Reviews (page 5 of 8)
I'm sure she's dramatic and German and all that but her voice is not that good
Did not like this.
Among the many things I have learned about music is this fact: I do not, in any form, like German cabaret. At all.
Punishing, indeed. I know there are fans for this kind of anti-pop, minor chord, and overly dramatic and orchestral “chanson” stylings. I’m just not one of them.
This seemed like a soundtrack to a off Broadway musical. Not horrible, but not very good either. A bit too talky, singing for my taste.
Another cool record that is definitely not for me.
I don't see myself revisiting this album, but it's not bad. It really just isn't the type of music I would choose to sit and enjoy
This was different for me.
Nope. Someone is taking the piss.
На самом деле музыка отличная, но совсем не ровная. Лучшая песня - You Were Meant For Me.
An interesting listen featuring some ridiculous talent. While it’s not something I feel compelled to revisit a lot, I’m glad I’ve heard it and know of its existence. Nick Cave proves again that he has a golden touch, and Tom Waits’ Purple Avenue was the highlight to me.
Was confused at first that musical albums were included on this list, but then got it when I looked up her cabaret background. It certainly was interesting, just a little dramatic for regular listening for me.
Garbage
"It's a no from me dawg" I can see what others are saying about the bond music theme, except this is just worse- both less interesting and vocally it feels like a choir teacher trying to show her students her talented and serious she is. Which, speaking from my own choral experience, never impressed me. There's no way all of this is done with sincerity... The "If sex were an Olympic sport we'd have won the gold" bar on the case continues is an outright meme.
Meh. Sounds like the music that might play in a hotel elevator or anywhere else where music fades into the background.
This feels like cheating because so bet if I could get award winning artists like Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Stevie Nicks to collaborate with me I would make an album that would appear on this list...and honestly I think I would do a better job. I didn't think it was bad it's gots some tracks that are actually great (there's one that sounds like it should be in a James Bond movie) but there's a great deal of waffle and actually shit sounding songs....it's going to be a 3 and I get why it's on the list as I do think everyone should have to suffer through this but only once. I don't get why it's average score is so low however
Incrível como ter todo mundo que eu gosto em um disco ainda consegue produzir algo tão tedioso
Well... this was certainly... different. I can't say it was the worst thing this challenge has thrown at us, but it was quite possibly the most pointless. Who is the intended audience for this? The lyrics don't speak to "every man", and the music isn't for casual or even background listening. It's like a Broadway soundtrack without the plot. Very confusing. And, probably more than any other album we've heard thus far, NOT something that needed to be listened to before death. I will say, however, that other than the last track (which I mercifully ended at the 2/3rds mark), the overall orchestration and Ute's voice are strong, but does that REALLY matter at the end of the day? I mean, the bassoon's a great instrument, but if you're just using it to fish out lint from behind the dryer, you're squandering the potential of its true function. Sadly, this is yet another 1 for me. I know... I'm a monster...
This was a funny one. I suspect those who are taking this list seriously are upset by this selection. I can see people crying “why did I have to hear this. They should have just given me my fourth Bob Dylan album”. In fairness to those people I don’t know why this would be on here. I’d probably give this a 2 if I was grading this seriously. But I think I’m going to be a troll here, as this made me laugh a lot today.
Some nice songs but mostly not that interesting
It's almost four-stars from me. Based on some of the other listener's notes, I thought it might trigger me into a diatribe of vitriol. But that didn't happen, and I didn't find it over-theatrical. I quite like her voice and appreciate the power of some of the songs. Since I really don't like The Divine Comedy, I'm surprised to find that I quite enjoyed the journey through this album. I certainly can't give it less than three stars.
Meh. The singing wasn’t great but wasn’t terrible. The songwriting wasn’t great and wasn’t original. Not much of interest to me, and it felt like the author of the list trying to squeeze in a bit more Costello, Cave, and Waits. Favorite Track: Die Dreigoschenoper: Tango Ballad
Oh cool its temu Bjork.
She has a solid voice, but I’m fucking bored.
Holy shit this is shit. The lyrics are shit. The singing is so over the top. The music itself is reaching for something it will NEVER achieve. This thing is an hour long turd. Dear God
A bit too long. Tracks 2, 6, 8 and clearly 11 (with some French for the latest) stood out for me. When she sings softer songs, Ute’s voice reminds me a bit of Patricia Kaas. The vibrato gets a bit tiring after a while, but when she pushes it, it’s actually quite nice. The musical foundation is interesting — you can clearly hear the signature style of the artists involved. It’s a well-produced mix between jazz and film music, an interesting experience, but honestly, it got a bit monotonous in the end. I really wish the lyrics were available on Deezer. Maybe with more time, I could have appreciated it more.
I’m not typically a fan of crooning showtune style albums but the performances are so great here.
There’s been a lot of garbage on this list. But this is the worst cabaret cruise ship shit I’ve heard in a long long time. Embarrassing that it would be on this list.
Oh wow. Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and the Divine Comedy? I just know that Robert Dimery came in his pants after reading that "songs by" blurb on this album cover. Here I was thinking that I would never have to hear Neil Hannon's voice ever again. Silly me! I'm fucking dumb. I should've known that Robert Dimery wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of all those men! But hey, this album isn't all men! I mean, you've get the head of this whole album herself, Ute Lemper, to give this album some woman points. So with all of these sources of talent (and also Neil Hannon), how did this album turn out? I don't like it. Why is that? Let me tell you! I'll start with the one thing that I actually can kind of praise to an extent. That's right. There's only one thing. The instrumentation is alright some of the time. It has this cabaret vibe that I haven't heard in many other albums on the list yet. It still sucks sometimes though. The last song wasn't very pleasant on the ears. Alright everybody! Time for complaining! I'm not a fan of Ute Lemper's singing. It's not my thing. It's like she read somewhere that people like Björk for her unique singing and tried her best to do that only for it to just be kind of annoying. I also think the times where Neil Hannon sings here are kind of annoying as well. At least he's only on a few songs. The album's too long. It just is. I don't feel like going into that because I have to save my bitching space in my head for the thing that I hate most from this album. The songwriting fucking sucks! You'd think with people like Tom Waits and Nick Cave involved that this album would be thought-provoking in some ways, right? Well, too bad. The only thought these songs provoke is "Why am I not listening to better music right now?" The sex lines are just as gross as the ones on the Divine Comedy albums. Why are there multiple songs that say breast or breasts? And of FUCKING course, there's a song that mentions a horse. Although, to be fair to that one, Neil Hannon didn't actually write that song, so I can't make fun of him for showing off his horse fetish on this album specifically. Just look to my Divine Comedy reviews for that one. Welp. Guys, gals, non-binary pals. We had a good run. I haven't felt this way since Snivilisation back in November, but I'm upset that I had to listen to this album. The sheer fact that the people behind this list had the balls to include an album like this just because of it having collaborators that already show up way too much on this list just pisses me off. You know what that means? For the first time in 2025, I'm giving this album a solid 1/5.
She's an AMAZING singer, but I can't do the overly-theatric music. Every song sounds like a showtune.
++: The Case Continues, Streets of Berlin, The Part You Throw Away, Scope J +: Little Water Song, Couldn't Keep That to Yourself, You Were Meant For Me +-: Passionate Fight, Split, Punishing Kiss, Purple Avenue -: Tango Ballad 5,4/10
Ute Lemper beeindruckt mit ihrer kraftvollen Stimme und der düsteren, sinnlichen Atmosphäre des Albums. Die Songauswahl ist interessant, doch die Produktion wirkt stellenweise zu glatt, sodass einige emotionale Tiefen verloren gehen. Tolle Stimme und tolle Songs.
This album is probably OK to use as background music, but nothing really stood out and time passed by very easily. Maybe that's the best use for it, for times when you just don't really care what you listen to, since time passes and you aren't really bothering to listen. That said, I probably won't relisten to it...
I have a story. So I began to listen to this and being familiar with choir music and musical theater, I was like "she sounds like a second alto that decided to make a cover album and sing with others." But I did no research, I wondered if she was German maybe? But as I listened I was more sure she was not a solo musician by typical trade, as it was not a "jazz" voice, nor a "lounge" voice she had, but a more disciplined alto to be sure... So I looked her up. Indeed she is German and indeed she is part of musical theater. Now it all makes sense. She thrives in productions, as part of an ensemble. She is an intricate part (alto) of a team (choir or opera) with a particular musical role and she is trained up for that role. This album made me rethink musicians and singers and their place in that world. I think, in all honesty, that she should stick with musical theater where she can shine as an important member of a team and leave the solo stuff for parts of a production and not an individual career.
Patti Smith really influenced a lot of trash.
Fucking dreadful
for real???
Never heard this artist or album but enjoyed it!
Кабаре шансон со щепоткой электроники в аранжировках. Может было бы интереснее, если бы я лучше знал исходные песни.
This is not James Bond. It’s Austin Powers. Waste of time.
It’s a good sound, but definitely not my thing. Kind of sounds like a musical.
Favorites: - Split Krijg hier sterke disney-villain vibes van
Great voice and the arrangement of the songs is fun. Very theatrical, very musical theater, not surprised to find that this artist has indeed starred in many stage musicals. You can hear it. I do have to say that this is KINDA a stealthy way to just get another Elvis Costello album on the list since half of the tracks are covers of his songs.
This was utter butchery of music. Awful lyrics, dreadful over-dramatic singing that somehow managed to remain bland throughout. Wretched backing music that sounded like it came from the bargain bin of B movies. I was actually surprised by how this somehow managed to get even worse as time dragged on, even though it already seemed to be setting the standard for the worst music possible. Turns out there are extra levels of badness that I had never thought possible. Why is it that everything touched by Elvis Costello sounds like utter shite? I feel zero regrets in awarding this 1 star, as it truly is awful.
5/10… comedy / Kabarett ???
Heavy dramatic cabaret music. The list of people featured on this album is crazy. Worth a listen, but I can imagine coming back to this
Das ist schon etwas. Had no idea going in, still not sure I do.
First two are fairly meandery. Not a fan of her voice. LOVE the continuous unexpected chords on 'used to LIVE' in Die Dreigroschenoper. I like the accordion on The Part You Throw Away. You Were Meant For Me is the best one. It has an epic scale. Actually a tortuous experience sitting through Scope J.
A little too outre for my taste, but I can see how it might appeal to some. I respect the vision; I just don't like it.
Yet again, Elvis Costello, I have to listen to a song by you albeit sung by someone else. This album is the very essence of a slightly faux-edgy but very pretentious upper white middle class wine, cheese, and hors d'oeuvres party. I shall see myself out while I speak to Reginald Longbottom and his dear wife Dorothy about days of yore.
Not for me.
I just didn’t care for it and I thought I would with all those people collaborating with her. I just don’t like her voice.
Feels like the plot filler songs from a bunch of musicals, complete with incredibly obscure references to things that have happened or are happening on stage that I don’t understand. I keep thinking the next one is going to be the big banger that I’ll have heard of.
Sounds like a movie soundtrack to a movie your family makes you watch on movie night
no comment
I have never heard of this person and had no idea what to expect. The album has some strong opening songs. Vocally I’m reminded of Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Shirley Bassey, even a little Bjork. Instrumentally it’s very compelling - harps, accordion and orchestral elements. Lyrically, I like songs that tell a literal story (The Case Continues). As the album progressed it became clear this is some later career shit, as it has a certain eccentricity that can only be marketed to an established fan base. With Die Drogresch (with The Divine Comedy) I started to lose interest as the cabaret style, talk-singing, unstructured melodies and vibrato began to grate on me. This would be fine if it was a musical soundtrack that had a story associated with it but in its own right it just sounds random and wailing to me, and by the last few songs I was just waiting for it to end now.
The original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Weber's least successful musical. This better not fuck up my algorithms
I really enjoyed it for the first few songs. Then for some reason it turned boring.
a prolific stage and screen actress/singer from germany id never heard of in my life, presented on this list with what is essentially a more modern, more left-of-dial version of an old standards record, with some pre-existing songs and some new compositions from the extremely striking lineup listed on the cover. i think the two most distinctive parts of this (other than the general offbeat/artsy quality of the material itself) lead right into eachother...first is the arrangements by the divine comedy, which even for my standards can be a Lil Gloppy in their cabaret takes on the material but are always v distinctive. a lot more variety in instruments, volume, and style than ud maybe expect, and its just a lot More Arranged than ud expect from something thats supposed to be a vocal showcase. thankfully the second distinctive part is just how well lemper holds her own in this often bombastic soundscapes...without ever going overly loud or frantic herself she remains the clear center of the sound, her acting chops always take the dramatic lead. would tbh be difficult to get the impulse to listen to this all the way thru again lol it can be a Lot even for me w/ my very theatrical-friendly palate . but yea throw this in the collection of cool little music pockets id prob never encounter without this list!
I would love to write some sophisticated review about why it's good but in all honesty, I just really like her voice. Standout tracks are: Streets of Berlin Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad (took me about 5 minutes to type that out) Little Water Song Downside is that when it gets to the title track I think the songs drop off in quality, but the songs before make up for it so it's ok :)
"He provided tne brains, she peovided the breasts"??? Awful, i couldnt finish.
Just not my type of music, couldn't get into it at all
How did this make this list? Her voice is quite nice but the overall sound and delivery is like a parody at an awards show
I wanted to like this. The songs were composed/written by artists like Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Elvis costello - all of whom I like. I couldn't stand most of the songs. Maybe I choose the wrong day to listen to this album (stormy, miserable grey January day). I can appreciate Ute Lemper's voice. She's clearly talented. I think these songs have a late night feel to them that could hit the spot with the right listener. They're just not for me though. Too much cabaret for my liking. I wouldn't listen to this album again, so 2 stars.
Not the type of music I'll keep in my playlists but there were some good ones like "The Case Continues" or "Streets of Berlin", she has a pretty nice voice and the duos sound really well.
Oh nick cave here we go again fucking scary album 1
I love Lemper's voice. So powerful and unique. Shades of Björk. Accompaniment is unsurprisingly good; not understanding the "cabaret" criticisms. Maybe there's a bit of the feeling of a film soundtrack, and lyrically it gets a little goofy, but it's Scott Walker, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave and The Divine Comedy. What did you expect? Some songs are weaker than others, of course, but overall, it's a great listen; diverse, detailed, and lush.
Well... this certainly was punishing. What are we even doing here and what in reality does this deserve top 1000? Like being stuck in a *bad* off broadway show. It's also not even really singing; it's that weird speak-singing thing people sometimes do. 3/10.
кросс между Тристаном и Изольдой и тем дуэтом Кайли и Ника Кейва. странная музыка со странными участниками) при этом сама девочка голосистая и не мерзко поёт, но всё окружающее...
I can't say whether this is good or bad. It's not something I am into hearing at this stage of my life.
Feels like a musical but it ultimately isn't and has no thesis statements. Not every album has to have one, but unfortunately I have got really into music that does have that.
This one features proficient lyrics written by other artists: 'And I glow with the greatness of my hate for you' (Nick Cave); 'If sex were an olympic sport / we'd have won the gold' (Neil Hannon); 'St. Mary's prayers, / Houdini's hands, / And a barman who always / Understands' (Tom Waits). It also features the voice of an actress who starred in Cabaret and Chicago, a voice very much suitable for those outlets but uninteresting on a bistro-inspired cover album. It's not that it's pretentious, since she does what she is good at. It's that the theatrics don't offer a reason why - why here, why now, why the passion, why the atmosphere? Her best covers are of Waits, since he favors the performative, but the rest are drab and tiresome.
Ute is utter bull💩. Boring and predictable after the first songs all are same pace. Outdated from 2000 sounding like a 1970 bond soundtrack. Good singer thou. Lyrics are pretty good thou. Not a top 1000 by any means
Not for me.
Anne is not cultured and not a fan
It was okay until I looked at the lyrics. Then it was bad.
This album has some of the right elements, and certainly its source material is compelling, but it overplays its hand. I feel like I am at a convention where fringe artists are being honored, but by musicians whose weirdness is less authentic.
I had never heard of Ute Lemper before, so I had no idea what to expect from Punishing Kiss. The album has a distinct German Gainsbourg vibe with a touch of Bond soundtrack flair. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. It feels raunchy but ultimately unimpressive and cabaret—definitely not something I’d revisit. Favorite song: If I had to pick one, Passionate Fight would be my choice. Least favourite song: every track Album artwork: She’s undeniably stunning.
01) Little Water Song - 5,5 02) The Case Continues - 7,0 03) Passionate Fight - 6,5 04) Tango Ballad - 6,0 05) Couldn't You Keep That to Yourself - 5,5 06) Streets of Berlin - 5,5 07) The Part You Throw Away - 5,0 08) Split - 5,5 09) Punishing Kiss - 1,0 (not found on YouTube) 10) Purple Avenue - 5,0 11) You Were Meant For Me - 5,5 12) Scope J - 1,0 TOTAL: 4,92 (49/100) Current ranking: 446/468 Second day in a row that the album isn't on my streaming platform. There's no playlist on YouTube either, so you have to search for each song individually. The good news is that you can find them all (except for one). Unfortunately, that's also the bad news. What you find is a combination of not-so-exciting cabaret songs, sung by some German woman (I'm sure people in Germany know her, I've never heard of her) and produced by The Divine Comedy (who themselves aren't very exciting on their own albums). The result is... well, this. I was confident I would give it two stars but the last song ruined everything. One star for you Ute!
I get the sneaking suspicion they really thought they were doing something special here. Neil Hannon really has the touch of merde 1.5*
Chanson sounds very nostalgic to me, even if I'm not crazy about it I still like it. A lot like Tank Battles The whorehouse song was beautiful, absolute cinema in music form Lmao I like how it's so obvious when the Scott Walker's song starts that it was written by him I just can't believe all of those fuckers who usually make the most mediocre music can actually make something good. They should've stuck to ghostwriting
I have said it countless times and I suspect I will have to say it at least 20 more times before we are done. I hate this genre of "Woman that sings with lots of vibrato and she sounds moody and mysterious" because it always sounds like shit
Kind of operatic, ethereal/atmospheric. Felt like a bit of a slog to get through
This is not an album I think I ever would have listened to without this generator. When I started the first song I worried I was in for a whole album of showtune-esque songs that I would begrudgingly have to sit through. And while I felt most songs did have a show tune aesthetic to them mostly because of Ute Lemper's voice (Ute actually did star in musicals), they are so dark and moody and strange enough for me to disregard that feeling. They also oddly feel as though they are covers of songs the artists featured on them would have already released. The song Nick Cave is featured on sounds like a Nick Cave song. The Elvis Costello song exudes Elvis Costello while being sung by Ute. The Tom Waits song sounds like Tom sung it to Ute first and then she spun it into her own. The music is very well orchestrated and while sometimes also feeling a bit showtune-esque, it comes as no surprise that the backing band was The Divine Comedy who I have not had a chance to dive into their entire discography but based on the one album I know and enjoy (Bang Goes the Knighthood) they too seem to lean heavily into a musical sound without being too annoying about it. I can't stand musicals unless they are dark and bizarre and this album feels like it could have soundtracked one of the darkest most bizarre musicals.
More of a punishing listen than kiss, there are some bright spots in the first few songs, Split and Purple Avenue, but generally Lemper’s singing is so grating and the songs are all over the place. This would probably be the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “nails on a chalkboard”.
At first I thought to myself, "I know 1001 albums is a lot, but how did this one make the cut?" But after continuing my listen it started to grow on me. Yeah it's cabaret music. Yeah it's background music to a romantic scene in a film. But it's a little more than that. This album is more than the sum of its parts. Ute's voice is great but pushed too hard sometimes, the lyrics are a little campy in a few spots, and the backing band isn't incredible. And some of the mixing on a track or two felt off. But all of this leaves the listener with a raw human experience. An album that isn't just a cabaret singer singing the songs. It's a cabaret singer telling you their story. And I think there's something very special about that. 4/5
This was not a bad album, however I found it rather uninteresting and boring to be honest. I would probably give it a 2.5/5 if possible but I will have to give it a 2 here.
I was heading into the last track upset about how I’d spent the last hour of my life with this derivative, atonal garbage then she almost—ALMOST—rescued the whole thing.
Chad.
Surprised at the hate, I enjoyed this
the mix between electronic and classical instruments is really well put. Ute has such a beautiful voice. the duets with Neil Hammon in Tango Ballad and in Split ♥️ reminds me of the Hooverphonic live orchestra album Personal favorite: "The case continues" "streets of berlin" & "Purple avenue" "scope j." on the other hand is an experimental snooze-fest and it's sucks that it's the last track. overall : a nice record but unfortunately pretty forgettable
Hmm, it was fine but nothing noteworthy - normally a 2, but +1 for female artists.
She has an incredibly strong voice, but this musical style is nicht für mich. Streets of Berlin stood out.
Not a style of music I particularly enjoy.
I mean, she's obviously very talented and is huge in Germany (sang on Roger Waters "The Wall - Live in Berlin")...but I would never listen to this again unless the only alternative was Leonard Cohen.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood but, Jesus wept this was awful.
Uh. Is this supposed to be good? I looked up Ute Lemper and apparently she is widely considered to be amazing, but man. It was physically painful for me to listen to this. I guess I can see it working if I was actually watching her perform in a musical or something, but this? Nope. Not at all.
I love her voice. Sweet yet powerful, dramatic. Music wise, it's not that interesting, just some smooth pop music. However I'm glad to spend a quiet evening sitting on my couch listening to this through the radio, it has that potential. Well, but that's a life I'll never have. Yes, some of the tracks are very musical theatre, which I do like. Exact 3/5.
Unique album and songs
Im Plattenladen würde ich vorbeigehen, hier auch.
Alluring and easy, but exciting. Really loved it!
I feel like I listened to 57 mins of James Bond theme songs.
I’m not a fan of Scott Walker, Divine Comedy and now Ute Lemper, as strong as her voice is. It’s over the top theatrical and I’m not looking for a broadway show when listening to music. If I want some theatrics, some dramatic flair, I’ll put some Bowie, Kate Bush, Bjork, Destroyer, some of Montreal on. This was theatrical snore and it’s not for me at all. It’s not a 1 but I hated this. It was punishing for sure, Punishing Miss 2 stars
Not my vibe.
Going into this, I already know that I like The Divine Comedy, so hoping for good things. Right, as stated above, I already like The Divine Comedy, and I'm a huge fan of Björk, Tori Amos, and Kate Bush. So this is exactly the kind of thing that I'm into. I can get why it isn't for everyone, but I don't care, I love it and that's all that matters to be honest. Will definitely check out more of her work.
Shite
This might be the most left field album I’ve gotten yet. German cabaret singer doing songs by an eclectic set of famous musicians. It wasn’t the terrible mess a lot of people see to think it was. Still not exactly my bag, but it was an interesting listening experience. The arrangements and her vocal abilities were pretty impressive and it was a fun exercise to keep my brain with.
Very interesting. Her vocals are compelling and the song choices are great. Wish Hannon didn’t sing on it, but The Divine Comedy works as a house band on it.
Very nice; pleasant listening
J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album un peu rétro, tellement assumé dans ses ambiances, à la production foisonnante et riche, avec une superbe voix.
Ganska dramatisk musik.
Fantastic album! Ute Lemper's voice is powerful and theatrical, with songs that have a mixture of classical, singer-songwriter, and dark cabaret. With songs from Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Kurt Weill, among others, it was an absolute joy to listen to.
this album was so beautiful, her voice made me think of a disney villain, i can’t explain why lol. so many great names on this one
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
This Chanson sounds like the soundtrack of a musical straining my patience with all the drama in the music while almost nothing happens in stage.
When this came up I got excited, seeing how many artists were involved. I'm sure there's a scenario or setting where this just slays, but it's not through my computer speakers while I work. If anything, this is another album that I think makes me realize how rinky dink the idea of streaming music or rating/reviewing is. I feel like we don't deserve this music. It's clear a lot of life and craft went into them. It's not them, it's me. I'm rating myself a 3.5 on this one. Really digging Passionate Fight. May we all find a passionate fight within ourselves. PS I'm so curious who is in charge of giving genre labels.. 😂 this is just "pop" huh?
Cool stuff
3+
Qua geluid is dit wel even prettig na gisteren, maar verder slaat het echt he-le-maal nergens op dat dit album in de lijst der lijsten staat. Een soort Eurovision cover-contest met een meer dan gezonde dosis theater. Alsof je Wicked zit te kijken. Denk ik dan, geen idee eigenlijk. Creepy albumcover ook, met de moeder van Draco Malfidus op de set van Saw 13. Dit is echt totaal niet aan mij besteed, maar het is technisch niet super slecht. Prima productie met een prima geluid eigenlijk, even los van wat je van de vies theatrale zang vindt. Als ik één ster zou geven zou ik gewetenswroeging krijgen want ik kon deze beter doorstaan dan andere enen, dus het wordt héél nipt 2 sterren. Die laatste track wilde me nog wel even verleiden naar de één overigens.
This was fine but didn’t do a lot for me personally. Took me a while to get through it, honestly. It’s an odd assortment of songs, I sorta feel like I’m missing some context for it. Oh well
I enjoyed this! Felt like end credits music for a fantasy film
Very confused by this bootleg kate bush… how tf did she get philip glass, tom waits, nick cave and scott walker to write songs on this thing. This was boring and confusing
I checked how much listening time I had remaining on this album multiple times. It was always another fucking hour. This is so so SOOOO bad
Not my thing and the lyrics ARE god awful at times
Annoying
She has a great voice
Please make it stop.
An easy listen but not particularly interesting.
Really wanted to like this but despite the Nick Cave and Tom Waits songs, I just found the Björkish warbling over edgy cabaret style music discordant and not to my taste.
I quite enjoyed this one, good ballads
Wtf did I just listen to?
I expected this album to resonate with me right away, given the involvement of writers like Nick Cave, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Elvis Costello, Philip Glass, and Tom Waits, along with contributions from Scott Walker (mixing) and a musician like Warren Ellis. However, for some reason, it didn’t connect with me. I have no complaints about the quality; it’s well-crafted in every sense. Yet, I found myself hoping for it to end, even on my first listen, and my feelings didn’t change during the second listen.
A tad too long, but a stellar combination of Lemper's vocals and the always enjoyable Divine Comedy.
It unfortunately ends up being too long, but the overall aesthetics and ideas are great. Lemper’s vocals are mesmerizing and the songwriting is stellar - even though it’s difficult to keep up the pace when opening the album with a Nick Cave-song and the powerful “The Case Continues”.
Cool
This album was weird, and not in a good way. I couldn't wait for it to be over lol.
i looked at the wikipedia page and this album is like, the 1001-albums-you-must-hear-before-you-die equivalent of the Avengers (it also shows that much on the cover but im not observant) if you told me nick cave wrote the whole album and the lead singer was just nick cave with a voice changer i would probably still believe you
3/5
Very mellow. The singer has a wonderful voice.
ASS
Complete dogshit
dogshit
Epic!
The song split is the only reason this album is getting a 2 instead of a 1.
Hard to tell when one song stopped and another started.
More inexplicably harsh reviews of this one!
I wanted to like this because I got excited by the names of collaborators on the cover (Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Scott Walker...) but it's pretty boring. 3 instead of 2 because I think the names that worked on it are still very cool but yeah disappointingly boring. Feels like a lesser Nick Cave record, like one full of ballads that all sound the same.
Day 96 and the first album I had to stop listening to. It's like a soundtrack to a musical that I don't know if it exists and, if it does, never want to see. Something to play at a social event if you want people to leave.
Interesting vocals, and I enjoyed a couple songs, but this was largely not my cup of tea. 1.8
This did nothing for me.
1. uuater - 1.5 2. caze - 0 3. fight - 0 4. die - 1 5. keep - 1 6. berlin - 1.5 7. auuay - 1.5 8. zplit - 1 9. kizz - 0 10. purple - 1 11. me - 1 12. zcope - 0
It’s not good, but I don’t understand the sheer vitriolic reaction to this one. A lower average rating than Suicide? It’s bland, but it’s not that bad.
什么玩意
This album is all over the place. Some of the songs I enjoyed, some I think are probably better in German, some were bland and boring. Probably due to how many songwriters were involved in this. I generally like show tunes, so I didn't really have any issues with that part of it, but I wish the songs had been generally better and more consistent.
Punishing Kiss is a faux sophisticated album. This is just a covers album by a German singer, and I'm supposed to think it's something ground breaking because Ute Lemper sung in a classical way? Yawn. I mean, yes, it was fascinating to hear Tom Waits' songs song by someone very unlike him. And you know what, the vibes were legit cool! While this album was a slog and didn't capture much of my attention, it wasn't complete garbage. I'm just confused as to its presence.
When I saw "songs by" and it included names like "Elvis Costello" and "Nick Cave", that this was going to be a pretentious album that was going to be a bit of a chore to get through, to say the least. The vocals on this album bounced between "interestingly odd" and "bizarrely off-putting". Ute Lemper's voice seems to be a cross between Liza Minnelli and Tori Amos -- turns out I'm not really a fan of that particular cross. And the music itself I would describe as being like "dark cabaret". Anyway, I don't really know why this is on here (700-something reviews on this project and this phrase is becoming a staple).
Title says it all.
I understand it's good, honest to God I get it! But I would not listen to it again
Who?
This was pretty bizarre, but interesting. She has a very dramatic voice, fitting for her musical theater background. And each track has a very distinct feel for each collaborator. Not something I'd seek out, but intriguing and weird.
It’s punishing alright.
Nawet ok
Day344 - if bjork and barbara streisand had a dramatic baby who was over the patriarchy. it’s funny that nick cave,tom waits and elvis costello wrote songs for this
Lol
Took a bit to come around on this one. But once I caught the vibe I was pretty into it. It’s weird to find a genre you’ve never even heard before.
There are just so many artists on this album that I do not like at all. With this being considered, the album was much better than I expected. And yet I still never want to hear it again
Not sure how to feel about this one
like 2 stars but not for me
No thanks.
jag vet för lite om det här för att ge det något annat än en stark tvåa. inte för mig men vissa låtar är ganska coola. gillade split.
6/10 it's pretty good but not what I'm looking for atm
It's a pretty wide range of songwriters essentially writing songs for musicals. You can hear their influence, from the weird lyricism of Nick Cave, the blues influence of Waits, and the traditional jazz of Costello. And then it gets flattened out and pushed into that sound that every late 20th century musical sounds. It's an interesting project, but it does show the arbitrary limits placed on musical theater. It seems like every non-jukebox musical either has this sound or that rock opera sound.
I found this album very unpalatable. I couldn't follow any of the melodies and a lot of the songs felt dissonant, which didn't make for very satisfying or enjoyable music for me. Nick Cave collaborated on this album and it had some of the same hallmarks I associate with the albums of his that we've had in this project -- rambling and monotonous. People say his stuff is very interesting musically and I just don't get it. Ute has a great voice though.
Kinda sorta loved this. Five for originality. Five for chanteusery. And a big five for the line, "if sex were an Olympic sport we'd have won the gold". 5
Different than other albums on this list. Some catchy tunes but it didn't grab my attention or get me to listen more closely as the album played on.
Not really my type of music.
I liked a couple of songs, but most of it wasn't to my taste. Not terribly surprising, given that she's collaborating with a bunch of different people... folks are going to like some, and not like others.
If Ute Lemper thinks that kiss was punishing, then she should take a listen to her own album. She may wish for the kiss of death at that point. I am sure there are individuals much more cultured than I am who will see these songs by such great artists like Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Scott Walker as beautifully interpreted. This is cabaret music apparently, but is it cabaret music? Does singing slow cover songs in a jazzy voice make this cabaret? The duets brighten the album up a bit, so hearing Split caused me to think there was some hope. Then Punishing Kiss dashed all hopes with the circus music sound. This is followed by Purple Avenue, which poses the question, "What if we did a Tom Waits song, except make it worse?" This is the kind of music white guys wearing turtlenecks would own and/or you would hear at a hotel lounge in the background while guests drink overpriced alcohol and wonder where the hell they had heard this song before.
>Ute Lemper album >Looks inside >Nick Cave >Robert, you’ve done it again 3/5
Interesting. Good voice, bluesy, melodious. Horrid songs, almost talky, hate the lack of musicality. 3.5/5
Cannot play this album on Spotify and couldn't find this album on YouTube music. So, :shrug:
Uhm ok, interessant! Dit is een soort filmmuziek album denk ik? Het zijn allemaal nummers die geschreven zijn door anderen? Met een ijzersterke stem van Ute die er doorheen klinkt. Want jezus wat heeft deze vrouw een stem!!! De muziek is echt ontzettend filmisch en schetst vrij gemakkelijk een beeld dat hierbij hoort. Wel is de muziek vrij veel van hetzelfde, dus hoewel ik het grotendeels episch vind is het uiteindelijk ook ietwat saaiïg? Denk dat Ute haar stem dit album echt een beetje red hier! Uiteindelijk moet ik zeggen dat dit album gewoon een soort musical is. Ik haat musicals. Album is dus gewoon een soort van prima. FAVO: The case continues, passionate fight, Streets of Berlin
It's crazy to think this is how I find out about this album, not only did I never knew of this but it contains so many great and interesting songwriters, many of whom are my absolute faves. Initially I thought this was a covers album but... no? Like how the hell do you get two of the Divine Comedy guys, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and fucking Scott Walker in the same albums to write you songs?? They all come together in their own songs to write and work on different songs of course but I like that Ute's voice/style (or what I asume is her own direction) is not lost, this sort of modern take on grand cabaret theatrical stuff and baroque pop with different influences depending on the featured writer. It's that kind of balance of a seasoned performer who has a vision and a strong voice and incredible writers that nets an album this interesting and exciting to me, which is surprising to me because I'm not somebody who likes, let alone is even interested in cabaret theatrics most of the time they fall flat by trying too hard whereas this feels like it avoids all the worst tropes of the more theatrical genres and remains all the aspects that are fuller with attitude and gusto which I think MANY cabaret/theatrical styled albums sorely miss for me. I appreciate the range in sound and writing, but especially the final song Scope J. The closest this book has ever gotten to adding a late era Scott Walker song and immedeately its obvious how his style at the time took over the sounds, gone is the theatrics and in are the piercing drones and dissonances that transform Ute's vocals into a banshee. I really cannot get enough of it, I possibly would go as far as to give it a 5/5 on here and 9/10 on rym on future listens because I had a great time and I love whenever someone makes music I don't think works for me work for me. Awesome surprise
Interminable over-orchestrated plodding pompous schmaltz. Theatre kids were a mistake.
This album is like listening to the soundtrack of a musical if all the songs were the ones that no one cared about
I can appreciate a vocal cover album!
I think she did better things
I did not need to listen to this before I died!
Not for me.
I won’t say that this is The Part You Throw Away, but this wasn’t my favorite.
Would rather listen to Joe Mangel's Ute. Absolute sh*te
I'm confused. There was so much work, talent and great muscianship put into this and I found it painful to listen to. Maybe it's a grower?
I didn’t make it the whole way through. Fucking hated it.
Yeah the covers bring something new to the songs... if new is not wanting to hear those songs in this format ever again
Punishing piss
Like the nick cave and Elvis Costello Collab, not my favourite album however
One word. Class.
2.5 rounded down well. i’ll give credit where it’s due for being unique and getting me out of my music comfort zone. but unfortunately, that’s kinda all this album has going for it highlights: little water song, passionate flight, punishing kiss (apr 23 2026)
no começo eu tava gostando mas depois ficou catastrófico, nada encaixava, a vibe é a mesma em todas as músicas, parece que todas as músicas foram gravadas em uma única segunda feira chuvosa de manhã.
first listen it's a bit of a ride, little weird
The aptly titled Punishing Kiss is macabre and overly melodramatic, was hoping for so much more. The Case Continues (best song) sounded like it was taken straight out of an old detective movie, so that was cool. Much of the rest seemed like Broadway show tunes. Incredible guest appearances on the album, but I really didn’t get much from them. (2.5*s)
I was actually surprised by how bad this album is. Dated, too long, cabaret bullshit. This is the stuff theater kids love to talk your ear off about and with some of these lyrics, it was hard to take it seriously. I started wondering if it was a big, elaborate joke I was missing. The title track is actually one of the worst songs on it. Ute has an interesting voice and this could have been so much better but instead it was divine bullshit. 0.75.
Punishing album. Thought it would be good based on the credits but it was way too up its own butt. Too many cooks in the kitchen I guess. First track is bizarre and makes sense that Nick Cave helped write it. Hated the ones featuring Hannon. The whole thing is like bad theater. Kate Bush does it better...0.75.
The lineup of artists involved in this is certainly intriguing, however it really failed to stick the landing. It's an eclectic mix of showtunes, art rock, experimental noise and skippable bullshit. Seems like it could/should have been something more with all the collaboration involved but instead it deservedly ended up as a forgotten project that probably shouldn't be bothered with. 1.31 stars
I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would once I saw who contributed to the album. It was a little too much at times.
Discount Kate Bush. Fun and out there, but not so fun and out there. Love a good lady ballad though.
Very theatrical. Her voice is really great and the guests compliment it well.
I found this a struggle. Not my cup of tea and quite boring. Great voice, just a dull album.
You can't lose with Tom Waits and Nick Cave on it
Not as terrible as some reviews here make it out to be, but nowhere near as good as Ute Lemper and the people who made this album obviously think it is. Very self-important.
I really enjoyed this album, more than I thought I would.
Wow this is not good. It’s awkward and out of tune, yet weirdly charming? Ute Lemper clearly put a lot of effort into this album, so points for that I suppose. The song partly titled “Tango Ballad” is perhaps the single worst song I’ve ever heard. I don’t even care enough to look up the name of the male singer here, but dear lord, abomination almost comes close to describing that vocal performance. I’m not sure how I can really explain this album, it’s terrible but I don’t hate it. It’s a very conflicting feeling. I’ll never listen to it again, though. 2 stars.
About halfway through the first song, I thought to myself this album might be a hard one to get through, and I was more right than I could have known. This is so, so bad and weird. It’s such an extraordinary kind of terrible that at some moments it loops all the way around to kind of being hilarious. But mostly, it’s just god awful schmaltzy cabaret singing set to shitty music with bizarre nonsense lyrics. As a reward for making it almost all the way through the album, you’re rewarded with the last track, a nearly-11 minute masterpiece on composing the most unlistenable garbage of all time. Part of me thinks that surely, this is some kind intentionally terrible performance art - if that is the case, I’d have to rate it pretty highly for nailing what it set out to do. But with no evidence to confirm this idea I have to take this album at face value. Most of the albums from this project that I’ve given one or a generous two ⭐️, I at least vaguely understand why someone else would like it, but not this one. Not only is this album not for me, I’m pretty sure it’s not fit for human consumption. I almost respect how completely and entirely hateable this album is, but mostly I just completely and entirely hate it. 1/10
This is not my thing. Too overwrought. I will not return to it.
Mooi, maar niet voor mij
"We have Phantom of the Opera/Cabaret at home"
Don't quite know what to make of this. I liked the drama of the Nick Cave opener and The Case Continues from Divine Comedy. Elvis Costello trying to sneak in yet another album can do one. The Tom Waits stuff is good. I can't really envisage a future scenario where I'd be listening to this again. Sounds like watching a film. I got bored before the end. The last two songs caught my attention again because I like Scott Walker, I could have a skipped a chunk of the middle.
I had high hopes for this, given the associated artists, but it was pretty dull, sad to say. Neil Hannon gave it a bit of a lift, but only a bit.
actually highkey big fan - came out of nowhere, awesome!
Artiste inconnue. Cet album est particulier ! Je n'accroche pas à ce style de musique orchestre + voix, en plus la façon de chanter ne me plait pas trop. Il n'est pas désagréable à écouter (j'ai entendu pire ...), mais j'ai dû sauter d'un morceau à l'autre souvent pour aller au bout. Des exceptions : 2. "The Case Continues" (mélodie au piano, signature rythmique) 12. "Scope J" (harmonie dissonante + structure particulière, le résultat est très original, les +10 mn passent très bien) Je n'y reviendrais probablement pas, sauf peut être pour les exceptions qui me font augmenter la note. Dommage que les autres morceaux ne soient pas aussi réussis. =>3/5
Fails to move, primarily because, one supposes, it's not exactly Kate Bush or Aimee Mann, now is it? This seems like a record for people who feel Scott Walker isn't stiff or formal or melodramatic enough. Feels an ill fit for this list and easily replaceable by, say, Feist or Sarah Harmer or Waxahatchee or Snail Mail or Claro or Soccer Mommy or Courtney Barnett or even, for Chrissakes, Neena or Nina Hagen. Rounding down because of the line "if sex were an Olympic sport / we'd a won the gold" – even recognizing she didn't write it, she chose it.
Great voice But it often sounds like she is singing to a different tune than the actual instrumentals
I think pacing this album over two days was the worst thing I could do honestly
No way
Enjoyed it 👍
Was this album recorded as a joke? Who the hell makes the choice to listen to this?
#379. What is happening with Al Gore's rhythm? I've been given Dagmar Krause, Joanna Newsom, and now this all to listen to in only a week's span. What is happening? Am I being punished, Mr. Gore? This album is awful. It certainly makes me feel like I'm being punished. This is CIA black site torture type music. It's says right there on the cover Songs by: Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Scott Walker. Aka "The Worst Artists from this List Crew," and boy did they live up to their terrible reputation here. 1/5: yikes Song added to playlist: Little Water Song I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Good singer but I didn’t like any of the songs. Not my style of music.
I'm not sure what this is meant to be, but, it's not for me.
It's like a collection of my super villains torturing me for 50 minutes straight.
Less than elevator music-level dreck. She's got a nice voice though.
What is this junk? A compilation album and we still have hundreds of albums that haven't made the list.
Bien puesto el género 'cabaret'. Canta bien pero es un embole, bastante una verga además.
Excuse me, no.
Fine, just not my thing
Like being hit over the head repeatedly by the soundtrack from an amateur production of Cabaret.
It’s odd. Because on paper I should love this. What pushes people away is what I greatly enjoy: the bombastic theatrical style of the music. But the lyrics are often quite awful. 3/5
While I enjoyed the opening track with its quintessential morbidity (even Lemper's vocal inflection reflects Nick Cave's style), the dark bombast lost its initial appeal pretty quick. To be fair, I love Cave, Costello, Waits, and Walker. But this classy cabaret overwhelms my head with a grating pain.
Was this made for a musical or something? It's weird. The music is not bad, though.
Its not great but i dont think its quite as bad as you people are making it out to be
Bond theme vibes, just luxourious
Bro why is elevator music on this list
Quite dramatic! 2.9
E jebiga sad ljudi... ovo već ulazi u moju profesiju.. naslušao sam se, a bogami i sudjelovao u operama i mjuziklima, tako da meni ovo nije ne slušaljivo. Ovdje ima par katastrofalnoj pjesma, ali ima i par pjesama koje sam vrtio na repeat pop streats of berlin koje je preeeejebena stvar, ko netki sisters of mercy sa ženskim vokalnom uz orkestar. Ovaj devine comedy je stvarno odličan ansambl, mos se jebat. I moram priznati uvijek volim poslušati neku avangardu + dosta stvari znam jer su u pitanju i waits i nick cave. Album sam slušao dok sam hodao ulicom i pjesmu po pjesmu sa popisa tražio po youtubeu... Tak da kad sve to uzmem, nije katastrofa nije odlicno, ali ne iritira me.. 4.5./10
Prva misao: hoću li stvarno sat vremena ovog slušati? Baš sam curious oko world ratinga i komentara. Većina pjesama mi zvuči kao (ne baš dobar) soundtrack ili glazba za predstavu. Ne kužim point, čak ni kad znam kontekst. Kakvo mučenje u pm. Morat ću odustati. Kratko mi je bilo zabavno dok sam čitala komentare world ratinga jer je bilo funny i čim sam vratila punu pažnju na ovo me obuzela lagana anksioznost. Još jedan kratko zabavni trenutak mi je Streets of Berlin zbog tematike i riječi. Ali pjesma je užas. Bolje da sam prepustila to mašti i zabrijavala da je dobra stvar. Izdržala sam 7 pjesama. Dosta, brate. Ute, Ute, ideš na mute! 1/5 ili 1/10.
Prvu pjesmu nisam uspio preslušati. Probam opet kad budem bio na antidepresivima. Ok, druga pjesma mi već otkriva da bi ovo mogao biti wannabe Patti Smith na njemački način. Preskačem. Treća pjesma, već se pitam koliko je dobra ideja bila počet slušati ove albume i tko to bira? Ili je možda u meni problem? Mislim da sam otvoren, a zapravo sam možda ograničen kao balkon. Bilo kako bilo, prebacujemo i ovo smeće od pjesme, idemo vidjeti šta kaže četvrta pjesma Jao eeeeeeeeeeee daj aaaaaajdeeeeeee tko te stavi na listu btj. Ovo meni zvuči kao da je neka izdavačka kuća okupila hrpu snobova i dala im da snime neki polu mjuzikal komad smeća nakon čega su to plasirali na radio stanice i pumpali stream time samo da umjetno nabiju ovo na vrhove nekih lista. I dare you da mi nađeš jednu osobu koja ovo voli, a da je ujedno zanimljiva. Ovo mi zvuči kao album koji bi najgori ljudi s mog posla slušali, ono švabe koji podržavaju pravo Izraela "da se brani" tip osobe. Nisu nikad probali droge jer su one jako loše, ali su jednom zapalili joint kad su bili u Amsterdamu i nije im se baš svidjelo tip osobe. Proletjeti ću kroz ovaj album brže nego domobrani kroz Knin I dok preskačem pjesme, naravno da ovaj album ima 12 pjesama, jer sve su tako jebeno dobre da će ljudi jednostavno tražiti još koju. I da, slušam ovo ja YouTubeu jer neću da mi kalja spotifaj. Znaš da je album smeće ako se ne smije komentirati.. Ma jebote, ona samo pjeva o tome kako ne može voljeti nikoga dulje od dana, kako je živjela u javnoj kući, pa onda o nasilju nad ženama koje je napravio jedan telefonski poziv usred noći. Men se čini da si ti drolja sestro, a tu glumiš neku sveticu kad ti čoek kaze preko telefona da neće više imati posla s tobom. Evo kasnije opet neke pjesme gdje ju muškarac optužuje da se kurvala, a ona govori da se osjećala usamljeno pa da se morala kurvat da joj bude lakše i da je naravno on kriv za kurvarluk. I evoga, dolazimo do naslovne pjesme, punishing kiss. Bas me zanima o čemu će ovo biti. .. Nikad nećemo saznati jer je ovo jebeno neslušljivo. Išao sam ju guglati jer me zanimalo kako se ubila ženska. As it turns out, još uvijek je živa. Riba je glumica koja je glumila u Cabaret i mjuziklima. Figures. Dajem ruku u vatru da je ovaj album uopće snimljen zbog njenih poznanstava iz glumačkog svijeta. Da ovo nikada ne bi vidjelo svijetlo dana da nije opako pogurana. Mah 1/10 1/5
2/10 Ne znam da li je ovo napravljeno za neki mjuzikl ili je samo slucajno album od neke Njemacke glumice koji zvuci tako, nisam imao zelje istraziti. Mjuzikli (i opere) mi nikako ne sjedaju, a ovo bi jedino mozda ubacio u neki film na Hallmarku, cije filmove nikad nisam bas volio. Mislim da bi cak Pierce Brosnan i film Mamma Mia bolje legli od ovog. Ma zapravo ne bi, oduvijek mi je ovakva muzika bila tortura i odbrojavao bi sekunde da prodje, samo sto bi gledao bivseg Bonda kako plese i pjeva pa bi me mozda i nasmijalo. Purple Avenue mi jedina donekle prolazi jer je stvar od Tom Waitsa, kojeg volim, i jer sam vec istraumatiziran na samom kraju albuma. Lyricsi su joj vanplanetarno grozni od pocetka do kraja, a muzika bi mozda i bila podnosljiva na trenutke da ona ne otvara usta. Ovako nema spasa. Znam da postoje gore stvari od ovog (kad recimo Yoko Ono otvara usta) pa ce biti velikodusna dvica. I to upravo idem obaviti na wc nakon ovog.
This album may certainly be for someone, but it ain't me. Makes sense there was so much collaboration with Divine Comedy as this album kind of annoyed me in the same way that they do. It also seemed to try to pull off the sultry jazz singer schtick that I associate with Jessica Rabbit, but failed miserably. 1.5/5
No, just no. I didn't like this at all. Maybe *maybe* I would have liked this more in the context of a musical or something, but this is a nothingburger for me. It's sad, because the collaborators are all people I like (except the Divine Comedy guys. fuck those guys) 1/5
Okay, wasn’t expecting this! Getting the likes of Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and Scott Walker together to help you out? Yes please! (You could keep Elvis Costello, though) Some great songwriting, obviously, and she sounds lovely. B-
Pretty weird, some good moments
German caberet singer covering Kurt Weil, Nick Cave and Tom Waits?!? Well now you have my attention. Is this a great album - meh. More curiosity or the perfect soundtrack to walking at night through a rainy nondescript European city.
A Punishing Listen
Theatrical, meh
Some of this is goofy and overdramatic. The case continues and much of the middle is very compelling.
Hmm, that was interesting. Not sure about this. It sort of did but then didn't get off to a particularly good start, and continued in that vein. I believe my life would have been poorer for not listening to it, but doubt I will ever do it again. I'm in a real quandary here. I feel it's worth more than a 2 but less than a 3. Well I have already devalued a 2 by giving that to u2 so I having set the president it'll be a 3.
There was some interesting arrangements and quite a list of collaborators. But it was still a load of crap. Sounds like a musical.
It was OK in places, the places where I didn't nod off especially. It was like a bad west end show at times.
Not really my thing
Not my
War mir zu seicht.
😬 not for me
dead
sucked. not my jam at all. 1.5/5
This album is fine, but it is definitely not for me. There was just nothing for me to grab onto here. On the other hand, her voice is beautiful and she uses it well. The songs are well written, and the lyrics are generally good. I just also want the music to be completely different so that I can enjoy it 3/5
never in my life have i been more conflicted on an album on this list. on the one hand, there are so many songs in here that are beautiful and what i wish bjork sounded like. on the other, there are just as many songs that are exactly what bjork does sound like, and we’re back to that. i don’t know. i found myself swinging back and forth between 2 and 4 listening to this so for that reason it gets a 3, but not because it’s boring or mid but because i don’t know what to do here. i also like AND hare how musical theater ish some of the songs are. i just can’t seem to form a concrete opinion on this album
Pre-listening thoughts: I was lowkey excited for this cause like a woman! An international album! An album made this century! BUT NO. OFC THERES SONGS BY: TOM WAITS. NOT AGAIN PLEASE FREE ME. I JUST had to listen to him YESTERDAY. Hoping his songs sound better sung by someone else cause I really can’t go through yesterday again. Post/during listening thoughts: she has such a beautiful voice that carries lots of emotion. The strings are gorgeous in this first track but something is missing - it feels a little too freeform for my tastes. Now the second track is more up my alley, we’re seeing big arrangements that don’t get lost in themselves! I am a littleeee convinced the guy who originally made this book is obsessed with Elvis Costello enough to put this in there JUST because of him. Ute gets a little caught in the lyrics in track 4 which I can’t spell sorry. It’s a mouthful (the title and all of the lyrics!). Man this album kinda feels musical-esque as well. I could hear the boo hoo in the first Tom Waits track immediately. Wait but “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”…. See maybe Tom Waits can cook if it’s not his own voice lol! WHY DO ALL OF THESE ALBUMS HAVE TO END ON 10 MIN TRACKS?! Can’t we just conclude an album with a 2 min song I’m TIRED. This like should be right up my alley but it’s just nottt hitting the right spots for me. Idk if it’s cause I’m tired but I’m finding myself bored. Wait why is her voice very lowkey giving Pearl from Steven Universe can she cover It’s Over Isn’t It 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: The Case Continues, Passionate Fight, Split, Purple Avenue (Tom Waits is sometimes not my opp fr) Least fav tracks: Tango Ballad, The Part You Throw Away (Tom Waits is my opp fr), Scope J
I just can't get into this. She has a voice alright, but I don't find myself enjoying anything about any of this.
I made it a whopping 5:02 into this album before I pulled the plug
This has been one of those rare times I just had to white knuckle through. When I felt I couldn't listen any longer, the hilarious reviews on here kept me going. Technically there isn't anything to critique, really. I mean, she has a good voice, I just don't like it. I love Tom Waits. Nick Cave. Musicals. Cabaret. Why don't I like this? I don't know, but I've earned the right to a little melodrama after that, and I have to say my beautiful sunset walk tonight deserved better.
9/12/24. I typically don't get exposed to cabaret style music very often, but it's always entertaining and different. I enjoyed the grand, large-scale production on this one, along with the variety of different artists. Almost like a movie score!
I really enjoyed The Part You Throw Away. Split is a really solid song. Purple Avenue is another great one. Super cool album.
Is this a joke? It feels like a joke.. You can hear the heavy influence of each featured artist in each song. Which might sound cool, but not at the expense of losing your own sound. Not that Ute Lemper seems to have any sound I particularly want to hear, so maybe it *is* a good thing.
A collection of excellent songs completely messed up. A covers album is never going to get a very high rating by me, but this is an especially bad one. On the plus side, Ute Lemper can sing (technically - I personally don't like her cabaret style at all). She seems to go for a different sound for every song, sometimes going for a classical sauce (\"let's thrown in some violins and some harp, oh but we have a drumkit lying around too\"), sometimes more poppy or acoustic... I have disliked all the arrangements, and there is no vision on the album. I initially wanted to give it a 2 because at least she has a good (my :-)) taste for composers, and she can sing, but then most buskers I have recently heard can sing, too, so a 1 it will be. Bad. No idea why this is in the list.
I really don’t know what to make of this. Is it for real? Is it a parody? Would it work if I was watching it as a Cabaret style musical? I like the first few tracks and after that it just sort of descends into… something. What a weird album. The Wikipedia page doesn’t provide much insight either
The definition of "mid"
beh l'ho ascoltato
Feels like a musical
Wasn't able to get through this one.
This album was quite unusual. It felt a little bit musical theatre with the back and forth between vocalists, and seemed to have a storyline ongoing. The Divine Comedy seem to feature a lot here, and they’ll be here sound great. Not to detract from Ute, who also sounds fantastic, but Ute is a person I’d never heard of before. Overall, I can safely say that I enjoyed this, but also that I don’t think it is an album that will stick with me and necessitate a return.
Not bad
She has an interesting voice, but something about it was just so over the top. And she did not write most of these songs, just sang them, which amazes me she was able to find this many over the top songs to sing. It felt very musical theater or opera overall because it was just sooo much. Plus the lyrics were so literal (Split). The song Tango Ballad sounded very Phantom of the Opera-esque. Its not that it is bad, it was just too much and so in line with musical theater, all I could do was image her in my mind signing these songs sh dramatically moving about on state, singing so hard she is spitting and out of breath, rolling and collapsing on the floor. Which shows she has passion and emotion, but maybe a little much for me.
This feels very avant garde and also like the soundtrack to an overly dramatic musical. Not that either is necessarily a bad thing. But this was pretty tough to listen to, and I will definitely never make the choice to listen again.
This isn't exactly bad, but I can say that I won't listen to this again. I also don't understand why this is included on the list. If you're going to include something like this, might as well include a Leonard Bernstein recordings as well. Not to mention this is a bunch of covers of songs mostly by artists who already have albums on this list, some of whom I'd much rather listen to (Tom Waits, Nick Cave), and some of whom are already on here too much (Elvis Costello, Divine Comedy). Again confused why 1001 seemed like the right number when so much of this list feels like filler. I'm not going to give this a 1 only because I'm not unimpressed and I'm not exactly mad that it exists, but I can't give it more than a 2 because I don't want to finish it and I won't listen again.
I like these songs musically. The lyrics are often overwrought and seem as if they've been translated into English; and the subject-matter is melodramatic but seems to take itself seriously, not playful or campy. I'd rate this at least 4 stars if it were instrumental.
I thought it was an original proposal, even though it wasn't my style at all
Punishing Kiss I don’t know Ute Lemper at all and I resisted looking this up until I’d given this a listen. I get what she is going for - that musical, theatrical, 60s cinematic, cabaret, Weimar Republic, interwar, slightly seedy, decadent, melodramatic, orchestral, torch song vibe. The problem is it sounds very dated to the late 90s/early 2000s, and consequently it lacks any sort of atmosphere or any evocation of anything it's aiming for. Rather than sophisticated decadence it sounds more like soulless ham fisted schmaltz. I also really don’t like her voice or her vocal mannerisms. I get that the songs require that theatrical vocal style and those talked asides, and while she has a strong voice it has a quite unpleasant nasal brutality to it. Alongside all that, I found the songs pretty uninspiring thematically, lyrically and melodically, even if they were written by people I like, like Nick Cave and Tom Waits. It was a bit of struggle to make it through the third listen, but You Were Meant For Me was the only one that really stood out, the only song where the sound, arrangement and vocal all coalesced to conjure up a dramatic and nicely overwrought whole. I do actually like Neil Hannon and the Divine Comedy, but his records, while obviously influenced by this type of music, have some wit and charm with a much more considered sense to them. Like I say I get what they were going for, and if you are into the musical theatre vibes of the German Elaine Paige singing Cabaret and Kurt Weill then I guess it’s a good listen, but I found it a bit of an uninspiring irritation. Reluctant to go 1, even if I’m tempted, so I’ll stick with a 2. 👊💋 Playlist submission: You Were Meant For Me
Didn’t listen to it in full to be honest don’t know if I fully enjoyed it but will try it again - can definitely appreciate it
What is this?!
auf jeden fall musikalisch sehr voll und durchdacht, sie hat auch ne tolle stimme aber es ist einfach nicht so meine art von musik
I listened. It's interesting. I'll never listen again. I think German cabaret falls into one of those "Oh that was a fun thing I saw on a random Tuesday night" but I'm not going to actively seek it out.
Never heard of this singer. Powerful voice and kind of interesting. Not sure about it being in this list but...
A little boring
I hated this so much. Muzak at its finest, I wish I could get back the time spent listening to this absolute rubbish. Album you must listen to? Yeah nah this album could disappear off the face of the earth and nothing of value would be lost
Musikaali. Tosin tästä ei taida muodostua yhtä tarinaa, mutta melkein kyllä. Ehkä ois voinut vetää sinne asti. Sinänsä vaikuttavaa ja on hienoa laulua, mutta toivoisin sävellyksiltä ihan snadisti enemmän, jotta tää lunastais tilansa, kun (vai jos…?) ei esitä eheää musikaalitarinaa, ts. musiikki ja melodiat ei ole ”vain” taustaa. Ehkä mulla menee jotain ohi, mutta en jotenkin usko
Popmusiikin Suuret Taiteilijat kokoontuvat paisuttamaan romanttisia fantasioitaan. Juuri niin epäkiinnostavaa kuin luulisi.
This sucked. I knew after :15 it wasn't for me
Something about this enraged me. Itched my internal annoyance scale. I hated this. Completely primal I can’t explain why sorry.
I am not sure the editors of 1001 know much about Cabaret or Broadway, and I’m not sure many of us do either. So here’s 4 stars from someone who has no business judging this album, because it had the air of quality and some stand out lyrics and some high class contributors.
This sounds like a Barbara Streisand album from 1966.