Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Voice is phenomenal but the album should be 15-20 mins shorter
Slow pop with some dark cabaret vibes. I didn't like it much at first, but it seemed to have grown on me by the end (either that or the second half was just better). Might require a re-listen.
nothing noteworthy
Some great songwriters but a little too Broadway and a little too bleak for my aste. It could grow in me.
i mean its decent music but it feels strange to encounter on this list of amazing or historical albums
Think a German Streisand
Good voice, was expecting a Marlene Dietrich strong German accent, but the vocal is strong and clear. Divine Comedy is as good as usual and I can kind of hear Elvis Costello’s phrasing. Overall it’s OK, but not something I’ll choose again (but please note that the last song, Scope J, is particularly poor).
Sounded like a Broadway show. The lyrical content didn't do it for me, but The Divine Comedy as the backing band killed it. Made me wish there was an instrumental version of the album.
Show tunes but rock album? Her cadence was a little tough to get into, but it was pretty good. Good instrumentals. Wanted to skip quite a few times
It's all right I suppose - maybe for COC?
I've enjoyed other recordings of Ute Lemper singing Kurt Weill - but I agree with other reviewers, there was something a little phony about this.
3.5
3*
Little Water Song - excellent. Powerful evocative vocals and lovely strings The Case Continues - equally good. Passionate Fight - awful. Too much Divine Comedy Die Drigoschenoper - Dreadful. Hannon at his worst. Couldn't You Keep That To Yourself - No. Streets of Berlin - pretty good actually The Part You Throw Away - Cabaret, but listenable Split - No. Eurovision like. Punishing Kiss - Jazz cabaret Purple Avenue - pretty good You Were Meant for me - interesting. Very 007 sound Scope J - too Phantom of the Opera Overall a 3. Divine Comedy dragged it down
A lot of great features for this German woman's album who I've never heard of before. Turns out Ute Lemper has some incredible songs here. Incredibly fancy and theatrical in nature, the runtime ends up being a bit of a mixed bag. This is especially true for the closer Scope J., which does little to justify it's length or inclusion. This album drags on as it continues, but there are some pieces of artistic merit that make listening a worthwhile experience.
One of the most aptly titled albums ever?
This is kind of bonkers - overblown show versions of songs with the madcap backing of the Divine Comedy.
Meh, not sure where I sit when it comes to this cabaret-style pop music. Ute Lemper has a strong, haunting voice, which really adds to the experience of listening to this. Generally it felt a bit OTT though, and just fell into tedium for much of the album. The first couple of songs were okay though. Not sure it was bad, just weird and not really meshing well with my day working in the office. Favourite: The Case Continues
The drama!! The absurd lyrics!! I guess this is as close to a cast recording as we're gonna get. The music is good and some parts of the songs are really good, but original musicals take like 10 years to make and I'm guessing these lyrics didn't get that treatment. It's giving a decent original song from a musical tv show vibe. 3.
German cabaret, huh? All I can say is I cannot sink in to the genre. Ute Lemper is clearly a dynamic, emotive vocalist. She clearly has the respect of the industry, based on her collaborators. It's all lost on me. This is a style of music and singing that does not compute.
Idk this is just boring... 5/10
3/12, 25%
Lovely
Nuevamente, me encuentro escuchando algo que desconocía. Su comienzo me recuerda a la voz de Beth Gibbons de Portishead. Ute Lemper se siente profunda, pasional, hasta quizás para alguna película de Tim Burton o de David Lynch. Gran gran voz. Puede maridar bien con un almuerzo o cena íntimas.
Dramatic singing of covers in a german cabaret style, produced and coworked by the divine comedy. good stuff but very uneven
I don't think this album does her justice.
Album 223 of 1001 Ute Lemper - Punishing Kiss Rating : 3 / 5 It was like listening to a female Leonard Cohen with a bunch of guest performers who seem like Leonard Cohen. Pretty relaxing sounds, actually. Very interesting listen. Interesting. Not necessarily musically outstanding.
Musikaalimusiikkia, paljon fiilistelyitä ja tunnelmointia. Taustamusiikiksi sopivaa, mutta aktiivisessa kuuntelussa keskittyminen herpaantuu nopeasti. Ei yhtään huono, varsinkin kun en ollut koskaan kuullut ko. artistista.
The first song was great, I loved it. Great vocals, and lots of influence from Bjork, Kate Bush and even Shirley Bassey. The rest, though, were all in show tune style, which I didn't really like but understand that is her background. That being said, I also felt there were Bond theme vibes occasionally,and maybe this was a type of audition for her to potentially sing a future James Bond theme...which I think she would have been brilliant at. If I can find her singing non-show songs, (I bet she'd be a great jazz singer!) I would definitely listen to her again.
The fuck…? I have never heard of this artist, but this album is fun. Kind of like Goldfrapp meets Liza Minnelli. YMMV but this is so far mostly pretty good. She’s a great vocalist.
Feels like the soundtrack to a stage show. I enjoyed the quirky lyrics. Fave song is probably Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad
Bit of a puzzling inclusion on the list as Robert Dimery barely seems to know that continental Europe exists, but hearing Neil Hannon appear in a song and then reading that this is a side project of his, it suddenly makes sense. Really, Dimery shoulda included The Duckworth Lewis Method if he wanted to add some more Hannon - a cricket themed indie pop concept album would have provoked some delightful reviews from our cousins across the pond. 😆 This album is alright, I guess - some of the songs work a lot better than others. Fave track - "The Case Continues" for being Bond theme-esque, and "Scope J" for being Bond credits music-esque...
Not my usual vibe but fairly enjoyable. Little water song I was thinking sounded like a female Nick Cave and yeah, sure enough 🥲
Soft 3
Well that's a trip!
An interesting one. I've never heard about it or even seen the cover. Interesting moody songs. Some moments of the album feel very intense.
This album is worth a listen for fans of cabaret, chanson, and art pop. It showcases Lemper's talent and versatility as a singer and interpreter of songs. It is also a tribute to the legacy of Kurt Weill and his influence on modern music. However, the album is not too my personal taste. I felt that some of the songs were too similar to each other and lacked variety. I appreciate the artistic value of the album, but I won't be listening to it again anytime soon. I would give this album 3 out of 5 stars. It is an important album that deserves more attention and appreciation than it has received, but it is not for everyone.
Ute Lemper’s Punishing Kiss is a bold, ballsy showcase of her strong, theatrical voice. While she brings real power and personality to the songs, she isn’t weighed down by the larger-than-life fame of someone like Streisand — which is honestly a plus. The album is mostly pretty inoffensive and easy to listen to, with a few genuinely great melodies shining through. 3/5.
Best Song: The Case Continues. Suave, sultry. Sounds like it could be a Bond song. Worst Song: Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad. Far too campy for me. Also, much of the lyrics seem wholly unfit for the instrumentals, so the vocalists have to rush the phrasing to finish in time. Overall: Nice vocals paired with nice songwriting here, although (seemingly be the nature of the project) the songs are really eclectic, which detracts from any sense of cohesion the album might have.
For a rock singer, Ute is a pretty good stage singer. Her over-emphasis on a LOT of the songs made it feel like I was listening to a cast recording of some Broadways show. It was all... a bit too much.
Meh. Lemper's got a decent voice and the whole album felt like a cross between old-timey jazz (Sinatra style) and baroque or orchestral. I didn't mind it, enjoyed certain parts a fair bit, but I'm not going to go out of my way to look for more of her stuff.
Little Water Song - 7.5/10 The Case Continues - 8/10 Costello: Passionate Fight- 8/10 Weill: Die Dreigroschenoper Tango Ballad - 8/10 Couldn't You Keep That to Yourself -8/10 Streets of Berlin - 8/10 The Part You Throw Away - 7.5/10 Split - 8/10 Punishing Kiss - 8/10 Purple Avenue - 8/10 You Were Meant for Me - 8/10 Scope J - 7/10 TOTAL - 94/120
Some fun tunes but nothing I'll come back to
I was expecting to strongly dislike this, as I usually dislike cabaret style music, but this was not bad. Yes, it was a bit dramatic and cabaret-ish, but it wasn't over the top on that front and was balanced out by interesting songs and guest performers. Still not something I would listen to regularly but I'm glad to hear it once. 3 stars.
For all the precisely articulated drama, this gets pretty meh pretty quickly. And record that focuses on top-class vocals compromises itself with lines like "If sex were an Olympic sport/We'd have won the gold." She's got a strong voice (obvs), but this doesn't come off. The horns are too much here, the strings too syrupy there, not to mention several moments where the songs feel overpowered by unnecessary emoting. "Tango Ballad" is lurid lyrically, but musically excellent. Odd that most of the standout moments are about the sounds more so than the vocals (see end of "Passionate Flight" and the intro of "Die Dreigro" and the accordion solo flourishes on the Tom Waits tunes, which seem most suited, among the contributors, to her stylings. This is not exactly Kate Bush, but more for people who like a certain old style of talky cabaret singing and don't mind a bit of anachronistic udpating. Perhaps she should stick to lieder, chanson and Weimar schtick.
I love Ute's voice and the other artists on this album are amazing but in all it doesn't quite do it for me
An interesting album for sure. Dramatic vocal stylings. Unique songs that fit her voice and style well. I especially liked The Case Continues and the opener Little Water Song. 3.5 stars
I like the backing band, and the instrumentation, but it's a bit too dramatic for me after a few songs.
This sounds like a musical from another era and the fact a lot of the songs are covers it's hard to tell. It has an interesting sound that oddly appealing at times. Not my music of choice, but it is okay to listen outside of your comfort zone sometimes, right?
So ~*dramatic*~
The Divine Comedy are my favourite band but I’d somehow never got around to listening to this. Ute Lemper has a great voice but these do occasionally sound like cabaret covers of stuff Neil Hannon, Scott Walker and Nick Cave do better themselves. It’s not essential by any stretch of the imagination but it’s considerably better and more interesting than a lot of the reviews on here suggest. It’s a 3 but I’m feeling generous so go to 4 as I know I will come back to listen to it again Edit - much as I like it and think it was harshly judged by lots on here I can’t stick the 4 so a 3 feels fair
Pop. Clásico. Un poco aburrido.
Lemper has a quality that would be awesome for a stage musical
All right, but not for me.
Show tunes wow
Pretty interesting project, a little excessive at times though. 3.5/5
Sounded a bit like a Bond soundtrack in parts.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: The case continues
Meh
Very strange and not my cup of tea. Not boring anyway.
Average. Lyrics kinda interesting.
I was excited for this bc yay Germans & cool guest musicians. I was a little dissapointed.
Loved her voice. So passionate, seductive and emotional. Liked the songs. You can tell that Nick Cave and Tom Waits were around. I am listening to this a couple of times more.
Seemed like this record had a lot of potential to be pretty cool, given the names involved. And it is, but it isn't really what I was expecting or hoping. The orchestral, chamber pop nature of the all the arrangements lends a nice juxtaposition to the darker subject matter conveyed in the lyrics, but it just really isn't for me. That isn't to say it wasn't enjoyable to listen to.
not bad
I imagine super rich people listening to this when they get nostalgic for the late '90s.
Vähän hidas mun makuun, mutta selkeesti hyvällä tyylitajulla tehty. Aika vaikuttava kööri mukana.
Tiukka ääni ja melkoinen lauluntekijäkimara! Osa biiseistä genressään oikein hyviä, osa taas jäi vähän kädenlämpöiseksi. Varmaan 3/5.
Like a box of Ferrero Rocher, one Ute Lemper song makes you think this is the best thing ever. But after twelve the richness makes you feel a little bit sick. When you add in Neil Hannon as well, we really are at risk of diabetes. If you could discipline yourself to listening to this as one track a day that would be best.
Not a fan of show tunes and that is what this really reminds me of. It isn't bad for what it is, but I don't think I would ever seek this out to listen to it again. Overall I give it a 3/5 (which is good for something I don't ever want to hear again!)
Very operatic / musical.
interesting slow music
I liked it. Had a very dramatic storybookish nature to it. Very showy
I had a busy day and had to listen to this as background music while talking with others. This is definitely not the right way to listen to this bad boy. I wanted to get the New Year off on the right foot and not be behind on my 1001 homework so 3 it is.
December 28, 2022 3* 1st cabaret-esque record Points for the theatricality and eclecticism on display, conjures up a stormy Broadway musical thought I knew what I was getting into with the Walker track (based on “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”), the brief break from dissonance was a goosebumps moment, but it definitely felt its length The album leaves me more curious about The Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon, and about Ute Lemper’s career (sounds like this English crossover was kind of an anomaly) HL: the Tom Waits ones, “Little Water Song”, “Punishing Kiss”, “You Were Meant For Me”, “The Case Continues”
This album has a dark and monumental sound, kind of in the vein of Scott Walker. Like other reviewers, I was hopeful seeing songs by Nick Cave, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits, but ultimately the album mostly left me cold. I don't know anything about Ute Lemper and have no idea if all her music sounds like this. I do know Neil Hannon though, and his fingerprints are all over this album. As with much of his work with Divine Comedy, I had difficulty feeling much of a connection to this music. It's well-constructed music that is awfully heavy handed and draggy in its execution. 57 minutes of this is beyond enough and I was weary of it long before it was over. Lemper is a talented enough vocalist, if a fairly bland one. I keep thinking these songs would work better if someone else were singing them. Fave Songs: Purple Avenue, Passionate Fight, The Part You Throw Away, Couldn't You Keep That to Yourself, You Were Meant For Me
Interessant en sfeervol album
Not saying you can't have a good jazz album solely made up of covers of songs, but it certainly would be difficult. A good cover respects the original while also adding the covering artists signature flair to the song. These covers don't sound like their originals so she has that going for her. Where she falls short is that the flair she adds isn't really enough. It wasn't enough to interest me very much. Like a boring James Bond intro song. Technically good and it's not unbearable, but I'm going to choose not to bear it in the future. 3/5
This seems like one of those albums that didn’t make a splash commercially or critically but the book compiler has decided ‘fuck it, we’ve not had any German cabaret singers interpreting rock’s most melodramatic songwriters, let’s stick this in’. And you know what, I don’t mind it. It’s something different. Not a genre I'd usually listen to but a bit of Bond-theme bombast every once in a while is no bad thing.
Punishing Kiss is quite engaging in that it has this enormous big screen sound and energy about it that convinces me overlook some of the musical shortcomings and just feel the emotion in the delivery. It pulls it off enough for a 3/5, it treads that fine line of being a pastiche of itself but still serious enough perfectly imo.
Never heard of Ute or this album, but obviously do know a lot of her contributors. It's been absolutely trashed on the site, but I really quite like it. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's lyrically clever, her voice is beautiful, and she tells some really fun stories. The people who compare this to hotel background music clearly haven't been listening properly, it's way too hard-hitting for that. Shades of musical theatre and bombastic Bond theme tunes in places, pretty melancholy in others, I think this is great. 3, pushing close to a 4.
eh
It's well arranged, produced, played and sung and is certainly in it's own niche. Stylised and theatrical which characterises all the artists featured. It doesn't deserve some of the bad reviews hurled at it considering some of the other stuff I've had to listen to but it does sound like film music and lacks a soul in my opinion. Maybe that's part of the package? It feels like musicians being paid to go through the motions. Very accomplished musicans but integrity goes a long way.
Osa kappaleista oli komeita kuunneltavia ja työpaikan avokonttori ei tehnyt olosuhteena kunniaa levylle. En kyllä tiedä mikä olisi oikea hetki tälle, ehkä jonkun videopelin taustamusana tms.. Taipuu kolmosen puolelle.
Ihan makee setti. Harvemmin tulee kuunneltua tollasta... no en itse asiassa tiiä miksi tota kutsutaan, mut kuitenkin. Tykkäsin.
像是个音乐剧，歌剧，有些口白之类的感觉，还是蛮有趣，华丽的。
This came out of left field, in a good way. Lemper's stage musical singing chops really shine, and the musical compositions are top notch. I was unaware of Lemper's pedigree as the (THE) modern interpretive authority on Kurt Weill and "Tango Ballad" is perhaps the most interesting interpretation on an album of very interesting interpretations. Not sure I'd listen to this on repeat, but when in the mood this album hits all the right spots.
I really wanted to recognize this album for its remarkable collection of songwriting, and while I did enjoy the music at times, it started to feel long and slow and a bit underwhelming. Balances out to an average 3.
Quite strange to include what is essentially a covers album on here, but it was an interesting listen, a lot of the arrangements are lovely
Ultimately disappointing: a great voice obviously, but with three or four notable exceptions, the choice of material doesn't match the potential of the possibilities.
3, dramatic
This was interesting. I like the world that the album creates; makes me feel like I'm wearing a bit into a different time. Ute's singing though was often the best or worst part of the song.
Fancy, but somewhat boring
Beautiful voice, music behind it was uninteresting
6/10 Best Song - Punishing Kiss
Like listening to a string of Bond theme songs which I'd never heard before. She's CLEARLY a stage singer - everything sounds Broadway. Didn't add - though I did listen to chunks of her other THREE DOZEN albums.
A solid album with variety, good writing and every song is decent. I loved the musical composition and orchestration. And the features are very noteworthy, esp. Nick Cave, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits. Only thing that keeps me away from giving 4 stars is her vocals. FT: The Part You Throw Away Little Water Song Punishing Kiss Purple Avenue The Case Continues Passionate Fight
On first listen, I didn't love this as much as I expected to but I suspect it will grow on me with repeated listening.
This is the kind of thing that is so unexpected that ends up being a good experience. I'm not a fan of "The divine comedy", but these versions and songs are pretty much cool. They are not quintessential for music, but I already received many worst things on this list, so, this is nice.
Eh
Lite häftig men också lite enspårig. Coolt ljud!
Förvånandsvärt bra? jag var livrädd att det skulle vara trist swing yehaw det svänger katten ^.^ men det här var mer gothhhh. men fortfarande covers så lame zz.
I agree with the one review that says "Respectable, but not my type of music". It's very well done, but it's not my type of music. Favorite Songs: Couldn't You Keep That to Yourself, The Part You Throw Away, Purple Avenue, Scope J.
So I was going to give this a 4, I really was. But that was before it went on and on way longer than it should have. I enjoyed it at first but I got tired of the same relentlessly dramatic style that felt tedious and redundant during the whole second half. Super theatrical, which would have been cool if it had ended 30 min earlier.
Interesting sound with lots of good collaboration.
I think it's really fun. The vocals fucking rip honestly. Maybe the writing isn't exactly the best. But it's super fun, feels like dramatic as it gets.
3 stars. Nothing interesting here to talk about. Just a lengthy pseudo-musical record that doesn’t do much for me
Too theatrical to my liking, but there's no denying the singer's presence.
A German cabaret singer who I heard in my childhood in Hunchback of Notredam. (see Spotify most listen) Again, I wonder why it's one of the 1001 albums? (6/10) FT: Tango Ballad, The Part You Throw Away
A bit odd, a bit musical, a bit over the top in places. Had never heard of this person but don't mind the album.
Musicals. Not for me. She has a good voice though. Very musicals
Esta chido... pero como que le hecha mucha crema a la voz y termina enfadando.
Pas trop mon style mais belle voix. Je n'ai pas écouté jusqu'au bout. 3
Nah I'm skipping this one, who is this person and why should I care lol I'm sorry if this is pretentious but like cmon
weird album. not bad just weird
So theatrical. A bit surprised to see some Tom Waits covers but it sort of makes sense. I generally do not get into this sort of thing, but she's clearly talented.
A strong vocal performance from Ute Lemper. My first time listening to any of her work, but I'm very much intrigued to hear more of her music.
Sounds like it are musical songs All songs are good, but feel like there from a musical 3,5/5
Dramatic, ominous showtunes. A good time!!
Wow I actually like this album (Apple Music previews), but it's not available here :(
Very interesting cabaret style album
Complex and odd (in a bad way) but I did like passionate fight
Did listen, and quite liked. If you were into this go see Camille O’Sullivan if ever things open up enough for gigs to be played.
This has strong musical vibes. Which for me means I sort of hate it. I love to listen to the soundtrack for a musical if I know the songs and can sing along. It’s a chicken/egg situation.
Great voice; the lyrics dig into deep narrative and character development. Tho it sometimes falls into too much edgy cynicism for my taste
Is this a musical? Very wierd, but interesting. A lot of drama. Music was a little... cabaret for me at times, but also quite beautiful. A lot of big names on here...I don't really understand what's going on, but it kept me semi intrigued
Buen disco. Tiene algún tema maravilloso y otros demasiado grandilocuentes y agotadores
5/10. This was so weird, the vocal performance was great but the songs were so cheesy and I only liked a few of them
6/10. Weird that there was a duet about missing the good old days when they were living in a whorehouse.
Eerie and beautiful. I don't think I'll revisit it, but the haunting sound here will stick for a while.
Interesting idea for an album but the music just didn’t sit well with me. 5
good sound but not really what I'm ever looking for
I would never have heard this without this project, I maynever hear it again, but it was a nice listen while it was here. There are a couple of wonderful songs, and a couple of almost unbearable ones. Those couple of wonderful ones are so wonderful they make up for the rest. The woman has a killer voice too.
Classy, pretty interesting. Favourite song: The Case Continues
This lacks a bit of life, which keeps it from being as beautiful a set of songs as it hints at. Lemper has a good voice, but the recordings seem a bit by-the-numbers. Ditto with the instrumentals, though they have nicely sharp bits. It's certainly cozy, though, and I can see myself returning if I become fonder of any of the non-Scott Walker writers or listen to more Lemper or Divine Comedy. The closing song is a great Walker suite, but it speaks to his strengths more than it reinforces the rest of the album.
6/10 FT: split
Я охуел и слушать это больше не хочу
Not a fan of this, only reason not a one is she has a good voice.
Was this supposed to be a Spinal Tap, rock opera, Meatloaf vibe??? Don’t care for it at all
When I saw that The Divine Comedy was involved with this album, I was prepared to hate it. And to its credit, I didn't hate it! I just disliked it! And I wondered what kind of people listen to this. This sounds like Broadway music except there's no play.
Sounds like a cocktail bar in the 90s
This didn’t really do much for me. It was like a lifesaver mint, enjoyable for half a second and then leaves an aftertaste that is neither clean nor refreshing.
Wack. Only 2 stars bc of the tango song being funny
Absolute legendary voice from a legendary diva. Sounds like an 80s Weber musical, which isn't a compliment. Great craftsmanship, but not good to my ears.
I like Neil Hannon, and although this album had its moments, it was a bit too much in more ways than one.
Not fun and I like musical theater
No
I made this mistake of reading the reviews for this album before listening and went in expecting me worst. Luckily it wasnt that bad. There's some interesting song writing in here, and also some ludicrous lyrics. If it was shorter I probably would have enjoyed it more but it began to grate me towards the back 1/3. 2*
I really like the supporting cast - Nick Cave, Elvis C, Neil Hannon & Scott W - but this was less than the sum of its parts. 2 stars for the final track, a Scott Walker belter
This isn't for me really. Neko Case does this sort of thing a whole lot better. The line about winning gold for the Olympic sport of sex made my toes curl. Orchestration was nice though.
classical, pop, chanson, avant-pop.
Talented lady, terrible addition to this list. It feels like someone told the author "You know what genre is underrepresented? Cabaret!" so this album was shoehorned in.
Uhm wow. Ladies art pop rock ala Kate Bush and the other girl vutna touch more accessible. If sex were an Olympic game we'd have taken home the gold... Ok 6/10
not my thing
Not my thing
What is with the British and this style of 'over-the-top' singing? Save it for the 007 movies (the only logical placement for a decent reception) .
Nem a lista convidados ilustres consegue adicionar brilho ao disco, que traz canções intimistas com alguns bons momentos de arranjos de cordas, e só.
Would never really listen to this but it was alright
Fue bastante tranqui para el horario en que lo escuché, así que punto para el disco. Más allá de eso, no fue la gran cosa.
Okay
I assumed they included the writers in the artist listing to try and get people to listen? Not offensively bad, just dumb.
Rating: 4/10 Very, very strange album choice. Pretty theatrical in a way I'm not surprised by given the collaborators list, who I'm not the most fond of by the way. Really big surprise that I looked for the credits for Elvis Costello's contributions and yeah I really did not like two of those songs, god dammit. Passionate Fight was ok though I guess. There were some decent songs interspersed, like Little Water Song, You Were Meant For Me, but ultimately I disliked these songs more than I liked them. Didn't really feel like they serve as effective weird pop tunes that they aim to be. Scott Walker's Scope J was interesting but it being the last part of an album I was very weary of didn't help its case at all. Again, why is this here? Has anyone even ever heard of this?
Kinda tough to get through but there were some emotional highs with this, disappointed as the idea of all these great features and what I got was a let down
Nja... Detta gillade jag inte vidare mycket. Hon har en fantastisk röst men tycker liksom inte att den passar till musiken. Den enda låt som jag verkligen gillade är You were meant for me. Där kommer hennes röst verkligen till sin rätt. Annars... Sådär faktiskt.
This was a soundtrack to a musical that doesn't exist. Very strange
This album really wants to be taken seriously but also contains the lyric "if sex were an Olympic sport, we'd have won the gold". 2.0/5.0: Uses Gene Simmons interview talking points for lyrical content
Ute has a fantastic voice, but this album is honestly kinda shit. The curators of this list stan a little too hard for The Divine Comedy and I honestly don't get it...
Somehow big production and yet vacuous. Not the best singing voice
Boring and very forgettable.
1.5
Didn't finish, this is boring as sin muzak, who listens to this outside of a law firm lobby?
like showtunes aka awful
This album was nothing but overproduced covers of better songs. I like Ute's voice, and there was some good moments throughout, but not essential whatsoever. 2/5
Was mostly just boring then they decided to assault my ears with the last track
*shrugs in mediocre*
Quite possibly some of the worst lyrics i've ever seen
Really not my thing. But Ute Lemper has a fantastically strong voice and, although too long, the songs have interesting instrumentation and structure. I'm not singing along in the car though.
Impressive voice for sure and not much of a German accent. The wannabe James Bond production is strange and gets old pretty soon, though, and the songs feel dead and empty to me. And not in a good way.
Shoo, I do love me some musical theatre and there were moments of joy. Early 2000s me would've loved this lounge (ala Honeymoon Suites) but it starts off "brand new discovery that I think I love" and wears you down to "are we there yet?"
I guess in principle a Weillian chanteuse take on rock classics is cool, but this kinda mostly sucks. Theatrical stringy versions of "edgy" artists. Nah
No doubt that Lemper’s voice is a strong and astonishingly versatile instrument, and I was intrigued by a couple of the earlier tracks. But the appeal really wore off — this album needed a serious edit. It started to sound like a parody of itself.
Theatrical doesn’t begin to cover the drama here. The torch-song singer’s voice and delivery are fantastic and she’s backed by an ensemble of great songwriters. There’s a distinctive mood and vibe, and even some humor. But it doesn’t quite work for me — it’s just too over the top. It’s on the border of a 2-3. It gets a 3, but could be downgraded on further listening. [On second thought, I’ll rate it a 2. Listening again isn’t going to make this into an album that I’d be happy to listen to from beginning to end, and I don’t think it’s very influential — my standards for a higher score]
An incredibly out of touch inclusion to this list. These fuckers will put any album that features Nick Cave on here.
Very cinematic. Not really my taste though
I see the idea it wants to push for but it fails to keep me interested through the majority. 5/10
This is #day695 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this record isn't available on either Spotify or YouTube Music, so how am I supposed to hear it? I was only able to find the first two songs on Ute Lemper's official YouTube channel. The rest of the tracklist is hidden, and the audio quality of those two uploads sucks. I wasn't particularly impressed by what I did hear anyway. "If sex were an Olympic sport, we'd've won the gold." Oh... okay. Based on what I could actually listen to, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day696.
Not my style. Vaguely confusing in most ways, not necassarily a bad thing. I really like Split (track 8) but thats the only one.
Hello, it's me again. The person that gave Tank Battles a 5 mostly for enjoying it but also out of spite for all of the negative reviews. Got good news! This other German cabaret influenced album only gets a 2. I also really wanted to like this, and I somewhat enjoy the songs that were collaborated with Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Scott Walker (the Costello ones suck - surprise, surprise!). However, this is basically what I DON'T like about showtunes. Often shmaltzy, overblown, and over-sung, with very basic lyrical concepts. The production is hit or miss, I suppose it depends on the original song's composer. Lemper brings an interesting approach to the songs, but otherwise, what's it doing on here? Lots of cool releases in 2000 that still hold up well but not in the book. White Pepper by Ween, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo, Rated R by Queens of the Stone Age, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! by Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Flood by Boris, Voodoo by D'Angelo, Relationship of Command by At the Drive-In, Supreme Clientele by Ghostface Killah... Could go on and on the fact that none of these are on the list and that, as of today, Lemper's album is still in this book while dozens of great albums from new bands were removed in more recent editions. Absolutely baffling - I suppose Demery has a soft spot for this type of music but what is its significance? Only makes me want to listen to the artists that wrote these songs, without doing a service to Lemper herself. What a waste of time.
This is a bit odd, it's arty and a little avant garde without ever being dangerous or too edgy.
Dramatic and artsy cabaret-style music. It was interesting and she's a good singer but the album overstayed its welcome and there weren't any highlights that I'd want to listen to again.
not bad just not my favorite
A collection of what sounds like bad show tunes. On more than one track I was baffled by lyrics like “If sex were an Olympic sport you’d have won the gold”. I couldn’t take this album seriously and neither should you.
Punishing Kiss by Ute Lemper sounds like the title of a weird German porn. It seems the writing was quite on par for that so she made a weird album instead.
There are some pretty damning reviews for this and I don't think it's as awful as they would make out. On paper it's some sort of bizarre cabaret meets Divine Comedy, and in reality that's exactly what it sounds like. It's never going to make anyone's top ten and I'm not sure why it's included in this list but it wasn't awful. It sounds like it's slightly tongue-in-cheek, but even if it isn't, well, that's sort of funny too
Strong vocals but outside a few tracks near the end the instrumentation wasn’t particularly memorable
5/10
This was a strange one and definitely something I would have never listened to or heard of if I hadn’t done this. It almost felt like a musical soundtrack. I could almost see the over dramatic scenes play out on a stage while it was playing. Not something I’d ever listen to again but interesting to try.
Out of line with my usual listening, so didn't really enjoy this. Just strange and not in an enjoyable way.
There are a lot of big names on this album. But it's a strange album. More like a concept album, where I'm unfamiliar with what's going on. Feels like listening to a musical, without no anything about the context. But not bad, just bizarre.
Best part of this album is the list of features. Could take or leave the music
Ærlig talt jeg synes det er lidt halvhjertet sammenlignet med sådan noget som Dagmar Krause. Lidt sjovt at se så mange kunstnere fra 1001 Expanded Universe på coveret
As if this was made to please the 1001 albums crowd (at least the ones who like the some of the obscure artists)
Parts of this were listenable. Other parts, not so much.
The Case Continues is top tier, everything else is instantly forgettable.
Nå baladigt singer songwriter feel. Ljummen.
klinkt als een Sherlock Holmes movie soundtrack, met Georges Bataille als regisseur tis oke, zolang je het maar ni al te serieus pakt would not listen again
Cringe lyrics, instruments were okay, vocals were good
i guess 1001 was too many to only put like, real meaningful ones huh? tho i didnt hate it so whateva
Meh. The music is fine but the vocals...
Lounge and avant garde are two styles that don't really mix. Nice vocals and interesting production in places but it was mostly too out there for its own good
Its like a secret album that no one has ever heard. Only one song (the first) has over 100,000 listens on Spotify which is obscenely low...the lowest maybe of all the albums thus far. It's pretty. I guess. Showtuney vocals. Not my jam. At all.
I'm not a fan of traditional German music. Mind you, Ute Lemper is barely traditional, but it leans enough that way that I didn't enjoy this album. The final song, Scope J, is very unique, feeling more minimalist, but still barely to my likiing. There is good music here, but not in my wheelhouse. 2/5
Out there, but I don’t think in a good way. I was impressed with her vocals on the first song, but it started to transpire into some theatrical work I wasn’t a fan of. Yikes on the last song… Rating: 3/10 Favorite Song: Little Water Song, you were meant for me
2/5 Favorite Song: Split
tower of terror hotel lobby-ass music
I don't know what to do with this. Adding a star because Kurt Weill, Phillip Glass, Joby Talbot, and an omnipresent bandoneon, all of which makes me feel like I should like this but also I spent the entire album thinking "what the actual f is happening right now," and not in the super-cool-but-out-there-art-that-makes-you-think kind of way, just in "what the actual f" kind of way. I don't regret listening to it, it was an experience, but it also is not an experience I need to have again.
merkwürdiges Album
nope
1.5 Absolute shit sorry i meant scheisse
Mid mid mid skip skip; 2
Holy holy holy Lord Smaug almighty Burn baby burn This ain't no disco inferno Outside the collaborations with Cave and Costello I didn't get much out of this album when it later waded into the psychedelic serial like music waters.
This is too show tune for me
Eh. Didn’t really enjoy it. Every once in a while there were elements I liked. Very theatrical sounding. What are the odds I get this and Divine Comedy in the same week?!?
im listening to it but its not that good. lol
< the Beatles
2x 2.4 unique and unexpected
calkiem spoko chocuqz nie zapowiadalo sie zobaczylam slowa jednak i wtf? zmieniam na 2, dobrze ze sie nie slupialam na nich jak sluchalam
Interesting.
Thoughts before listening: I don't know. Based on the name and the 2000 release fate, I'm going with some sort of Euro industrial techno thing. Add in the list of featured artists, and I'll guess this will be pretty out there. I mean with Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Scott Walker singing these songs, I have to assume this is going to be pretty dark. Review: Nope. I was very off on this one. Ute is a female vocalist performing overly dramatic orchestral pop that seems as if it could be a movie soundtrack or cast recording from a musical. I immediately thought that Ute must be a major influence on Florence and the Machine, but AI informed me that while they occupy a similar space, there are no direct connections. Ute certainly has a powerful voice, and this is interesting music for sure even if its not really my cup of tea. Also, the contributions from Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, etc is as songwriters not performers. I kept waiting for their recognizable voices but never heard them. I'm going with 2-stars here. Its perfectly fine, but I kept looking at Spotify to see how close I was to the end.
Yeah, I didn’t like this. It had snippets, not much more.
*Joe Pesci "what the fuck is this piece of shit" gif* I don't know what this is or who it's for, but the answer to the second is a very emphatic "NOT ME". 2
--Little Water Song…oh my. I like the instrumentation. Vocals are, uh, provocative --The Case Continues…about a murder. surprised this wasn't the Nick Cave song --Passionate Fight…pleasant --Tango Ballad…melodrama. kind of fun in an over-the-top Broadway musical way --Couldn’t You Keep That to Yourself?…I hear the passion but the song is nothing special --Streets of Berlin...this is poppier than most Phil Glass, I guess --The Part You Throw Away...the recording is nice, but it feels like everyone here is trying to pull extra emotion when there isn't any --Split...fun duet. some straightforward pop I enjoy --Punishing Kiss...kind of a Bond song, but a weak one --Purple Avenue...I dig the accordion. I wish the the entire album was this. relaxing. elegant. --You Were Meant For Me...this one confuses me a bit. sounds like it's for a musical that doesn't exist --Scope J...read that this was written by Scott Walker. I assumed it would get weird and was not disappointed
Net meins
Hon har en riktigt bra röst, vilket också är den stora (enda?) behållningen. Har bitvis inslag av musikal, vilket jag alltid har svårt för. För att vara textdriven musik så imponerar de inte heller. I övrigt ganska slätstruket. Stark tvåa blir det ändå pga hennes röst.
As I was totally unfamiliar with this work, I read some reviews before listening (something I try not to do). Seeing they were overwhelmingly negative, I went into the listen with an incredibly open mind, after all this isn't just a list of 70s and 80s rock and pop albums as some reviews seem to wish for. The large positive is the backing music from the Diving Comedy, who provide some excellent orchestration throughout, particularly in the darker, more powerful numbers. Ute's voice is also strong in these darker, Bond theme like songs. Lyrically however, I struggled with this album. As many have said, it is like listening to a musical to which you don't know the story. Lots of that talking/singing type of thing with forced rhymes and crammed in lyrics which don't flow particularly well. It's a 2 because I didn't totally despise it and there's definitely talent in there. However, not one I'd return to, and certainly not an album I'd suggest people to listen to before they die.
All very dramatic, and more a stage performance than a song. Backed by a symphonic score to add to the drama with lots of hand selected deep lyrics to deliver with that powerful voice. But sorry it’s really just not to my tastes.
Experimental chamber pop? I don't know. This really tested my patience. The Case Continues would fit on a Bond soundtrack. I don't know what this album is trying to do but now I'm at the title track and it sounds like it's from a stage musical. Ultimately, I'm perplexed at this album's inclusion here.
i honestly don’t understand why this is here
Edgy Céline Dion
It insists on itself
I really didn’t care for this album at all. Obviously well crafted, lots of talent went into it. That being said it was almost pseudo musical theater, which I do like, but for some reason the combination of sounds didn’t gel with me at all.
A lovely voice with an insufferability in mind of Morrissey.
Favorite Song: The Case Continues
nada muy especial, la verdad. un album bastante lineal, muy pegado al estilo “musical” pero que no le termino de encontrar el vacilon. siento que se queda muy en la superficie en muchas canciones. no me termina de cuadrar su participación en la lista de 1001 albumes que debes escuchar antes de morir. normalaso.
No sé qué pensar. No está mal como canciones. Pero no me llamó nada que sea medio comedia musical y eso. Ella canta excelente igual. Muy buena intérprete. 4/10
2 musiques bien sinon on s'fait chier
Was not in the mood for whatever this is.
Theres absolutely nothing wrong with this album. Its got great bones and timeless structure and sound. I enjoyed what I could about it but, in the grand scheme of things this is not my preferred genre of music. Cabaret/lounge tunes are good for background music most times and do not deserve a dedicated album listening. This one features cool names like Costello, Tom Waits and Nick Cave. Although I don't think I hear there contributions it must have been behind the scenes or something. But I can't complain much. Just not something I would come back to. Also its by that guy the Divine Comedy. That english fuck had a miffed album on this list and I won't forget it.
It's giving Musical. I didn't hate it but it's surely the first and last time I'll be listening to this one.
Ah, one of those. This is just so not my thing that it’s hard to judge. If I was stuck listening to it it would’ve been worse. Gonna go very high 2. Counts as a nick cave entry btw.
This was way too theatrical for me. Wasn't a fan
Bastante ok.
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
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.
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
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
Clearly talented, and talented songwriters attached, but the style isn’t really for me.
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.
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.
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.
Z2.5
2.5
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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!”
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.
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.
Rating: 5/10 Meh.
Classic
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 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.
I love the Divine Comedy but this was just dull.
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
There was enough to pull this to a 2 but barely
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???
Música de fadinha e filme da Disney, só que feito pra adultos. Tankei 4 músicas e desisti
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.
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)
absolutely not
I am not sure why this is on the list ... but I did not like it!
4/10