Reviews (page 5 of 6)
This is one of the lowest rated albums on the list and that is no mistake. I like the music of Hanns Eisler and Bertolt Brecht, but that was never meant to be performed in such a horrific pretentious way. The vocal and instrumental delivery takes all the soul and emotion out of the song and replaces it with false sentiment. Awful!
Hmm....
нет-нет-нет, упаси боже меня от немецкого вокала. альбома нет на стримингах и за дело! за дело!
The production sounds thin throughout and the singing performances can be rough but bottom five?? I don’t think so.
Like some of the other albums in this list that were incredibly relevant to their time in history, it makes for an interesting listen? But I don’t think I would consider it a “good” album or one that I want to listen to again.
Exciting news, I may have found my new least favorite genre of music! Probably not really, but it's pretty bad. Reminds me of the show Babylon Berlin, which I love, but not for the music. 2 stars.
Truly makes you feel like regretting those discounted off-broadway tickets. I really can't get behind this. It's a collection of random compositions by this communist German modern classical composer (Hanns Eisler). The songs feel disjoint, leaving as suddenly as they come. The ideas seem to rely on gimmicks, like an emotion to convey for just a minute or two before moving on to a separate subject. I'm sure this was all wild and far out for the 1920s, but you need something to tie it all together, and I'm not finding that here. Orchestra acts supplementary to the vocalist. It feels very stream of conscientious, with songs not coherently glued together. Even with the vocals, I'm sure it would feel very messy to listen to. And with the vocals, it exhausts me way too quickly; let alone making it through a whole hour. Track order is shit. I don't feel pulled in, and it closes anticlimatically. And I had to search far and wide for any tracks I found somewhat well put-together. There are a lot of good ideas in here, but neither did Eisler know how to structure songs for their own sake, nor does Krause salvage its worth. There is no re-creation here. It's very true-to-form except for the vocals, which works against the favor of modern audiences. Synths or pop hooks could have brilliantly re-imagined his works. I'm disappointed this record has felt like an academic study rather than a medium to emotionally invest in. Favorites: Ballad of the Sackslingers, Bankenleid, Ballad of (Bourgeois) Welfare, The Wise Woman and the Soldier
Finally found it on Youtube and gave it a listen. The singer has a beautiful voice, but I didn't really enjoy it as anything more than semi-pleasant background music. 2/5, but only because I'm very meh on it.
What a way to end the week! Tank Battles was up against it right from the start as I had to listen to it via YouTube, an experience almost as irritating as some of these tracks. I actually liked the album, it was like listening to a play with its peaks and troughs of emotion. I loved some tracks (Mother Beimlein and the opening whitewash track) but have no idea why! I read a bit about it and it appears that the YouTube clip I listened to was only half the songs (30mins) but the full album is almost an hour. I spent a few minutes contemplating searching for the remaining tracks and then came to my senses. I gave this a 3 because I like people brave enough to stick their heels in and produce avant- garde work.
Dramatic, oppressive. The lyrics have been translated from German; this was all originally written by Hanns Eisler. Well-orchestrated, performed with skill and conviction. I nearly didn't finish it. Maybe it's just of a different time but I could not attach my interest to this.
Har ikkje for vane å fyre cabaret jazz på fredaga diverre
First track was a good reminder to go get some laundry detergent from home bargains. Also good to see a track mentioning Melon Coulis. Melon coulis isn’t something you see very often. I think it’s probably the texture of the melon. Doesn’t really break down too well. Would probably be quite mushy and not a pleasant texture. Also, who wants a melon coulis? Sounds a bit gross. Just have a shot of midori and crack on. That’s what I say. 1.5
Een zwaar gevecht was het zeker.
"Tank Battles" is a fiendishly difficult album to sit through, based as it is on almost one hour of interpretations of compositions by German composer Hanns Eisler, set to poems by Bertolt Brecht. We're left with something richly theatrical and cabaret-esque, but without arresting visuals or discernible narrative. Instead, we have only Dagmar Krause and an extended roster of backing musicians to guide us through. That most reliable of sources, Wikipedia, describes Krause's vocals as an "acquired taste", but I think they're astounding. They aren't the problem here at all: Krause has a good gravitas in her vocal, a sharp command of the songs and a rich alto range. Even in tracks like "Mother Beimlein", when the character portrayals start getting a little out of hand, she's fresh and engaging, perfectly matching the spirit of the text. Her background with avant-pop and prog groups like Henry Cow and Slapp Happy intrigues me, and I hope our paths will cross again. The main barrier stopping me getting on board with "Tank Battles", then, is the source material. Eisler and Brecht are okay in small doses, when flirted with by other rock musicians (David Bowie, Scott Walker, Tom Waits). But to be immersed in Eisler's own compositions for a full hour is quite an undertaking, to say the least. I enjoy musical theatre and the cabaret stylings employed throughout the album. Heck (*hecht), I studied Brecht's texts (*techts) throughout school and university. I used to think they were unique and inspired until I saw them in practice, actually being staged… then I realised how all the theory didn't make the end result any more than a pretentious bore. I suspect something similar is going on with the songs in "Tank Battles". As much as I enjoy Krause's vocals (commanding, strong, melodic, with even a little shade of ABBA) and the extended line-up including wind and brass sections (clarinet, sax, trumpet, tuba, bassoon) it just doesn't fly overall. If I had to single out two good pieces, it would be the melancholy "Chanson Allemande" and the surprising, full-bodied kick of "The Trenches" in the final stretch. As for the rest, I'm unlikely to ever listen to "Tank Battles" again, but so what? Good on Dagmar Krause for committing to such an undertaking, even if it only gets her two stars from me.
Proto-nazi circus music
This album seems as though it belongs to a very specific era in time. It wasn't bad, it was just strange and very hectic. The music and singing were great, but it did not resonate with me at all. Likely wouldn't listen again.
Maybe it sounds better in German. The English version I found on YouTube is not my thing. I gave up after a few songs.
I went to YouTube to listen to this. When it started, I liked the weirdness and the energy. By the end, I was very over it. I’m glad I listened to it, though, because I had never heard of it before.
Maybe if you like show-tune like albums you'd like this. For the rest of us though.... no, not bad, but not really something the average person will get into. There are a couple of listenable songs... 2.5/5
A too large collection of protest songs, half in German. As long as I tuned out I could tolerate them, but on closer listen I didn't like them very much. Stand-out: The Ballad of the Sackslingers
Not for me.
World War 2: The Musical
Vraiment pas mon genre. Très long, très répétitif, toujours le même style qui fait très "musical" mais seulement avec des instrumentations classique. Beaucoup de chansons sont tellements peu étoffées qu'on dirait presqu'un démo qui a été abandoné. J'ai de la difficulté à voir l'intérêt de cet album. 3/10
Well it's certainly interesting. Definitely out of my comfort zone. Her voice is really powerful. The instrumentation feels a bit empty and flat but works for accentuating her vocals.
unable to listen
This is such an 80s endeavour. Interesting, but not entirely listenable. Feels like it might have influenced Bjork in places.
The Trenches
Jeez this is a hard listen. A bit like Brecht. Enough said.
Not my cup of tea
Mmm yeah definitely not my thing. So overly theatrical, I didn't even bother listening to the whole thing. Sorry.
Just not something I'll ever listen to again hopefully.
Not on Apple Music nor on Spotify, this album certainly is difficult to track down. I can only imagine what it would take to find this on the regular circuit of record stores back when we didn't have the internet. It's a challenging record, to be sure. She, Dagmar, makes no apologies and goes for her theater infused record like someone who has a project ans it's not going to let it go. It's not something I'm going to listen again, though. I certainly appreciate the effort.
Har ikkje for vane å fyre cabaret jazz på fredaga diverre
Not available on Spotify so had to find it elsewhere. Initially I wasn't that impressed but by leaving it to play in the background it somewhat grew on me. Gave off an Avant Garde industrial vibe for mid 20th century cabaret. Probably wouldn't listen to the whole thing again but it will stick in the memory at least.
Interesting but not for me :)
Woops
So weird it made me feel a bit ill
The CIA should use this to torture prisoners. It's like they put the sound of fingernails scratching down the chalkboard to music. I did not like it. Is it bad music? No, it is just for a very certain audience. Not me. 2/5
Called cabaret/jazz/avant garde... sounds like a soundtrack
the best I can say is I got through it
if radiohead wrote this anthony fantano would be a daddy
I'm just going to write this one off as a figment of my imagination. And I'm done tripping. For now.
Nice instrumental parts but don't dig the vocals or agenda
Nope
It was a little hard to get thru - I would have enjoyed it more as a musical w some visuals
Ok
Was not steaming on Spotify, but I listened to what I could find on YouTube. I did not really understand this and did not enjoy this. Perhaps if I listened to the original German version I would like it more?
Tank Battles: The Songs of Hanns Eisler is a solo album by German singer Dagmar Krause. The album contains 26 tracks composed by German composer Hanns Eisler and sung by Dagmar Krause in both English and German (different album versions). The original compositions stand the test of time by being just as impressive on this album when they first were produced early to mid 20th century. Krause's vocal work is stunning and she beautifully provided the lyrics to accompany the famous compositions. This was an interesting album to listen to. The avant-garde, jazzy album contains some impeccable music even if it's hard to understand at times with the German accent. Dagmar Krause added a dash of her own special sauce to Hanns Eisler's works, so it continues to live on in the modern music landscape.
2.8 - Similar to "Doctor Atomic", an opera I equally disliked about Oppenheimer's race to build the bomb, this record fully explores the WW2 experience with the same sense of foreboding and dread. The songs are composed and performed proficiently, and Krause sings in a commanding alto. It all seems historically accurate and appropriate in tone. But, I hate the cabaret style, as well as the truly depressing subject matter.
It's hard to fully review this album given that it's not available on any streaming service, save for a chunk of tracks that people were kind enough to upload on YouTube. What I did hear sounded like the soundtrack to a theater performance, it felt like I was only getting half of the story and needed something visual to add more context. That said, the music was fine, just a bit lacking in terms of artistic impact. Maybe in a different medium it would've been a better package. Who knows?
Cabaret songs should be listened to in your langauge. It doesn't make sense the other way. I have enough English and German cabaret songs for the rest of my life.
It's very theatrical, and with some context and actors, I could probably really appreciate this. However, I don't have the imagination to 'listen' to this all and be impressed that's it's something I should be listening to on a frequent basis.
Kinda hard to review something I can’t hear. I’m gunna go out on a limb and say based on the summary, I wouldn’t have liked this.
This honestly seemed like a parody of something though it clearly was not. The cabaret style singing and broad accent, the old school up the proletariat lyrics of some of the material, the perfunctory instrumental accompaniment. Wierd selection for this list.
???
It's the Anglo-German classic war music revival album, that I never knew I needed to hear. Because I didn't need to hear it.
Just some woman singing in english then german.
Extremely unpleasant. 3/10
This album got a special disclaimer on the list for its inaccessibility but I found it on youtube in its entirety. While it was interesting to hear a native german artist tackling the remnants of WW2 that still remained in the late 80s, I found this whole album painfully boring. Her voice is good but the sparse instrumentation and switching between english and german made it impossible for me to really fully engage with any of it.
wake up babe the new Hitler album just dropped
A German musical? Not for me, thanks
I can’t find the album but based on Dagmar’s other stuff I was more annoyed than anything listening to this.
Album 306. Tank Battles — Dagmar Krause (1988) It was afwul and pointless 1/5 No liked songs
Triggered about 8 forms of misphonia
Favorite Song: Bankenlied Least Favorite: Mother Beimleim
"As a vocalist, Krause has been described by some as an acquired taste." Als dit vermeld wordt op een wiki, dan weet je dat je een zware dobber gaat krijgen. Nondeju, dit is alsof ik naar een musical van Allo Allo aan het luisteren ben. Ik vind het op zich niet eens zo verschrikkelijk, maar wel verschrikkelijk genoeg om het na een nummer of 7 uit te zetten. Dit is ongelooflijk NSFW, ik kan nog beter snoeiharde metal opzetten. Niet dat dat een argument moet zijn, maar dit is ckv-huiswerk dat ik niet wil maken. Ik heb een idee wat voor muziek het is en dat is voldoende om lekker 1 ster te geven.
Strange and very avant-garde. Interesting conceptually, but not pleasant to listen to
Hm. I suppose since we've gotten a few operatic-adjacent albums in this collection (although none actually come to mind aside from the various rock-operas, which this is *not*), I guess this sort of fits within the boundaries of this project? Either way, it's not at all my cup of tea, and I have no familiarity with either Dagmar Krause or Hanns Eisler, although I am familiar with Berthold Brecht (who apparently collaborated heavily with Hanns Eisler and wrote the text of the lyrics in this album). Speaking of whom, why did we get this obscure (to me) album, rather than, say, his "Threepenny Opera"? So weird, random and a bit frustrating to have this here.
Having to listen to this long ass weird album on YouTube because it wasn’t on Spotify made this experience even more annoying
Swiftly moving on…
Häftigt och teatraliskt men inget man vill lyssna på
Too much drama
No Henry Cow?
singt kurt weil aber komisch? c
Happen in every war.
Just can’t really enjoy it specifically but into the idea
This is like being trapped in a Berlin basement in 1932 while someone angrily explains the failures of capitalism through song.
35
This sounds like a musical where the first song would have confirmed my feeling that I didn't want to be there. By the third song I'd be checking my watch hoping for a merciful end.
Je peut pas mettre zéro je l’aurais fait
The soundtrack to someone's nervous breakdown
Worse than Yoko Ono
Weird. Not terribly enjoyable.
Ok. Now you're taking the piss
Not on spotify
1 star was generous
I hated this ngl LMAO not my type of music and I’m not a cabaret fan. This was a hard one to get through.
I would rather Dagmar Killmyself than listen to this again.
Could not find
Gott sei Dank ist es vorbei!"
0.5/5 This is the first album that I didn't listen to all of the songs but it wouldn't have changed my mind. Baffling to see this album on this list. I genuinely feel sorry for an artist who missed out on being in this list for this album.
Difficult to find on streaming services. Had to resort to YouTube. No thanks, not for me.
Didn’t really get into this one.
A: Skulle jag ha vetat att detta album var med på listan skulle jag ha tänkt två gånger innan jag tagit upp projektet... Nää alltså helt okej? Om okej betyder anti(?)krigs sånger som skulle passa för första världskriget men lowkey är skrivna 1988??? Vet ärligt talat inte ens om vi lyssnade på rätt album iom att tillgängligheten inte var i topp skick. Stundvis helt banger musikal-teater-disney-film-villain-drag-queen-perfomance-level men väntade nog på att det skulle ta slut. Kunde vara kul o sjunga i kör eller spela i orkester men förmodligen inte. Respekterar dock att den verkligen skiljde sig ur mängden i jämförelse med projektets andra album. 1,5/5 D: Bro wanted to be Björk so hard... men tysk o i en cirkus. Måste ha hamnat hit pga nåt udda personligt bias. Wtf var dedä random kommunistiska propagandainslaget???? 1/54
Album unavailable on spotify
This isnt anything someone must listen to before they die if they like to have fun.
That was a hard listen. Is there a 0 stars?
Can’t rate this as it’s not on either Spotify or Apple Music
347/1001 Dagmar Krause - Tank Battles Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ A German in the late 80s warbling away as though she were in 20s Berlin. Yeah, that's a hard pass from me (plus not on Spotify).
Not for me 1/5
NULL
All I heard was Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles.
Can’t pull up on Amazon Music opera is what is sounds lole
Nessas horas que eu gosto de bater no peito e dizer que sou normie mesmo. Sou com orgulho! As músicas aqui não possuem sensibilidades pops algumas, então é uma escuta difícil. Os temas trágicos não ajudam o caso. Já peguei vários discos dramáticos nessa lista, e até agora nenhum deles me empolgou. Só não é o que eu busco quando vou ouvir música. E esse é exatamente o tipo de álbum que depois de duas faixas já estou louco pra tirar logo. 1/5
Not available on Spotify is maybe THE key red flag that an album is getting a 1 star review. A German woman singing English showtunes...SIGN ME UP!!! I'm suffering through this to finish this project. This is one of the worst albums on the list. These songs would be bad in a musical, forget about in album format. I'm having a hard time concentrating on anything but how awful this is. Taika Waititi heard Song of a German Mother and then we got Jojo Rabbit...not a terrible outcome. First 25 minute YouTube video down. If someone told me this was the soundtrack from Cabaret I would believe it without question. I tried to piece this together from various YouTube videos and ended up listening to a bunch of extraneous (I think) songs.
Not available to listen
We were approaching Ute Lemper territory, but didn’t quite get there. The rat men was a hilarious song
Wow, I truly don’t know what I would’ve done if I had died without listening to that masterpiece
Reminds me of and sounds like the soundtrack to one of those films depicting the rise of the Nazi’s in the 1930’s. When plotting in some smokey Berlin bar there was always a female singing in the background. The title of the album only reinforces that notion and conjures up the image of a Panzer Tiger Mk 2. For that reason alone cannot warm to this album even though for all I know, old Dagmar might be singing about a cuddly little pussy cat with a cute pink nose. 1/5 5/6/26
Looks like John McClain threw the wrong Hanns off Nakatomi Tower. As for the singing.....let's just say that my limit was slightly less than one schnitzengrūben. ifykyk
Next.
Sinceramente escuché 1 tema, prefiero pasar y ponerme al día que siento que pierdo el tiempo escuchando algo que culturalmente no es lo mío y no me va a gustar nada. Lo siento Tani Battles :(
Nope
No va
I did at least laugh when it came on
Ha ha ha no thanks man oh look at the time I better get going ha ha
Sally Bowles has a lot to answer for.
Couldn't find it. Judging from the reviews, I missed nothing.
it’s just like…. if you’re gonna do this…… why not just put cabaret on here? or any broadway for that matter???
No. God no.
vocals were overpowering. didn’t enjoy the vocals so no for me.
Wtf lol Honestly I'd be more feeling the background instrumental parts if it weren't for the vocals. Parts of this are actually kinda reminding me of The Wall.
1.2 I can see why it's not on Spotify. An absolute crime against humanity. Up there amongst the worst things a German has done in the 20th century.
1 de 5 Con un acompañamiento instrumental impecable, Dagmar Krause hace uso de su imponente voz y logra trasladarnos al frente de una guerra no vivida o a la lucha por una libertad deseada, incluso, parecería que estamos viviendo una obra teatral musical y somos el personaje principal. A destacar: Track 5 - Ballad Of The Sackslingers Track 11 - Song Of A German Mother Track 13 - Bankenlied Track 16 - Mother's Hands Track 21 - Failure In Loving Track 22 - Und Endlich Stirbt
Not streaming
I like this because it made me listen to something new that I'd never have listened to. But also, I hate this because I have ears.
What the?
Found it on YouTube. Just not for me.
Wtf
Not for me…
Weirdly interesting in places. The songs were mercifully short but there was a lot of them. The cabaret style and calling it Tank Battles conjured up visions of Nazis all grooving to this. Not a good look and I'd give 1 and half stars if I could
I simply do not care for it
1.0
Doesn't appear as an album to review on Spotify. Some of the songs from the first album are good. Voice is a bit contrived
Could not find the album, only the podcast
WTF did I just listen to? Seriously, go listen to this. Why was it on this list???? Why was it so long???? It wasn’t even on Spotify or Apple Music.
Pretty difficult listen at times and sounded like a really bad musical at other times. It's not really music that i enjoy, but i thought the band and instrumentation was really cool but the songs as a whole didn't do anything for me
Matige liedjes, best aardig gezongen. Vond het echt irritant
This was not for me. Sounded like a lady stumbling through songs that had all been cut from the musicals they were written for.
No
Me recordó canciones de ABBA pero también hubo otras que me hicieron sentir miedo, no se porque
An incohesive, atonal mess. The album consists mostly of short tracks that don’t go anywhere musically and never develop into anything engaging. The lyrics are dreadful, and the vocals are, at best, mediocre. There are a few brief of promise, but they’re not enough to merit a 2 star review.
Don't know how this album is on anybody's top albums list. I couldn't even finish it. But, I understand, everybody has different tastes.
did not exist on spotify :(
So, this album is a collection of songs written by German composer Hanns Eisler and sung by Krause. She recorded a version of the album in both English and German. The songs are meant to evoke the feeling of 1920s Germany, and they definitely do. It really feels like you're listening to a soundtrack from a movie or musical rather than an actual album. Kind of gives you a German military feel I guess. I'll listen to anything once, but I won't be listening to this again. Just too avant-garde for me. This was also the first time I couldn't just pull up an album on Spotify and listen to it. I had to go digging for it on YouTube.
Pretty disappointed from an album with the title "Tank Battles"
I mean, no. Far out though
????
no, no, no, no, no
I'm glad this exists, from the perspective that I want more weird art in this world. But I really struggled getting through this one.
Previously unknown. Not for me.
It's really wacky. I guess it has some value but I hated it. 1/5
Not worth a star
Hard work
I had to go looking for this because it was not on Spotify. I should have taken that as a sign.
I’ve never seen the musical “Cabaret” other than snippets of the cast of “Schitt’s Creek” performing it in-universe and that seemed okay. But that was pretty much my only exposure to cabaret music before I started listening to albums on this list, and now I fucking hate cabaret music. I spent over forty-five years of my life having no opinion of cabaret music and now it confuses and angers me and I think it’s up there with the worst things the Germans have ever done. Are we supposed to pretend that we’re in a Weimar Republic club in Berlin and everyone is cynical and witty and smoking cigarettes and wearing bowler hats? Not sure about that last one. Anyway, this sucks.
Ale chujnia, nie wyobrażam sobie nikogo kto tego słucha nieironicznie
What the hell sure
A talented singer paying homage to a composer she clearly has great respect for. But as a listening experience this isn't great. It sounds like they've taken 1-2 min slices of songs from a dozen unrelated musicals. It doesn't feel cohesive and the songs are so short I barely had time to understand what was happening before we moved on to the next one. Not terrible but I didn't enjoy it at all.
I tried listening to it on YouTube but didn’t care for it at all.
Two 1s in three days - is this a new record?? This was painful.
I liked the music on the ads between tracks on YouTube better than this album.
I made it halfway. I get it.
Angry German later sings and talks over marching music. Occasionally takes a break and sings something pretty. There have been two types of albums I haven’t liked in this project. Ones I can’t vibe with thematically and ones I find unpleasant to listen to - this is the later.
Another album that's impossible to listen to... finally found that someone has all the songs on YouTube, but there's enough actually good music to listen to that the effort should not be invested in finding this record. This is not good.
Did not enjoy this.
I wonder if 1 full hour of German Cabaret Jazz is listed as a torture method somewhere.
Could not find album
Niet op spotify, gedeeltelijk via YouTube geluisterd maar was niet de moeite waard.
spotify wouldn’t let me listen
Bad.
yea no
German style, nothing very interresting in this album, and I was quit borred.
It’s like German wartime music. It’s like really terrible. It’s like really annoying. It’s like maybe one of the worst albums I have heard. It’s like I turned it off halfway through. 1/10
Couldn't listen
Very dramatic and theatrical stuff. Not my cup of anything, but I think this is somehow a meaningful album — I just don’t get it.
It feels weird to hate on this because it's so far out of my wheelhouse, but wow, this was a rough listen.
Weird girl German history album
I don't know what the guy that made this list was smoking, but he needs to share!
Hated the vocals Hated the instrumentals Hated the album Hated life listening to it
Chances are, if it's not available on streaming services in 2026, it's not historically important enough. Which is the primary measure of inclusion for albums on this list. To think that music critics were compiling a perfectly good list, consisting of the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Madonna, Joni Mitchell, Queen... then some Berlinese Gen X-er (likely smoking crack and living with his parents) bumps his elbow on the keyboard and accidentally appends Tank Battles by Dagmar Krause to the final draft of 1001albums.docx. There's nothing good, and hardly anything interesting. Sure, orchestral instruments are used. But they're used in a drearily uninteresting fashion, not even trying to stand out or create anything musically revolutionary. The music itself is so, so unimpressive and uninspiring for the year 1988. Still, I want to make excuses for it, give it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the music was actually recorded in the 50s and written in the mid-19th century. That would make sense, sort of. (The recording quality suggests as much.) But then we come to realise, again, the outrageous lack of 19th-century (or any-era) classical music. And anything by Beethoven or Brahms or Tchaikovsky would far surpass this weak operatic nonsense. And some of it is heinously difficult to listen to. Mother Beimleim makes up some of the worst 75 seconds of noise to ever be recorded. Speaking of which – this is *long*. Or at least it feels that way. The Wikipedia article doesn't give a total track length for the English version (and I'm not doing the math), but man, every time I thought I'd reached the end, another 1-2 minutes of bad vibrato and stupid, uninspired, old-timey European instrumentation makes itself known. (And sometimes, just when you think "god, at least this is only a minute long," it turns out it's actually 6 minutes.) 1/5 Key tracks: The Trenches
As a fan of the avant-garde, I was excited to sink my teeth into this one. Nonetheless, I am not going to pretend that I have this innate understanding of this record. It runs like a quick stage play with its short songs backed by dramatic compositions. The singing is laden with vibrato and longing, but the overall experience is so so. I respect the sentiment and uniqueness, but I can’t sit here and truly convince myself that this is anything above a 3/10 or 1/5.
Nah.
Could not listen
Waste of time!
DNF at song 3
Talented singer. Autistic German theater kid music. No thanks.
didnt finish. def not for me
Kind of torture.
This album is not on any streaming platforms. This album is also one of the lowest rated in this project. I wasn't sure if these two facts are related or not. This album has very strong "Hitler's favorite artist" vibes about it. I am not saying Dagmar Krause is a Nazi, merely saying if the Gestapo wanted to torture prisoners through painful audio sounds, then this would be the music used to do so. Interestingly, Hanns Eisler was disliked by the Nazi party for his music. We can all find commonality in this world, I guess. I am not intending to be harsh. There is a subset of the world that probably really enjoys this music. 9% of individuals gave Tank Battles a 4 or 5 rating, so I feel confident the subset of the world who enjoys this music is not a large subset. I can't determine what itch this album scratches. It's very theater kids and bombastic, which is fine, but I'm not sure I needed to hear this one. I did not care for this album.
I guess I understand the historical importance of these songs, and maybe there's even a sort of ironical reason for them to be played and heard right now, but I do not prefer this music and don't understand how this landed on a list of albums to hear before I die. Would give less than 1 if I could.
Nope, this was not something I needed in my life. Listened a little over half the album on youtube, but it was just too inconvenient and «too much» to complete.
p598. 1988. 1 star. The sound of a failed German off-Broadway musical, with a singer channelling their inner Marlene/Sally Bowles. Nein. Found it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbYmWrfNJpQ
No thank you
Not for me
I’m sure it’s very well done. But not for me
Found this one on YouTube and honestly not sure how this album even ended up on this list. First one I couldn’t even finish.
Not on spoofy
Interesting but I couldn't finish it.
Now that’s some interesting music. Very theatrical. Can’t decide if I like it, or not.
So this was a miserable listening experience. It took a lot of effort not to turn it off, and I was pretty abysmal through the whole thing. There was barely anything I could appreciate. Won’t be looking back at this album.
Found it on YouTube. Wish I hadn’t. Sounds like music used in a comedy or circus music because of the emphasis of horns.
Not my jam
Not for me
Nicht wirklich mein fall.
She sems to have a decent voice, but I understand nothing and it gets chronically repetitive. Not my bag.
Found a sample here if anyone is genuinely interested : https://youtu.be/Irmn9e2O-HQ?si=6ZwOAYFrFLqGvZKo failed to appreciate it.
I'm naturally predisposed to generosity towards albums that do something unique on this list, so take this as the damning indictment it is
I did manage to get through this one. That was challenging though. Not for me.
I didn't enjoy this very much, it sounded okay but the vibes weren't there, not what I look for in an album, not to mention it wasn't on streaming
couldn't find this anywhere
Alternate title: Working Nein To Five Dramatic, theatrical singing over old German military marches? What’s next, rapping over some John Philip Sousa? My ears didn’t enjoy this one. But the audacity of this album is inspiring, go out there and create some bizarre, nuanced shit. “For the PlayStation 3 video game known as Tank Battles in some regions, see Battle Tanks.”
I paused for a couple of days as I didn't think I had the energy to figure this one out. Good voice, songs would be better in a musical.
Couldn't listen to it, so.......
COULDN'T LISTEN, NOT ON SPOTIFY
I had never heard of Dagmar Krause, and prior to listening to this album if asked I might have guessed that she was an East German gymnastics coach who hydrated her athletes with pigeon blood and won 200 gold medals between 1974 and 1987, when she was shot for treason for eating a Whopper Jr. (no pickles). Crazy that I would have been mostly right. Also, weirdly, today a woman came up to me in the subway and said, "I am Dagmar." I mean, I know her. But it was still kind of weird. Also, I hate this album. It's awful.
Could only find this on YouTube https://youtu.be/PkPvS85L998?si=EhYAku6mDeKdQS4Z Sounds like a soundtrack to a film, opera or even a comedy sketch in places. Quite like her vocal but not really my cup of tea.
Når folk ikke klarer å høre forskjell på avant garde og pastiche... Med unntak av noen elektriske instrumenter, kunne dette kommet ut i 1920. Det er grenser på hvor langt man kan nå med denne stilarten, og selv om det er spor av interessante elementer her og der, så ligger det for det meste et sted mellom kjedelig og irriterende.
Cabaret med forferdelig polert 80s sound. Bra det var korte låter, men synd det var så mange av dem.
Wow, what a weird album to be included. If you have me an afternoon I think I could get pretty close to naming 1001 other albums that should be on this list that aren’t. Also, I don’t pay for YouTube so getting an ad between every song is kind of a pain. That’s not Dagmar’s fault, but having 1:30 long songs all over this album is. If you can make it passed Mother Beimleim I salute you. DNF.
not on any streaming platforms
I did not enjoy this
Weird as shit Stravinsky arrangements/melodicism Bizarro world show tunes Not sure if I’m going to make it through this one It’s making me question my commitment to finishing listening through all of these albums or if there is a reasonable cutoff point of acceptance There ARE some very nice woodwind arrangements on this. Ultimately this is probably something I would listen to if it were presented as purely German instrumental classical music. Though that applies to most musicals/operas, take the vocals out and I like it 10x more Wow ripping fusion guitar lead randomly on lied von der belebenden Truly the instrumental passages are lovely for the most part. Some very nice woodwind and brass passages. The segments that feel more like traditional European ‘dance’ music are not for me. I love that stuff in the right cultural context but this is not it Dear god there’s a whole other side of the record Truly a torturous listen. What an experience this is turning out to be
"Oh, you think you know music? Well, I bet you never heard of Tank Battles by Dagmar Krause. You can't call yourself a music connoisseur without knowing this one."
the biggest eh
did-not-listen
basically unlistenable
Holy fuck this is beyond terrible. I’d rather be slowly run over by a tank than be subjected to this musical cabaret. Talented vocalist and musicians, but overall a hot steaming pile of dog shit. I can’t imagine why anyone would listen to this.
We'll never know if we can't listen!
What fresh hell is this!? There have had some odd choices on this list, but this one is in a category all to itself. Absolutely jarring from start to finish. I hated every minute.
I didn't understand a thing
I got halfway through the second song before I turned it off. No intention on revisiting.
Ugh why?
Nope
Found a couple songs on YouTube. Gross
Pretty sure in the very first song, she sang “The bricks have farted”... by song two I couldn’t listen to it any more. Lyrics are terrible and cringe, the singing is terrible… How does shit like this make the list?
Wasn't able to listen.
Garbage
Could not find this album
Lmfao. What the actual fuck. I could get behind this if it was intended to be avant-garde opera. I can dig some Schönberg. But this isn't that. They're brief little nuggets of moderately atonal German crap. And by the way, Ms. Krause's voice is nothing to shake a stick at. No wonder you can't find this on Spotify. Jesus.
Couldn’t find this one, so I listened to some of their other stuff. Wish I hadn’t bothered.
No idea what to say about this one..
This was a pain to find and it really wasn't worth the effort; truly awful. One star seems fair for clunky show tunes in broken English. Actually painful to listen to.
Had to hunt for this, shouldn’t have bothered. Ancient German songs sung in English by a woman with a horrible voice.
First one in 732 I could not finish. Having to go to YouTube and it just being awful was too much. WTF!
Yikes. I can see why this is one of the lowest rated albums here. I think personally its the second worst I've heard so far (after Kid Rock of course). One of the most unpleasant album listening experiences I've had in a while.
Oh hell no. Fuck this shit and whichever ass hat thought I needed to hear some weird cabaret style show tunes. I bailed after a song and a half. 🖕🏻🖕🏻0⭐️
This had me in The Trenches.
It's so good that it isn't on streaming...mmmm...strange...
Ikke tilgængeligt
Another album ruined by the singer. Takes herself too serious, German accent unbearable. The fact that it’s only on YouTube and I can’t read up on the backstory kills the last possibility to give it another chance. First album I stopped 10 minutes in because of my lack masochistic energy.
It's avant garde, I can appreciate it for what it is, but it sadly doesn't resonate
Not on Spotify but from the couple songs I listened to on YouTube I’m okay with that
I did not like this one
Pretentious. Not for me.
Oof. I don't get it at all. Not my thing!
etwas düster finde ich .. absolut nicht meins.
Theatrical cabaret.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a musical set in early 1900’s Germany. No thanks.
Did not like this one bit…was looking for some redeeming quality and there was none
Obligé de l’écouter sur un podcast c’est quoi cette merde ?
This album was almost fascinatingly bad, it really does sound like rejected songs that Lily von Schtupp was supposed to sing in Blazing Saddles, as another 1001 Albums Generator user pointed out. Maybe I just don't get it, but all I know is I listened to the first 10 minutes with what must've been a hell of a "What in god's name am I listening to?" look on my face before having to change it over to something else.
While listening to this album, I wish I wasn't. Truthfully it's not that bad, but a shocking pick for one of the 1001 best albums of all time.
I feel like I am watching a cold war era musical in the worst way possible. I am unsure of why this is the way it is.
Awkward English lyrics combined with borderline atonal music is not a pleasant listen, though it certainly stands out.
Mostly a waste of time and a waste of a spot on this list -- just too obscure, too theatrical and Brechtian or Zweigian (one's guessing here) to really suit this list. "The Perhaps Songs" is a plus title. At any rate, maybe some people need to hear this before they die (the composer's family most likely); one certainly does not. Listening just once, whilst still happily alive is more than enough.
.Extremely esoteric!
No thanks.
The fuck! This album, it says, is not on any streaming service and if you find it, let "them" know. The app has finally eaten itself and offered an album that potentially doesn't exist. Well done! Wankers. 1 star just to register my frustration at this app.
This sucks. 1/5
Something about this album is putting me in a worse mood, and I don't know what it is. It's just uncomfortable. And I gave it two listens. I think this is the first album I'm giving a one and can't tell you why I hate it.
Very creepy and strange.
Insufferable rubbish. Absolutely zero redeeming qualities.
Unfortunately I am going to join the many haters of this album. Not that it is entirely bad or pointless, but that I don't enjoy it. I would much rather listen to classical German music which this is based on. I understand that genre is influential but is this album? Maybe to Ute Lemper Punishing Kiss, but I also don't like that album. Pretty sure Nick Cave and Tom Waits and others were making music like this before, so I just don't get it. I did go down an interesting rabbit hole of classical German from this though. I'm interested, but not in this. Sorry but some albums have to get a 1 to make the 2s count for something. At least you made the book.
I swear some of the inclusions on this list are a social experiment, add some shite to the list and by the fact that it's listed here people will like it.
Cabaret, German, not really for me... Kind of enjoyed "The Perhaps Song" DNF
Heard a song and thought “Oh wow, this is pretty good!” and looked over and realized it was an ad break in the album 😐
Could. Not. Listen. This was terrible.
why the fuck is this shi on here
Scared the wife, scared the kid, scared the dog.
ne postoji...?
This is not the kind of jazz that woke muisc heads (including myslef) will beg you to listen to and will tell you is "life-changing". That designation goes to the greats like Davis, Coltrane, Mingus, and others. This is the type that you imagine would play in a tourture chamber on repeat for someone that commited war crimes against humanity as punishment. 1/10
Sounded bad in German. Sounded worse in English
Dreadful. Cant stand musicals. Or anything operatic.
Tanks but no tanks.
Not for me
J - 1/5 Best Track - None F - DNL
weird show tunes? no thanks
Don’t bother trying to locate this album. Listened to a few bits of the songs on YouTube. It's among the worst music I’ve ever heard.
Why??? I never heard about Dagmar Krause before and I would prefer remain in this ignorance. There are many much better singers of the genre... For example, the same year, Patricia Kaas issued her debute album "Mademoiselle chante...". Why isn´t she on the list? Or someone else?
Maybe I could rate this higher but how does a recording that is not available end up on a list of recordings I must listen to before I die? This "project" is nearly over for me I think...
I got no enjoyment out of this. All I could really get was the WW2 theme. Maybe if they were playing this in musical theater as part of a larger performance, but this with no context, songs ending abruptly, going from hard to understand English to another language, and it's too long. No thank you.
This is absolutely horrendous. Probably the worst album I've encountered on here so far (at ~#40). I would not watch this musical. 1/5 (0/5 if I could)
Ok, this is from left field, and that should be a good thing, but I have a limited tolerance for German theatre, even though I know it's an influence on guys like Zorn and Waits, whom I love. This however, can't get into the vocals, and have no mood to hear her plow through 26 very theatrical war time drama songs. three tunes was enough to render the verdict. I'm starting to think that the author of the 1001 albums book has taken his desire to be ecumenical to a sinful extreme
you know it's a bad album when you had enough after a couple of minutes... seems like most albums that aren't on spotify have one thing in common. they are all pretty bad. This is another one of those albums that sounds like some amateur scraped together money to make an album. Like an over acting aunt who think she is a misunderstood star of Broadway I really felt I get nothing more out of listening through the whole album. She got her point across pretty fast what the rest would sound like.
theatral boring deutsch
Not for me
vsf trem ruim do caralho
pior que eu curto alguns projetos da dagmar krause. mas, com todo respeito, eu PRECISO ouvir ISSO antes de morrer? eu creio que não. portanto 1 estrela.
As soon as it started I thought, “noooooo.” Then I grinded through it as I have so many times through this process.