Reviews (page 7 of 7)
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 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
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”.
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.
Im Plattenladen würde ich vorbeigehen, hier auch.
Not my vibe.
Shite
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Please make it stop.
Complete dogshit
dogshit
Hard to tell when one song stopped and another started.
This did nothing for me.
Lol
No thanks.
Cannot play this album on Spotify and couldn't find this album on YouTube music. So, :shrug:
I did not need to listen to this before I died!
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
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.
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
No way
#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
I'm not sure what this is meant to be, but, it's not for me.
Less than elevator music-level dreck. She's got a nice voice though.
Excuse me, no.
Bro why is elevator music on this list
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.
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
There was some interesting arrangements and quite a list of collaborators. But it was still a load of crap. Sounds like a musical.
sucked. not my jam at all. 1.5/5
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.
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.
Wasn't able to get through this one.
What is this?!
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
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.
This was very hard work. Only saved marginally by Purple Avenue
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.
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
Who is this for? Musical theatre vibes to canned music.
Barely felt like I listened to it it was just not good
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
Boy oh boy did I totally hate this.
Bored
No thanks. 1/5
I really tried.
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.
First listen Saved 2/12 Top track: The Case Continues
It's like she's trying to be Bjork and Joanna Newsom at the same time, and failing at both.
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
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
"If sex was an Olympic sport / We'd have won the gold" is where I noped out.
This reminds me of the worst Bond songs. But worse.
Musical theater crossover? Ughhhhh no thank you.
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
Not my cup of tea
holy fuck
What the fuck is an Ute Lemper? What the fuck is this music?
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... 🔎
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
no thanks. 1/5
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.
Painful getting through this, which I couldn't.
Not at all likeable.
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
Remember when Jan wrote that song for Hunter on The Office? This is that, but an entire album.
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 …
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
Wat een zeikstem. Die dreigroschopener is al helemaal matig met die vage tekst. Met moeite afgeluisterd allemaal. Tussen 1 en 2 sterren
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
I guess the actual music is okay but the vocals are way too dramatic. Yikes.
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
Blech Broadway sounding covers. None of this works. Terrible.
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.
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
Sounds like someone gave your drunk aunt who thinks she is a cougar a microphone.
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.
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.
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.
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
Didn't make it far but really liked nothing about this.
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.
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"
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
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.
I don’t know that I had to listen to that before I die
Guff.
This one really does feel like a punishment to me. Can't even get to the end
Oof. Absolutely not. First album on here that I couldn't get through.
A bit too musical and dramatic singing to me.
Major “Miranda Sings” vibes but I don’t think she was trying to be funny. Wow. That was rough.
Ugh, this started off mediocre and quickly deteriorated to bad. I love musicals so this should be right up my alley but it is not. It sounds like a collection of musical numbers that got rejected from the good musicals. The songs are all over the place and I didn't think any of them were particularly good. "Tango Ballad" might have been the worst offender, where I needed to skip it due to the vocals. I initially thought "The Case continous" might be an ok number until the line "If sex was an olympic sport we would've won the gold" which is so cringy it sounds like something Zapp Branningan from futurama would say. The more I think about it the more confused I get about how this album made it on this list. Other one stars I've given have just not been my cup of tea or I could at least see they did something different. While this might not be as bad as other one star albums, and some songs are even ok, this is bland which might be worse than being bad and different.
Ugh! Shite! Who needs any form of talent eh? Middle class masterbation
I didn't really understand any of this
The Divine Comedy *and* Costello? This is going to be awful. ... Yep. Awful.
This was so up-its-own-ass it was crazy. Cabaret is a unique genre to cover on this list but maybe not be terrible?
This sounds like a Broadway musical gone wrong, terribly wrong. It's a shame because they had some interesting things going on.
Totally worthless and actively detrimental to music.
"I mean it's alright" - Cupcake Lover
😑
Alright, I was preparing to have to defend another record that you lot were overreacting to because it’s an atypical entry to the list and doesn’t fit neatly into some weird box of preconceived notions that you cling to. Then in the second track, this line: “If sex was an Olympic sport, we would have won the gold”. Add multiple songs from Elvis Costello and Tom Waits to the list and I’m left not seeing many redeemable qualities here. I’ll probably listen through to the Phillips Glass track, because I love me some minimalism, but after that, there’s no reason for me to continue. I’ll probably listen to Stereolab’s “Dots and Loops”, which should be on this list. Have I mentioned that before? Oh, yeah…only about 100 fucking times.
Well, that was……..interesting. Great voice but the whole album felt like a theatre person trying to sing their favourite songs their way. Extremely difficult to enjoy 2/10
Simply can't imagine a lifetime in which I must listen to this before I die.
#20: I don’t not like this. Its ok I guess, but not something I'll rush back to. Kind of boring with a beat. One of those records you see in market stalls that no body buys. The Case Continues was the best song for me.
boring elevator music, not even good singing, tough to get through even
Not for me. Beautiful voice and like Neil Hannon accompanying but its a fairly bland record.
Why? Why is this album included? It is not good. Is it because several other artists wrote songs for her to sing? It was a struggle. It didn't start off too bad but then it just got progressively weirder. Also no need for the super weird ten minute song at the end. Stay away.
Ugh.
Not for me
I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS
oh my god this was AWFUL. So theatrical and extra and genuinely I have no idea what I just listened to. This is one of the strangest albums and not in a good way.
Struggling very very hard to at least respect the time and effort involved in putting a grand package like this together ... ... ...ok no but the schmaltz is immeasurable and as I suffer very very slowly through song after song and try to find anything to enjoy I think "of course nick cave has *something* to do with this" albeit obliquely. It's ironic that I save my 1s for the unlistenable gargling-up-phlegm sounds of Nick Cave or low-fi talentless alt-hacks recording their angsty attitude on 4-tracks while middle aged white dudes from Chicago fall all over themselves writing 2000 words trying to explain to their co-worker in the food review department how this THIS is the past present and future of what music should be... ...have I gone off-track? I shouldn't feel bad - spend a million dollars on the greatest mixers/producers and musicians and this is the drek that's produced - it's actually quite hilarious. I won't put the punishment solely on Ute Lemper since she apparently didn't write them but these are some of the worst *songs* I've ever heard. #4 Tango Ballad I'm looking at you especially. This album makes me want to re-evaluate my interest in music altogether. This is tragically, shockingly, comically, and definitively awful. 1/10 1 star.
did you guys ever see "Loqueesha"? there's no reason you should. it's a very bad movie with a very bad premise. but, like, if you watch it (maybe because you, like me, are an appreciator of bad movies), you see that, despite having an awful script, no stars, and a terrible "actor" in the lead role ... the film still seems technically very competent. it's no Marvel movie, but it's far from "Birdemic" levels. it's well-lit, the sound is good, most of the side actors are better-than-local-theater quality. it's just inexplicable how such a terrible idea and lead performance somehow had enough money behind them to make the finished product a quality representation of the Extremely Bad Ideas that were behind the whole thing. so yeah. this album. I guess the main difference is that the presence of names like Nick Cave and Tom Waits mean that in my metaphor, the equivalent would be if Lars Von Trier and David Lynch got together to produce "Little Nicky." addendum: my god, this album is so bad without this Neil Hannon guy. and then it is SO MUCH WORSE when he appears.
Apparently, if you stand in front of the mirror and say "indulgent" three times, Ute Lemper appears and starts screaming this album in your ear.
Unlistenable. I can't Not my CUPPA
Bloody terrible! Best summed up by another review I saw, "sounds like the soundtrack to a musical I don't want to see."
not 4 me
It's not on Spotify but no bother, I can't stand this type of music. Best Tracks: No idea
Sounds like the Turner Classic soundtrack from a German band singer/ double spy type movie.
Not at all my thing 1/5
Got quickly bored by this. Most songs flirted with being good but just lacked something. An album with Nick Cave, Philip Glass, Tom Waits etc., should’ve been great. Instantly forgettable
Ute has a voice for stage musicals and most of these songs seem to have been written with this in mind. Largely reminded of me Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff which I can't stand so it was tough going. She has a good voice, quite like purple avenue which was mostly acoustic but the album is a 1 for me.
I've found this one hard to rate. It is a bit daft, and I don't like Ute's voice. There are glimmers of good stuff - I have a lot of time for the type of lyrical, story-telling songs but a lot of the lyrics are on the poor side, a bit on-the-nose. Considering the talent on the album (Divine Comedy!) I am disappointed. I am reviewing this late, and have to say I concur with the group. Would have given a 1.5 (rounded to a 2) if I hadn't read everyone else's reviews, but I did and I largely agree. 1.4.
Ute has a decent voice but I didn't particularly enjoy the album, it's not really my kind of music. Ending the album with a messy 11min song also left a sour taste. Highlights: The Case Continues You Were Meant For Me
Considering the names listed on this album, I thought this would be good. Not what I was expecting and did not enjoy it at all really. Not for me
Some of this should be good. But it wasn’t.
Not my type of voice. Too dramatic and theatrical. Sound not incarnated.
Second day in a row I've got an album that really makes me question what criteria was used to create this list. Again, not an album that I hate but it's an album of mostly cover songs (why would there be a cover album on here?) in an adult contemporary style. Not a fan of this one. Standout Tracks: N/A
Un mélange cabaret jazzy parfois assez désagréable. Une écoute assez pénible, terminée par un morceau de 12 minute affreux. Plus jamais ça.
Oh dear. No thank you "if sex were an olympic sport we'd have won the gold" Yes, I'm sure that's both true and something anyone wants to happen
Uh...
When you see a Decca label on a pop record you know you're in for trouble. Sort of styled like it's show tunes for mum's but not sure what mum would want to hear this. Awful.
Absolutely not for me. I can't imagine this being somebody's favourite album. I would not be their friend
Vermoeiend
Ik kende alleen All that jazz van haar van een ander album en dat verafschuwde ik al toen ik er op moest dansen tijdens toneel in vwo5. Was al bang voor de rest en dat heeft ze ook helemaal waargemaakt!! Echt holy shit na 3 nummers werd ik al manisch dus dikke vette 1
No thanks.
I was excited to see that she's covering songs by respectable artists such as Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Philip Glass, Tom Waits, Scott Walker and Kurt Weill. How could you miss right? It turns out she should have named the album Punishing Tripe instead. Gawd this was awful, pure dreck. The aforementioned artists should sue to have their names removed from the credits.
Happy when it was over
Ik kende dit niet en was echt benieuwd, maar amai, wat een verschrikkelijk album. Strontvervelend gewoon.
Overly dramatic
Sounds like a compilation of JRPG soundtrack songs through the years.
Not for me. Just a strange one. Listening to it made me feel like o was wearing skinny jeans after a meal and I am just in the train home looking forward to getting in and taking them off. That’s what this hour felt like to me and after the hour I threw a Christmas playlist on which in this scenario would be stretchy pyjama pants
I like art music but I fucking hate this.
I'm not sure why anyone would think you need to hear this album before you die. 1/5
not my vibe
I find this kind of saccharine high drama symphonic music really grating. Her voice dos nothing for me. I think this album may be geared toward the German Musical enthusiast set. The only thing worse are the terrible lyrics. Anything with Tom Waits association I always figured I would love, but I suppose rules are made to be broken. Blech. Excuse me while I bleach my earholes.
OMG I feel like I was dropped into a well of 3rd-rate musical actors performing for their selfie debut on MySpace. Cringy, as the kids say. No can do.
why? 1/5
Failed musical turned album
Really terrible! Couldn’t stand it, and have no idea why someone thinks this is one of the best albums ever.
I don't even know where to start with this album. Its just not good. How can you have this many people on an album and none of the songs are any good? Maybe im missing something here but this aint it. Also the last song is just awful. Tough listen 1/10
This type of cabaret music requires an acquired taste, I guess. I can't think of any reason for this album being in the 1001 albums list, other than the list of big names that were part of making this album.
Yo way too long and that was a baaaaaad date(?)
Cabaret music is not my thing.
The Case Continues caught my attention. For some reason that one stuck with me. But from there it was all downhill. Who would have thought collaboration with Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, and Tom Waits would just miss at every opportunity. Very disappointed.
(1.5) Ted!
Not very chic
Boooooring
Pretty shitty. The backing music was kind of great but wasted on these songs - the whole package was not convincing. Shannah - 0.25/5 Bill - 0.5/5 Conor - 1.75/5 0.83/5
what the fuck is this? i can't work it out. its like some 30s vera lynn but trying to disguise itself as modern and edgy by using names of popular sad singer songwriters. ether way its not listenable.
Fuck
not for me. couldn't get into it
Hmmm... a little weird... Reminds me a little bit of Bjork but without the good instrumentals and special something that Bjork's voice has. Midway through the first song I was already starting to get sick of her voice. Not good. To her credit, she seems to have mostly dropped the weird thing she was doing with her voice after the first song, but it's still just meh. Then the man's voice comes in and I... what's happening? What are these lyrics?
Nope, couldn’t enjoy this.
I made it through a few songs. She has some vocal talent and some big name collaborators but this was giving me a headache. Couldn't do it
Trash covers
The play count on Spotify at this time should have been warning enough, but alas, an attempt at being open-minded backfires. Perhaps a success in small circles, but no justifiable reason this review can conjure as to why a person should listen to this prior to leaving this mortal plane, except for an object lesson in what is bad. If one has proclivities to enjoying cabaret music, or storytelling through song without context, then this album could very well be the scratch on that itch. What this album is not though, is enjoyable, and perhaps because the genre/style is very specific. Ute Lemper and her guests on this album perhaps made an album only they would be interested in. Ute Lemper is a talented singer at times, but at others it is though she is impersonating a bad version of herself. Perhaps, this is the fault of the music being put to wordy stanzas that have no rhyme or reason, with fluctuating highs and lows that would never sound sensical in a song worth listening to vs. a song being played out a la theatre with accompanied visuals. While it may be considered a lack of imagination for those that might find this type of music exhilarating, the fault here is that the imagination lacks motivation. It is a chore to the mind, it is that excitement of a new food and moderate expectations that instead gets met with dislike. In fairness, "You Were Meant For Me" did make better use of melody and vocals, granting the type of repetition that makes music inclusive, but it ends there and is not enough to redeem the overall experience of this album as being anything other than dismal. The album very likely can find its appreciation in the world of cabaret, music theater, the niche elements of broadway entertainment, but that is it, and that is okay within those shared interests just not here.
Just terrible, i dont know how to describe it, lounge music mixed with showtunes?
Weird and terrible
Wow, this is ~VERY~ dramatic and bizarre. The highlight is the duet with the even more dramatic male singer where Ute gets nostalgic about being beaten and forced into prostitution.
Not for me
Sounded like the boring songs in a musical
I found it boring.
I didn’t really enjoy it.
No lo pude terminar de escuchar. Hice un gran esfuerzo.
Not my kind... only Lili Marlene but from another disc
I did not dig it
"1001 albums you must hear before you listen to this"
Strangely reminiscent of peri peri.
Not my kinda of music
This was the worst garbage I’ve ever forced myself to listen to.
Tosh. Surprising considering people involved.
Enya meets Phantom of the Opera. Very poetic, but not in the way I like. Jazzy showtimes was the vibe I got, and then I read she started in Chicago. It's all making sense. Talent but not what I'm into
false
Just no
Not great
no no no
didnt like it
Utter tripe
I really didn't like this album. I forced myself to listen through it because it was, admittedly, very different from my tastes. At best, some songs were nothing special. There were more than a few that I found almost discordant.
Connor: showtunes. boring ones.
2000. Key Song: Little Water Song
Frank Black hype is overrated apparently.