Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Liked this more than I thought I would. The Nick Cave song is the best one.
This was very hard work. Only saved marginally by Purple Avenue
Equally funny and bad. Makes it good for the wrong reasons
Two stars, mainly because of The Case Continues and Split.
Wow, quite a ride for 9am on a Thursday morning. Lemper's vocal range is dramatic, tonally perfect, and she builds the cadence like a movie plot within each track. Not something I'd listen to for the pure entertainment but I'd buy a ticket to see/hear her live especially in a theater production.
Unbearable
This once again shows, that I just don‘t like musicals.
I question the mental state of those who have given this 5 stars. I feel this is what you play when you dine with Hannibal Lecter.
<Cutting insult of how bad this record is/>
Big theater kid energy. Like listening to a musical soundtrack for something you've never wanted to watch.
WTF is this? It's not good, it doesn't bring anything to the table that I HAD to hear, and did I mention it's bad? Few albums have left me as confused as to why they're on the list as this one.
I mean, Ute can sing and these songs sound good as musical numbers, but this project seems lil unnecessary. Couple standouts, but I'd kind rather listen to a regular musical soundtrack 🤷
Interesting but not really for me (3)
Chansons is'nt me.
This was a new one to me, never heard of Ute Lemper before (or Kurt Weill for that matter). I found it very interesting, not something I would be in a rush to listen to again though. I didn't like the duet songs at all, but found the second track and the last pretty fantastic. Reminded me of latter period David Bowie and Scott Walker in places.
This might be generous rating. Felt like she was singing covers to show tunes I’ve never heard of.
Not the best
Ute Lemper is a German singer. Her backing band for this whole album was The Divine Comedy, so that should tell you all you need to know about this album. It's weird, poppy music. It should be better, because Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and Scott Walker all wrote songs for the album, but The Divine Comedy's shitty poppy influences drug this album down hard. This whole album sounds like a Disney movie soundtrack. Really boring. Or like, James Bond intro music. An hour long James Bond intro. Uuugghhh. Favourite songs: Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad Least favourite songs: Scope J., Streets of Berlin, The Part You Throw Away... And others. The whole album kept almost putting me to sleep. 1/5
I dunno it was really boring and I just wanted to move onto a different album. Vocals are good, but they are the only thing of note here. But they arent used to tell an interesting or compelling story. Nnn
Talented musicians. Theatrical, cabaret-style. You either like this style or you don’t. Not anything I would choose to listen to twice.
Lemper’s voice is kinda cool. The quality of the songs varies with that of the collaborators.
Some nice musicianship but otherwise I have no clue what's happening on this album.
Little Water Song // 1.5/5
interesting sound and collaboration with other artists. Overall interesting.
Meh album. Here's one where I'm confounded by its inclusion in this list. Is this some terrible, weird, experimental album that was groundbreaking to some subculture? No. But, I would at least understand that as an inclusion on the list. This is easy listening cabaret music from a musical actress. I'm guessing it is included because Nick Cave was involved, and this list is Dimery's love letter to Nick Cave (which I'm OK with as a 1001 album list will likely include the entire catalogue of the author's beloved artists). This isn't bad, but it doesn't seem to offer anything notable. I'm sure there's many better and more influential albums in the genre. **
Who is this for? Musical theatre vibes to canned music.
Who is this even for? There’s just enough talent to keep it from being a 1, but just barely.
wonderful
4/5 - a little much; like an opera that’s tense the whole time
I can't tell if I liked it. Not a good sign.
Hand up, came in fully expecting to hate this album. I mean, featuring songs by Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Scott Walker is basically a war crime for me. But this was pretty good for the most part. Definitely not monotonous or plain underneath the vocals. Fair enough, Ute. Favorite track: Punishing Kiss
Barely felt like I listened to it it was just not good
Very artistic and beautiful. Won’t listen again.
Talk about a punishing kiss, someone singing both Nick Cave and Tom Waits. I need someone to tell me why we have this album on here, not only is it not worth a listen (I'd rather listen to Kids Bop) but it shouldn't be on this list.
Holy shit, it's the holy grail of bad albums. This one's on the bad albums list on this site, and I was curious why. I started listening, realized it was in that same category of weirdo cabaret type music that I can't stand. My first thought was that she was like a female Tom Waits (derogatory). Towards the middle of the album, I looked at the cover: SONGS BY the following artists, a rogues gallery of some of my most despised artists that I've had to listen to on this list [I'm leaving out Philip Glass and Kurt Weill since I don't know them]: - Nick Cave (recently wrote about how I'm over him, pretentious prick) - Elvis Costello (had a couple decent albums, but wafty fart music, also he ruined that dope elephant cover by saying the N word on a song, cringe lord) - The Divine Comedy (can barely believe this one but he's all over this album, easily the worst artist I've learned about through this process, two albums with no redeeming qualities, again - pretentious prick music) - Tom Waits (the godfather of this goofy cabaret stuff, he's got a cool voice but it's not enough to make me sit through the spectacle, couple decent albums though) - Scott Walker (the first artist on this list to get a true 1 star review from me, he redeeemed himself elsewhere but good lord that album sucked) So I guess this album is like the Avengers but for hoity-toity musicians that I can't stand. Seriously, this list of artists is collectively responsible for EIGHT of my (only) 27 albums to get a 1 star review. Check my summary page, their names are almost all in my "Worst Artists" list. I'm honestly impressed. If only they squeezed in a Dagmar Krause feature. I'm keeping two tracks for posterity, but this is going in the dumpster where it belongs. Punishing piss. Favorite tracks: Passionate Fight, Scoop J (actually a cool song). Album art: White woman in black trenchcoat, standing by an industrial silo or tank of some kind. Is this the terrible music factory? That looks like their employee list there. 1/5
Sounds like a boring musical.
Not good
I know by now that this style of crooning baroque pop inspired by the likes of Scott Walker is right up my alley, even arguably a guilt pleasure, thanks to Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy. Hell, right before I generated this album I was checking out an album by them that I had never listened to before, so it is almost like destiny, even to the point where you can tell that a lot of the songwriting was done by Hannon himself, as if Ute Lemper's voice was used as a vessel for him and many other artists to try out cabaret, or bring themselves into a different perspective. I actually surprisingly quite enjoyed Costello's additions, as the pop-ier sound was a nice change of pace, and I wish they were a bit more spread out, because I was seeking shelter by the end from the musical theater displayed in front of me by the end of the album. I mean, Tom Waits also had some great additions, and whenever Neil was actually singing on one of his songs it was a blast, even if he felt like he was making fun of his own singing voice at times, but forty minutes in the album seemed ready to wrap up. Luckily, Scott Walker himself comes out of nowhere to deliver one of the darkest sounding songs I've heard from this subsection of music. It's repetitive, long, and droning, but God does it send shivers down my spin and feel like it is the perfect stop to the album. The first half of the album is truly amazing, though, with some pieces from everyone that are truly great, especially the Nick Cave tune that is undoubtedly, well, Nick Cave, but in the best of ways. Sure, the album can be seen as not really Lemper's, and that can cause it to feel like a fish out of water situation where I can't imagine too many who listen to this get what they want, but I feel this fits me just right, and is just as much of a force of nature as any of the albums of those who appear here alongside Lemper, and that makes me glad I got to check it out.
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
Its fine... sounds like German Björk without the electronics. Nothing interesting on here but its not actively bad to listen to.
This has a Tom waits song on it so I thought I’d take this as a chance to apologize for giving bone machine a 4, but I’ll save that for one of his own. Is this really bad… Honestly I need to give out more 1s sooooooo
Kissy
Doesn't the guy who made up this list owe us SOME kind of explanation? If he offered a few words about each one, maybe people would not be so pissed off and puzzled. Come on, man.
OK, this was unexpected. A German music theater kid who did the localized singing dubs for Disney's Little Mermaid & Hunchback, doing avant-garde orchestral pop numbers with an operatic voice, including lines like "If sex were an Olympic sport, we'd have won the gold." The last track in particular is nearly 11m of what sounds like a literal train wreck w/ an off-key ambulance siren blaring over a dissonant orchestra (sounds like when my kid opens up the digital piano, sets it to "strings," and then leans on as many keys as possible at the same time.), interspersed with haunting piano tri-tones that would fit right into the Severance soundtrack. Probably not something I'd choose to listen to, but kudos for actually pushing musical boundaries on this list & not just shoving another 900 Neil Young & other generic classic rock albums down our throats.
Ehhh.. it's fine but it's very theatrical and just .... eh.... musical theatrey.
The back story and cast list made this sound interesting, if not amazing. But it's basically the German Elaine Paige. Brecht never sounded so banal.
Punishing listen, more like. Far too bombastic. It fails to achieve the ambition it so clearly wants. Apologies, but I've neveer understood the joke of Divine Comedy. They are a joke, right?
Very theatrical. You have to admire the talent.
Fallegt, einvala lið sem kemur að tónlistinni.
Not my thing but didn't totally hate it.
When I saw that this record involved the Divine Comedy I rolled my eyes and knew that I was gonna be in for a bad time. The rest of Ute Lemper's collaborators weren't any better, it's as if the 'nightmare blunt rotation' meme made its way to music-making. It's cool that you guys can sing dramatically but my goodness. As the last seconds of the last track (which was 10 whole minutes, like a final piece of torture from Lemper), trickled down, I breathed a sigh of relief and prayed that Ute Lemper would never make another apperance on this list.
Last song was too weird. Album was interesting though, very theatrical
Hum ja, wat is dit nou weer voor interessantdoenerij? Een soort poging tot de sfeer van een Berlijnse nachtclub in de jaren twintig, het is verzorgd gemaakt, en ze heeft ook nog eens Nick Cave uitgenodigd (of iemand die daarop lijkt). Maar weet je wat? Het laat me eigenlijk allemaal koud. Ze klinkt als de vrouwelijke schurk in een Disney-film. Kan ik niks mee.
Toegegeven. Dit biedt variatie. Elk nummer weet me op een andere manier op mijn zenuwen te werken. Soms moet ze even kracht bij zetten met geschreeuw, soms maakt ze het extra saai. Of zeurend met van die laaaaaannnnnggggeee lettergrepen.
Verzameling covers verpakt in een soort van musicalsetting. Als iemand dan ongelooflijk goed kan zingen, kan ik er soort van nog wel naar luisteren. Maar haar accent is niet perfect en ze heeft een scherp randje. Het is een soort Duitse kruising tussen Bette Midler en Grace Jones ofzo. Ik begrijp ook niet wat dit in deze snoblijst doet. Of is dit het allerbeste wat de musicalwereld te bieden heeft? Ik geloof er niks van. Volstrekt onnodig dit. En ik vind er ook weinig aan. Ik zou er misschien best een 2 voor kunnen geven, maar ik geef een strafpunt omdat dit wel in de snoblijst staat en Mezzanine niet.
Not at all enjoyable to listen to. Just awful
It's not even worth talking about sadly. I know we're supposed to be expanding our horizons here but some are just really bad choices.
This album is good. It’s easy listening. I doubt I will listen again, but it’s good.
Boy oh boy did I totally hate this.
Bored
I don't understand what's going on, nor do I want to!
I assume people felt about this album the way I feel about Lump when it first came out.
Not really my cup of tea, but it's interesting and grand in places. It has a mix of cabaret and modern sounds with a dark and moody vibe. Kinda theatrical. It's a decent listen if you like a blend of classic and contemporary music.
No thanks. 1/5
разъебный разъеб
В 2000-ых выпустить кабаре? Ну, сильно Вообще не покидало чувство, что я слушаю российскую эстраду и премию золотой граммофон на Английском А оркестр кайф Алкоальбом: шампанское и голубой огонек на новый год
This one really confused me. It was well produced and the storytelling was well done, but I had no idea how to approach the cabaret style of music. I definitely found myself warming up to it by the end, and I am very glad to have listened to this because I never would have otherwise, but at the end of the day, it’s just not for me
This was pretty great. Teutonic balladry working with some of the best songwriters of the time (and Elvis Costello).
I really tried.
what
Why is this record so hated on? It's a little bit dated in its production, but the performance and arrangements are glorious!
When this came up I thought "Jim, you're going to hate this". And then I said "No Jim, don't judge a book by it's cover" Turns out my initial judgement was correct. However because I am reserving my single star ratings for the truly truly awful, i'm giving it 2. But I did not like it.
Not a super huge fan of this one. I can appreciate it’s well done, it’s just not my style. It feels like something I’d hear in a coffee shop in a hotel lobby.
p869. 2000. 2 stars. Sounds like the original cast recording from a failed Edinburgh Fringe musical. Massively disappointing when you consider the song writing talent (Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello). And she has an annoyingly strident voice. Bonus point for being in tune.
First listen Saved 2/12 Top track: The Case Continues
A good background album.
i dreaded this when i saw it but a couple of tunes turned out to be okay
Honestly, oddly enjoyable. I saw the negative reviews and feared the worst, but it was fun. The whole cabaret vibe is a bit cheesy, but it's endearing, too. The whole thing is played off well and I found myself enjoying it as long as I didn't think too much about it.
I’m starting to learn that I’m pretty disinterested in most things by the gang of people on this album that keep popping up
There’s a surprising amount of German cabaret music on this list. This isn’t the only artist on the list to cover old German songs. French songs too. This album also has songs by Elvis Costello (I like him but those songs felt boring) and Tom Waits (you can hear his style even with another singer) among others I was less familiar with. I liked some songs more than others and Ute Lemper has a nice voice. But this felt pretty niche to me. Not essential listening and not my taste. It’s too dramatic and stage-y for me.
Very ambitious album with interesting tones, performances, and personnel involved. Usually corny or cheesy music doesn't bother me; like I can listen to a lot of cringey genres of music and not be bothered by them, but the overall vibe of this one feels a bit too much. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what's making me dislike it, like the second track is this big huge cinematic track with intrigue all around it, but then you get a lyric like: "If sex were an Olympic sport we'd have won the gold" and I can't help but groan in discomfort. I think it's the vocal performance that is throwing me off. It feels at times like broadway musical music where the performer's character is playing "the cool antagonist". Third track in and it's even more apparent and forced. I just can't get past that. Atleast the music is cool!
It's like she's trying to be Bjork and Joanna Newsom at the same time, and failing at both.
I did not like this
1.5 min in and I'm already hating :( This is like if Phantom of the Opera was bad and sexual? 1/5 would not listen again
Not my style, but she can sing.
A haunting, beautiful, theatrical album. It's not my cup of tea, but i think all our parents would really enjoy it.
This is some beautiful melodic rock. I can see this as a precursor to bands like Evanescence.
Punishing Kiss had all the makings of a thrilling musical endeavour, boasting a line-up of esteemed songwriters whose work I deeply admire. However, upon delving into the album, I encountered a rough listening experience. The heavy influence of Edith Piaf's style dominated the sound, diverging sharply from my personal musical preferences. Despite the evident polish in production and commendable musicianship, each track seemed to blend into the next, lacking the distinctiveness I had anticipated. Devotees of Edith Piaf and aficionados of traditional French chanson may find solace in this album's nostalgic embrace. However, for those seeking a departure from such stylings, Punishing Kiss may fall short of expectations. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None
I remember that I liked some of Lemper's songs some 30 years ago, when she became widely known for her roles in some big musical productions. This album on the other hand is somehow dull.
That was certainly a lot of fun. Cool epic closing track as well.
Sounds like a musical I'd never watch. Kinda like it, kinda not.
This album screams 1980s Broadway, which for someone not inundated daily with Broadway may be appealing. I just couldn’t get into it. Her voice…well, actually, all the music feels too over dramatic for my tastes. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie, except a post-retirement Sciatica and Glaucoma eating at Denny’s at 430pm James Bond…
I thought I would hate this after the first song but I kinda enjoyed it. Euro-sex and Euro-noir? Yes please! Concept album! Hell yes! Cool artist guests? Oh yeah! First and last tracks are drags. Really liked “The Case Continues”. Best line on the album: “If sex was an Olympic sport, we’d have won gold” Split was good too and it should have ended with the James Bond-esque sounding “You Were Meant For Me”. Btw - never heard of Ute or this album before.
Nogle sange havde næsten James Bond titelsang kvalitet, andre var bare transportsange, som skulle lede dig videre til næste. Om end meget bedre end jeg frygtede da jeg så artisten hed Ute :)
Okay... Det her var en meget positiv overraskelse. Det er ikke fordi det er banebrydende, men bare virkelig godt håndværk! Stryger arrangementer, og kæmpe lydflader, drama og teater. Jeg svævede direkte igennem hele albummet uden at føle det blev kedeligt. Sejt nok!
Jeg har meget svært ved at se hvad dette album laver på listen. Hvorfor skal man høre disse uinteressante coverversioner? Kvaliteten er ikke musikalsk fantastisk. Og jeg har svært ved at se hvad dette album har bidraget musikverdenen med.
super easy listening, unique voices, and beautifully crafted from beginning to end. kind of listened in the background, so i can't give it 5.
one of those haunting and cinematic albums. kind of like if leonard cohen was a woman. pretty cool though
2 stars. not my fav.
A melodramatic journey through a selection of songs by artists I don’t really like. The orchestra music is pretty good, lots of great string tracks on here, but anytime anybody is singing I was just annoyed. Also, it feels weird to include a album full of covers on this list. Mostly cover albums don’t bother me from earlier singers like Sinatra and Elvis, but by this time it feels like we need to be including original material.
There are points at which this album promises a lot, but what it giveth it taketh away again with interest. I don't mind the oddness of the album - the cabaret style does work with some songs, especially the Costello ones, but several tracks are painfully bad. Not for me I'm afraid.
"If sex was an Olympic sport / We'd have won the gold" is where I noped out.
Overall, I quite like this. At it's best it's theatrical and very dramatic. Lots of people are hating on this, but I'd way rather listen to something like this than some insipid, safe pop album. This one at least swings for the fences a little bit and is doing something interesting. Funnily enough, the tracks I like the least are where other artists are involved that I'm not particularly a fan of.
Okay album, great voice by Ute, some very interesting guests on the album, but it definitely wasn't something spectacular. Just not a type of a record I would like to listen to.
This is definitely not my scene, but I appreciate the musicianship on this album. It's a little too torch for me. Lemper has a good voice, and she seems to have no problem singing in 5/4 time or a swung waltz along with many others.
This teeters between meh and bad.
A good vocal album, but that’s not really my thing.
This reminds me of the worst Bond songs. But worse.
Musical theater crossover? Ughhhhh no thank you.
meh, i can see the talent for sure, just not into cabaret
I had to stop before the lobotomy took full hold.
taka troche muzyka filmowa, babka spiewa w musicalach, w Chicago miala "All that Jazz" ktorego w tym albumie nawet nie ma, nie wiem dlaczego niby ktos mialby tego albumu sluchac
tries to be baroque, but ends up being just too much and sometimes even comical. there's a few very good songs
Заебался бля слушать женщина чето там поет себе под нос бля 4/10
Meh. Lobby jazz.
The musicians are good on this album, but what are we doing here? Any idea? Me neither.
How and why did we get here? This could have easily been avoided.
Not my cup of tea
holy fuck
I was expecting this to be a 4 star but alas it didn’t quite make it. I love the lyrics and story telling, it’s the closest something has gotten to Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds musically without being Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds. Favourite track: Die Dreigroschenoper Tango Ballet.
On dirait une comédie musicale sombre dont je ne serais pas allé si on ne m'avait pas invité. Plutôt mélodieux par moments avec le piano et le violon (?). Pas mon type.
I didn’t like it at first but it grew on me. I’m still not sure why it’s here when there’s so many more impactful broadway recordings and this was nothing new in 2000
Very different from the other albums on here. Very broadway-esque. Enjoyed it
Great voice.
A collaboration between German musicals singer Ute Lempur and The Divine Comedy, with contributions of songs by other artists including Nick Cave. It has pedigree. The end result is quite nice, whimsical, easy listening music, which given the two main artists involved, shouldn't be surprising. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Little Water Song Date listened: 24/04/24
Pretty boring. I was not interested but it did not make me angry.
Something a bit different but still kind of meh.
Spooky and theatrical. I liked it, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it
I just didn’t find this very compelling. Her voice is great, but I thought it was kind of flat and boring and all the songs were a bit too theatrical for my taste
Interesting, not that I would prescribe a daily dose, but for something out of the ordinary, it was interesting.
What the fuck is an Ute Lemper? What the fuck is this music?
I understand why this album is divisive here. It’s a shamelessly theatrical chamber/avant-pop record that pulls from French chanson, cabaret, and classical. The songwriting bona fides are quite impressive and I get a distinct melancholy feel to this album. The lyrics are often dark and portray humanity at its most raw. I’m reminded of Lou Reed’s Berlin both lyrically and musically. Though it is a touch dated and perhaps a song or two too long, it was still a fascinating album.
I’m so surprised by this. I expected to hate it, but I really enjoyed it. A lot of the reviews are right, that it sounds like James Bond music, or the soundtrack to a musical, but this is a musical I’d like to see. I don’t know what it was about this album, but I’m into it. 8/10 Top 3: 1. Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad 2. Little Water Song 3. Streets of Berlin
classical (sinatra) woman singer. pretty good
Cinematic, dark, captivating.
Interesting Cabernet style music. Wouldn’t listen to it often but was interesting and she has a very talented voice.
Passionate voice, brought me in
3 songs by Elvis Costello (6 albums on this list) 2 songs by Nick Cave (4 albums on this list) 1 song by Tom Waits (5 albums on this list) I suspect Ute Lemper is really behind this book, and she sneakily inserted her own mediocre album in to the list. I WILL get to the bottom of this. The case continues... 🔎
Interesting
If I could give this 0 stars, I would
I hate this kind of sensual female singer, triggers my PTSD. Listens: 1 “Fave” Track: The Case Continues Rating: 1
It's giving depressed James Bond lounge singer.
I feel like I should like this given some of the talent involved. Unfortunately rather than hitting any heights this just sounds like background music in a cafe.
Another strange out of the blue genre. Sounds like the soundtrack to a stage musical. Very dramatic expressive vocal works
3.75
no thanks. 1/5
Dark and moody but not that memorable
Divine Comedy aside, real stacked crew of collaborators on here that did not end up making an album that I liked whatsoever. Glad Tom Waits and Nick Cave had fun I guess.
Weird avante-pop mixed. Didn’t really vibe.
puf, menudo rollazo. Por los nombres de los autores pintaba bien, pero ...
What a top tier lineup! Incredible voice, amazing composition, what's not to love.
Ute is a fine vocalist, but I don't like the songs she's singing - the album is a lot like watching a Broadway musical from behind a post. A big post.
I hated it, but also - I respect it.
So...THREE days after remarking that I hadn't heard any theatrical German women in this project after 900 albums, I get to hear another? Yay!
Has it gotten a bit dramatic recently? Not that there is anything wrong with that happening…
I'm pleasantly surprised to see this here, hot on the heels of Dagmar Krause's Tank Battles just a few days ago. I picked up Punishing Kiss on CD about 20 years ago, not knowing much about it --- I knew a bit about Lemper's theater credits and was intrigued to hear her collaborate with Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Philip Glass, and Tom Waits. (I didn't know The Divine Comedy and Scott Walker at the time but thanks to this project I do now!) Lemper is a great singer with incredible range and a flair for dramatics. The album feels dark and a little creepy and definitely worth its place on this list.
Really terrific! Ute Lemper’s interpretation of these songs had me entranced. Yet another album I likely would never have encountered but for this project.
Painful getting through this, which I couldn't.
dark and atmospheric. emotive and powerful voice. very much reminded me of a female version of nick cave. consider me intrigued.
Why is this a MUST?
Not for me
Like listening to a broadway musical. Not my thing.
Fell asleep while listening, which tells the story. Those duets with Kurt Weill (correctly pronounced vile) are a special torture.
A wailing woman. I’m not into it
Not really for me. Gonna go 2/5
Never heard of Ute. Notes hit sharp in the first track. Sounds like a cross between Barbara Streisand and Tori Amos. I see a lot of comparisons to Edith Piaf in notes. I get the overwhelming artistry in her work and that of the talent featured in the songs. I just don’t enjoy this. Feels overblown and too operatic without caring about the characters, like a Vegas or Lido show. If I want a dramatic German operatic experience, I’ll listen to Janelle Monet.
It’s definitely theater kid music but i mean that in the best way possible. Not exactly for me, but I appreciate it musically and will revisit one day.
Þetta er alveg ljómandi plata, sérstaklega þegar hún er að vinna með Neal Hannon eða syngja Elvis Costello. Og lokalagið er mjög töff. Nick Cave lagið í upphafi mætti missa sín. Má mæla með.
This so strange and so fun to listen to. German stage legend Ute Lemper recruited an avengers squad of her alt-lounge songwriter bros to provide covers for a frothy, raunchy, funny, and violent modern cabaret. There's almost as much drama as a Metallica album, but she's leaning into the camp on a song like "Die Dreigonschenoper" a duet about a couple missing that old whore house where they used to live. "The Part You Throw Away" and "Purple Avenue" are stand outs, both Tom Waits covers.
A medieval gothic vibe to this one. Didn't care for it much at first but it did grow on me. Can't deny Ute has some chops, even if I don't necessarily want to listen to it again. 3.5
Super lovely!!
This was a weird experience. Clearly she is a good singer, and I like some of the music in the background, but I never felt comfortable listening to it. It leaves me feeling odd. I get the feeling there's more to dig into here, but I don't really want to.
Really special, and interesting this one. A melting pot of indiepop, classical music, Celtic folk, cabaret. Not sure if I get it, but it is nevertheless appealing in a Strange wa.
ouuuuuuuuuu well not my thing i’ll say that nuch
Again, another low rated album that is nowhere near as bad as the ratings on this website would have you believe. I didn’t mind this. It’s nice and theatrical, and has a strong cabaret flavour, mixed with faux John Barry/James Bond musical arrangements. Camp, but never completely jumps the shark. Yeh, this was alright.
C'était peut-être le seul mannequin allemand à qui c'était pas trop une mauvaise idée de mettre un micro entre les mains, par opposition totale à un autre dont le pseudonyme commence par Ni et finit par co. Dites-nous tout le mal que vous pensez des albums de Nico sur robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com
Un bel album commémoratif, retraçant le générateur a travers plusieurs de ses artistes les plus mémorables. On y retrouve par exemple la fraude Costello, le professionnel du stand up Tom Waits, le dépressif Nick Cave sans ses mauvaises graines, le faux Charles Aznavour en la personne de Scott Walker, et notre chouchou The Divine COmedy surnageant parmi tous ces artistes moyens. L'occasion de vous rappeler que la lutte anti-Costello bat son plein, n'hesitez pas à vous abonner à la newletter robertestleperedemikeladd@gmx.com
Not at all likeable.
Pretty good. A musical feel to it; enjoyable, smooth songs with gritty subject matters.
It's a cover album with 3 original songs. I think they wanted to include some German music. They obviously didn't know much German music and opted for a collaboration with someone they did know. I wanted to give it 1 star, but it's too well crafted. This definitely doesn't belong on the list.
Starts out well, cabaret pop, very atmospheric, but eventually vanishes up its own rear end.
So chill… not sure what inspires such indignance in so many users here. The Scott Walker composition was a nice suprise!
Bruh
Outstanding music, not sure about the 'winning gold in the sex olympics' though.... Hilariously I just looked up who did the theme for the IT Crowd today because of someone commenting on an IT Crowd meme I did on the Talking Heads page that it sounded like Gary Numan. It was Neil Hammon, who participated in this album (including the 'sex olympics' song). HAHAHA
Vocally driven music isn't my jam, but interesting collection of collabs
Not at all my style, however very nice voice
Gear: Dunu SA6 Mix: anwesend Musik: lächerlich überdramatische Vocals garniert mit der Instrumentierung eines drittklassigen James Bond-Films aus dem Giftschrank (soll da bitte bleiben) Wertung: 🎭(🎭)/5
There is a campily odd presence to this album that I felt bordered on parody. Which comes off well, if that's what was intended. Otherwise, Elis Costello and Cait O'Riordan contributing on the title track is all it has going for it.
Sounds like a bunch of songs that didn't make the cut for the latest James Bond movie. Not terrible really, but I don't want to hear more than one at a time.
Remember when Jan wrote that song for Hunter on The Office? This is that, but an entire album.
This felt like female nick cage music which makes sense given that he was a featured artist. Gonna get the same rating as average nick cage stuff too. Fav song was the Beth gibbons song that came on after the album ended.
Well this was a strange journey. I pulled the plug multiple times, assumed it was a 1. But then somehow later ended up listening through and even briefly considered a 5. What is this anyway? Is it supposed to be an opera somehow? A musical? I took away 2 things - one part of a song reminded my of a James Bond romance soundtrack, like perhaps after he defeats Dr. No and is snogging out at sea in Her Majesty's rescue raft while the evil island explodes in the background. The other take away is I haven't listened to any good tangos in a while, and I should.
Really insane album, this. Not actually sure if I loved it or hated it. Unlikely I will listen again, but it will occupy a space in my brain forever.
Ridiculously awful. Each song worse than the last. I now know what a 1 sounds like. Wish I could rate 0 though.
You know that kill bill 2 movie where she gets buried alive and uses her 1 inch punch against the inner coffin and eventually escapes after hours of relentless grueling effort …
"Wanna listen to some edgy tunes by the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits?" "Yeah" "Want me to do the songs in the style of showtunes?" "No" "Very well, 5,6,7,8!" "Wait...Stop."
2.5
Showtunes.
I could not get through this one. A lot of skipping through parts of songs. Definitely not my type of music.
Not a fan....at all!
It's like a soundtrack from a bad musical you were forced to watch in middle-school. I don't get it.
Not for me
Chill, un peu space aussi, je l'écouterais pas tous les jours mais c'est certainement de la bonne musique
Couldn't get into this at all. Is the show tunes?
The curator of "1001 Albums" must love a German cabaret album. Some of the songs are pop-y enough -- almost borderline Bjork/Tori Amos -- but it doesn't quite deliver. You can hear Waits & Costello come through in their songs, although I'd rather hear them sing it. 2.8
This is the first album from the list to confuse me. It's like cabaret tunes written by your goth friend. It's smart, depressive, very over the top, and pretty interesting, in certain ways. That said, even after finishing it, I have no idea if it's meant to be taken seriously, as campy fun, or somewhere in between.
One of the things I enjoy about this little project is getting these out of the blue genres that I'd never have picked on my own. Cabaret singer doing Nick Cave and Tom Waits? Heck sure, why not. It's pretty good! I don't know if I'll ever have the desire to listen to it again -- but if one of these tunes comes up on shuffle, I'm not hitting FF. Unexpected bangers: Tango Ballad, Split
I don't know what to make of this album. It's kind of like a compilation of Broadway-style songs featuring different vocalists. I was sort of surprised to see this was from 2000 for some reason. I don't really know who the intended audience for this record would have been at that time. I mean there are some cool songs here but I guess I don't really get why it was made. It sort of seems like these songs were all cast offs from failed Broadway shows and they just lumped them all together. It was interesting to listen to, not offensive in any way, flowed well from one to the next, but I won't be listening to this album again. 2.5/5 rounding up to 3.
Wat een zeikstem. Die dreigroschopener is al helemaal matig met die vage tekst. Met moeite afgeluisterd allemaal. Tussen 1 en 2 sterren
Wat kut
Ja nee he
Why is an album of unremarkable covers something you must listen to before you die? What’s worse is that they are songs by Elvis Costello and Tom Waits
It’s ok I guess, if you don’t like music
I couldn't find that album. On Spotify, it was greyed out, on AM, YTM, Tidal, and Deezer it wasn't there.
Some excellent tracks, would be a 4 but not so keen on a couple of the latter tracks.
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
I guess the actual music is okay but the vocals are way too dramatic. Yikes.
Think a German Streisand
Never heard of this lady or album so was interested to hear the album through without any preconcieved ideas. I’ve recently got into smooth type jazz and bought albums by Diane Krall and Norah Jones etc so hoped this album would live up to them. It failed miserably I’m afraid. To my ears just MOR muzak. Type of thing I believe (but never experienced) your host would put on in the background at dinner parties. This would give me stomach cramps!
This album is just silly. Trying to sound artsy and just silly. ‘If sex were an Olympic sport, we would win the gold ‘? Please
Sometimes you are just not in the mood for certain types of music. I'm afraid this was the case for me when I listened to this one. Although I appreciate the artistry of this album, it was too morose for me to really enjoy it and I found myself looking forward to it ending. Given that feeling I can't give this one a good rating. The vagaries of rating by committee.
There must be a message here. A meaning. A reason. Is it code? Is she a spy? Nobody puts this on simply for their listening pleasure. I’m going with soundtrack to a play that i can sleep thru. At times, pretty. Most times, weird.
So here's an idea, let's take some of the most dynamic and interesting artists of the late 20th century and make them sing boring show tunes. This sucks. The only interesting thing is that somehow Ute Lemper convinced a bunch of super talented musicians to agree to work on this project. 3/10
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.
Every song sounds like a musical. Some are pretty good.
Blech Broadway sounding covers. None of this works. Terrible.
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
A good voice, but the album just seemed very overwrought.
Ute obviously has singing and performing talent. And while a lot of the lyrics and subject matter were entertaining, cabaret/lounge performances are just not my thing. Props to her, but…
It's all right I suppose - maybe for COC?
Not my jam
This is awful!! I would like her voice, but the songs are so terrible that I can’t even enjoy the timbre and tone of her voice.
I really wanted to like this. So many artists featured who I adore. I also recognize that Ute is very skilled within her genre. I wish I liked this it just feels too Jessica Rabbit. I can’t get into it.
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.
Just really not my vibe
duplicate
Not a great listen
Too odd
Track 2 is like if a committee of Germans wrote a Bond theme
3.5
Broadway in the 60's comes to mind combined with music from James Bond themes of the 60's! Makes me also think of Liza Minelli and to some degree Barbara Streisand (although not as talented). This is not my thing, decent to good songs but not great interpretations. Really difficult listen. Favorite Song: Couldn't You Keep that to Yourself Rating: 1
Welcome to dinner theatre! Tonight's performers are covering a wide variety of songs from masterful songwriters and musicians. Unfortunately, they will be performed in an extremely corporate-y, uninspired and hammy way, almost as if performed for the soundtrack of a knock-off James Bond film. Scope J was interesting, but at that point I was too many drinks at a cabaret in Vegas to care.
Münster representation! This album is an odd choice. Shmaltzy and very dated covers of some (mostly) excellent songs. Pure Grammy bait if you ask me. But also: there's something quintessentially German about the way high camp is presented so seriously. It's very competent, but artless, kind of inoffensive to a fault. I'm not feelin' it! Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad actually made me feel like I was losing my mind. 😵💫 Favourite track: Passionate Fight, Couldn't You Keep That To Yourself, Scope J
3*
This album had two flavours - cheesy hammy slop, and the low effort live stuff they used to play at a restaurant I used to work at. I hated that job. I think I'm hungry.
unexpected
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
Starts strong but really drones on after a while. I wanted to like this and just couldn't quite get there. Felt like a poor man's Bjork or Rasputina. Better in small doses, one song at a time. 2 stars
2/5 nope...
Impressive roster of writers, but her delivery grates on my nerves. She sings those songs but she doesn't immerse herself in them, she's just so... distant. All it made me wish was to hear these compositions made by the actual writers. The Scott Walker one is bonkers though.
It doesn't matter how many big names you put on the cover, nobody cares about this.
All this work, all these collaborators, all this instrumentation, all this deployment... for so little feelings. It's impressive how I felt nothing while listening to this. Really impressive.
Sounds like someone gave your drunk aunt who thinks she is a cougar a microphone.
This best can be described as adequate performances of off-Broadway songs that never will be sung again. But considering the notable collaborators, I can only assume that each artist offered up songs that everyone else had rejected first. It's not that the songs are bad, its just that they are pretty nondescript. And the arrangements weigh too heavy on a calliope of sounds that you would expect from an off-Broadway play. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
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.
I have no idea why this album exists with the people who exist on it. A bunch of great songwriters who helmed songs for this singer who must be famous for some reason? It is very dramatic/theatrical. Ute's got a good voice which fits that style though. I like the case continues (specifically that trippy string part in the chorus). There's some jazzy elements throughout the record (passionate fight) but then it also at times sounds like it may have been produced by a massive attack style band with the dark electronics. It is a little much to be honest.
One of the most aptly titled albums ever?
This was completely rubbish and awful music. So incredibly boring.
I had hopes that this Lemper lady could play balance to the other names on the liner notes but this was exactly as bad as I feared it would be given the "talent" that got their hands on it. It's every bit as pretentious as a Glass joint, as fake as a Costello joint, bland as a Divine Comedy joint, and the lyrics reek of self-important nonsense like every Waits or Cave joint. It's like a who's who of my worst-rated albums. So, yeah. I hated it.
This is kind of bonkers - overblown show versions of songs with the madcap backing of the Divine Comedy.
She has a nice enough voice. The music is well played and arranged. And yet, this stinks. Comes together like bad Broadway. Why was this made? I will never listen to this again. Cannot get through a whole song. This is not good.
December 16, 2023
The reason why Björk’s music is so interesting is her voice. It is more often than not the most engaging part of one of her songs. The same can be said for this album. I had never heard of her up until today, but Ute’s voice instantly stood out as one of the most commanding and enrapturing I’ve ever heard. This album is cool. Like physically cold. It feels chilling and heartless. But also sleek. Like a thrilling espionage movie. Some songs like Streets of Berlin or the closer contain this inhuman machine-like sound quality. But this is still very rooted in experimental baroque and classical music. The best songs are the ones written by Neil Hannon. But really, the amount of huge talents that are credited here is remarkable. The only songs I didn’t like were the ones done by Tom Waits. Not because I don’t like his music or anything, I just found those to be the least interesting. Rating: 9/10
Punishing Kiss? This can’t be good. And the cover art? Not a promising sign. How did it chart? #104 on the UK albums chart, nothing elsewhere. But maybe the music will be a pleasant surprise. Nope. At best this comes off as the score to an off broadway drama. Or perhaps the soundtrack to a 2nd wave animated full length movie…. But not up to Disney’s level. Something deep and dark, exploring the depths of the dark human spirit…. But animated. You know, the dark dichotomy of a “Punishing Kiss”. I guess there are people who like this stuff, but I’m not one of them. The vocals are “overacted”, as the singers seem to try and REALLY stress the seriousness of the lyrics. And the lyrics are pedestrian, at best. Musically, it’s well recorded, clean, lots of instrumentation. But the overall impression is as overblown as the vocal stylings. It all takes itself so very, VERY seriously. I like the MNE reviewer who called this “madly irritating, written-to-order art-school digression.” I don’t know, maybe it’s just all too deep for me, but this just leaves me cold. I don’t give many 1’s, but this gets one. I didn’t hate it, but the whole thing irritated me, and by the the time the last 10+ minute song started, irritation was approaching “pissed off”. So I bailed. 1/5
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
Didn't make it far but really liked nothing about this.
Ute Lemper has a beautiful voice and when paired with the writing of Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Phillip Glass, and many more legends, there are some interesting songs on here. That being said, the songs are pretty slow and long. I’m not sure I’ll ever pop this on again, but there was some enjoyment to be had.
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.
One time I listened to Idina Menzel perform random songs in a park. This album is like if that performance and Astrud Gilberto's Beach Samba had a baby. A very boring baby. I would love to know how exactly this album came to be. Who decided this was a good idea? This album is getting worse the deeper I get. I give up, I will not be listening to the final 4 minutes of the last song.
Not good.
In theory, this was right up my street. I used to love the Brecht/Weill music and play it an awful lot. I had an otter Lempa album when I was younger. I have a dim recollection of seeing her perform somewhere as well. I also love the divine comedy and the people she was collaborating with on here like Elvis Costello. However, I was presuming the music was going to be as inflamed as I was but actually added up to less than some of its parts. It didn’t hit any mark. Much as the divine comedy style was recognisable, and the Utah voice was all there it just didn’t pack a punch or have that passion, and grit that I was expecting. Nice to have the variety though on this list.
It was fine. Her voice was fine, the songs were fine, the arrangements and music, all fine. But I listened to it twice and I still don’t care about it.
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.
Good recordings. Totally not my bag.
Wish I had a better musical vocabulary to describe why I don't think this is worth being on the list. Sub-par show tune-style production and songs. By the time I got to the last couple of songs even my dog looked up at me with eyes that said "make it stop." Just to see if she was better in German, I listened to two cabaret songs auf Deutsch. Nein. Nein. Nein.
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.
55/1001/. Man, I tried... I had to jump around from one bad 007 theme to another. Is this a serious album? Ute does have a talented voice... but - I cannot see how a producer didn't just say "What. Stop. Go Home"
Dramatic singing of covers in a german cabaret style, produced and coworked by the divine comedy. good stuff but very uneven
Didn't love this, she can sing tho, kinda felt like a film soundtrack but didn't really go anywhere
Yeah, this misses for me more than it hits. There's a few flashes of brilliance, but most of it feels over-the-top. I couldn't even finish the last song.
Not for me
3.5/5 wowzers those are some lyrics
Very hit or miss. Some songs truly resonated others very much didn’t. Ute’s voice is stunning and unique but the songs just don’t hit consistently enough. I don’t think this is something everyone would enjoy.
Entiendo que no todo tiene que ser rock, electronica y, ugh, country, pero no es algo que volvería a escuchar.
1.4 - on paper I should love this, but fucking hell I really just disliked it. Hate her voice and felt like it was meant for some musical film or something.
From the album description, I was expecting a sort of Femme fatale / trip-hop portishead vibe. That unfortunately was very far from the case. Felt very informal and chatty, boring and not very thought through, 2/5.
Damn. What a voice. I listened to a lot of musical theatre stuff as a kid, so this didn't put me off the album. The orchestration was so gorgeous, and melodically, it was interesting. This album isn't just for any occasion, but that's okay. A worthwhile listen for sure!
I don’t know that I had to listen to that before I die
Guff.
I don't think this album does her justice.
not for me 2/5
It feels like a compilation of mediocre songs from much better albums. Also very horny. Definitely did not need to be on this list