Customer Reviews

Bee Happy

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nina is VERY eclectic. At all of the concerts that I have attended, she has sung punk, opera, rock 'n' roll, blues, krishna chants, big band, and other styles. If you enjoy music as music, no matter what the style, then this CD captures that character of Nina-- minus the opera. The first version of this CD, the German, Freud Euch, has two opera-style songs on it that aren't on this CD. There are a couple of other songs on this CD and not on Freud Euch: "Born To Die In Berlin" and "Shiva." This CD also sounds more like how the music sounds in concert, having less overdubs and production tweaks than Freud Euch. It sounds like it was produced for the American audience to give them an idea of what to expect from a live performance by her.

On a strange note: If you would simply like to know what Nina is saying in English, you certainly find out. I don't speak German, so I found it helped me to understand what she was doing at a whole new level. Even if you prefer Freud Euch, the English versions of the songs are worth a listen.

Here is how the Bee Happy and Freud Euch compare. The order of the songs is how they appear on Bee Happy and they are in a different order on Freud Euch. I have indicated which ones are the English versions of the German songs and which ones are the same on each one and which ones don't appear on Freud Euch at all:

1. Runaway-- abgehaun (English)
2. Giant Step-- riesenschritt (English)
3. Born To Die In Berlin (English, not on FE)
4. Sunday Morning-- sontagmorgen (English)
5. Shiva-- (not on FE)
6. Barbed Wire-- stacheldraht (English)
7. Ska Thing-- wende (English)
8. The Art-- kunst (English)
9. Zero Zero U.F.O. (English)
10. Freedom Fighter-- frelheitslied (English)
11. I Am Nina (Junkie)-- (another junkie), einfach nina (English)
12. Star Girl-- sternmädchen (English)
13. Leave Me Alone-- lass mich in ruhe! (same as FE, but some English)
14. Tiere-- tiere (same as FE)

Sounds like Nina had a blast recording this cd.....all the songs are light and energized. I like all of them simply becuase they are FUN!

Nina has been making great music since the mid-1970s. Most other excellent musicians from that time have long since stopped releasing anything approaching the quality of their earlier work, but Nina has given us beautiful new songs and fantastic covers of old songs throughout her career with no sign of slowing down.

Maybe her secret to staying inspired is that she's constantly experimenting with some new style of music that she hasn't done before.

Length:: 1:23 Mins

This is a great cd that Nina fans will certainly appreciate. Many songs are written or co-written by Dee Dee Ramone, and therefore have a straightforward, early punk sound that's all about fun. It's much more lighthearted than Nina's earliest German music, and not as "out there" as Fearless or Nunsexmonkrock (which I happen to adore). "Barbed Wire" is hysterical, and "Sunday Morning" is just plain cute. I love it!

I don't understand why she makes such a turn in her music style, from Smack Jack to Sunday Morning I think she should stayed the way she where a punk queen. Nina's vocal range has turned down a lot but it's still a good voice. The annoying song Born To die In Berlin is the only song i like, it's annoying but still gives a good message. I haven't really been so impressed of Nina Hagen's latest work, including her new album, I like it but it's not Nina as we know her. As Nina once said, I'm one of those angels you see flying whit a beautiful voice and a instrument.