite. "Scope J" is pretty bad too. Technically this is the first album I've DNFed because I got fed up after 7 minutes of the ten minute final song. Another artsy fartsy album that, while largely inoffensive, doesn't work for me.

I actually really like most of the instrumentation on this album. However the lyrics are at least a couple standard deviations worse than anything else I have heard during this project...and I sat through something like 4 hours of Ira Gershwin last month.

I suffered through this album. It seemed like an indulgent musical theatre album set to expire random sexual themes of Ute’s life…. I have no idea. I just know that I was not the target audience

Not for me.

Sounds a bit like Kate Bush. Excellent taste in cover tunes.

I adored the atmosphere this cultivated, I laughed out loud at the lyrics, I liked her voice. I like camp. Alas, there was nothing here for me to return to.

This is actually a rather boring album. I couldn't wait for it to end. Her voice is really nice, but the songs are just boring. Maybe this style of cabaret just isn't for me, but I'm not sure who would enjoy this.

Very good voice. Very good arrangements and production. And my guess is that if you took 10,000 random people, you could find someone with a comparable voice. Now give that person the same producer and "guest stars", and you might wind up with a similar result. It's pleasant, and it's well done, but it's not epic.

Nope... this was just bad

Ok

Speaking as one myself, this is what happens when theater kids aren’t told “no” enough. There are words in music criticism that I usually hate, but this album embodies so many of these words, such as “pretentious” or “saccharine”. I won’t give it a 1 because I admittedly didn’t make it through the whole thing, just half way, but this is so boring and it’s 57 minutes long. 2/5

The Aldi off-brand version of Kate Bush

Jak ścieżka dźwiękowa z musicalu, którego nie chcę ogladać.

Is it camp? Is it kitsch? Is it corny? Is it all of the above?

I was certainly punished listening to this 1 ⭐️

If I could give this negative stars I would

Weill, Tango— First I'm hearing her voice... I like it! Good collab with Weill, whose stuff is hit or miss for me. Electronica is a plus. Talbot, Split: Very dramatic (to an almost comedic degree). This reminds me of Jacques Brel, and not entirely in a positive way. Costello, Passionate Fight: Does — does Elvis Costello not sing on this track? Talbot, The Case Continues: She's clearly a talented vocalist — very precise with her instrument — but I think it's just not for me. It's a bit maudlin and overwrought. This may be the penultimate track I listen to; if the next one isn't better, I'm out. Purple Avenue: Lemper is a latter-day chanteuse, I guess, but it's falling a bit flat for me. This was released in 2000 but sounds much older (and that's not a compliment). I've heard enough.

This album has absolutely no reason to be on the list, but it’s so cheesy and over the top that I couldn’t help but enjoy it. I’m all for this cabaret of cringe.

Kinda hilarious. I'd pretty much rather listen to any of the original recordings.

27/11/2025 This just wasn't good and it was bloody boring. Spotify listeners: 42.2k

It's amazing how an album with such a spectrum of impressive contributors can somehow sound so stale and lacking in variety. About two songs in I was already counting down the tracks waiting for it end. 1.5 -> 2/5

I found the last track punishing but the rest was enjoyable especially when Neil Hannon shared vocal duties.

Pretty forgettable cover album for the majority of it. Cool cover.

I was enjoying this at first but it never delivered. Dropped pretty quickly from a 4 to a 2. The production value was pretty good, but the lyrics seemed cheap.

Better than Coldplay

Quite reddit.

Sounds like musical theatre, not really my thing. Her voice is also not super appealing to me, I think there are better singers that make similar sounding music.

This type of show tune production across various songwriters and eras is 100% not my thing. Putting two stars in recognition of the underlying craft. But no thanks.

One of the worst albums on the entire list. Nick Cave, The Divine Comedy, Tom Waits, all in collaboration with a lounge-singer reject? It's like someone had a premonition in 2005 and put this album in to bother me, personally. Negative infinity stars.

It's hard to give any review to this and not acknowledge my strong aversion toward musicals. Since a young age I have always been the kind to fast forward the songs in musical Disney movies and generally avoided any invites to attend a Broadway style show. I think one of the reasons I don't like them is the tendancy for the vocals to always be oversung. What I like in music is honesty, authenticity and often subtlety, three things that this super polished genre often lack. Some of the songwriting on this album deserves credit and I can't pretend that there is not real talent in being able to pull something like this off musically, it's just really not for me.

Seeing songs by Nick Cave and Tom Waits on the cover of this album had me excited to this one, but I came away a bit disappointed. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t really click with me. Parts of it did sound like the weird, experimental cabaret I would expect from Tom Waits or Nick Cave and Tango Ballad reminds me of a Geordie Greep song, but then there were parts of it that were kind of just boring and generic. I really wish Nick Cave or Tom Waits would have actually featured on the album.

Was this good? No, absolutely not. It was like listening to the soundtrack for a bad German soap opera. However, I did enjoy imagining myself as a wounded, heartbroken German woman, so I suppose it deserves an extra star for entertainment value.

Sounds like show tunes I don’t like show tunes

Got old very quickly

I guess it was some pleasant cabaret music, and Ute's voice is very nice on the ears, but the whole thing felt hollow to me, like it was structureless and missing a sort of identity I want out of these kinds of albums. I think a good chunk of the songs on this thing are covers, which might explain it, but as grand as the production here yearned to be, it all felt like too much and not enough at the same time.

Not for me.

Sounded like the music to a bad musical. Didn’t love it.

odd.. but good?

Doing a bit too much 2.5

Better than I anticipated. 2.5 stars

A strange inclusion in the 1001 list, and one I just couldn’t warm up to. Punishing Kiss is clearly crafted by talented people, and Ute Lemper’s theatrical delivery isn’t without charm, but the whole thing feels like it’s aimed at an audience I’m simply not part of. The art-cabaret vibe has moments of intrigue, yet they’re buried under melodrama that never quite earns its weight. Some tracks drift into outright weird territory (“If sex were an Olympic sport, we’d have won the gold…” over marching drums and strings?), and the emotional tone swings between overwrought and unintentionally humorous. It’s not poorly made. It’s not unmusical. It’s just… not likable, at least not to my ears. A respectable swing at something distinctive, but not something I’d ever revisit. Solid musicianship, no connection. 2/5.

I appreciate the attempt and the wide-ranging collaborations but in the end I found it all to be rather…boring.

Fuck this shit. I was so happy I was on the last song and then realized it was ten minutes long.

This one was interesting. I kind of felt it was similar to that Dagmar one where she sings in German. Interesting that so manage modern artists wrote for her. Cool I guess, but not my type.

The lyrics on this sound like they were google translated from some other language to English.

Stunningly bad. Not a single redeeming quality. A stain on the face of this otherwise fun experience.

Sounds like bond music which is interesting to start and musically talented but gets very tiring over time and very hard to get through the whole album.

A very interesting collection of songs on an album by a very talented stage actress. The songs are all interesting and they are all arranged, performed and recorded well. The vocal performance is very dramatic as expected and there’s a lot to take in from the lyrics. Once again, hearing an album like this makes me think of other albums in this vain, especially recordings of musicals as well as soundtracks. So many albums to be considered for this project and so many that are not on the list! Anyways it was good to listen to this album as it’s not something I would normally gravitate to. I was quite mesmerized by the last piece and finding out that it was by the great Scott Walker and also learning that there’s another long Walker piece as a bonus track means that I’m gonna try and track it down so I can listen to it.

Ciekawa płyta. Musicalowo-kabaretowa. Mroczna, trochę jak klub w piwnicy. Z własnym charakterem i stylem. 6.5/10 równane w górę, bo mam dość tego jak generyczne bywają tu albumy.

I didn't know what this was going in, and the tracklist and dozens of album artists didn't clarify things. Sounds like a cabaret of a bunch of songs which were rejected as James Bond themes, which very quickly grew into a question of endurance. I would definitely have skipped a lot of these tracks if I allowed myself that as part of this project. That said, I didn't mind too much until the 11-minute final track, Scope J., which managed to reduce this to a one-star review almost by itself, the straw that broke my back.

Not for me