Five on the Open-Ended Richter Scale

Einsturzende Neubauten | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirsty Ear
• ASIN: B0000057NU
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,679 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Zerstoerte Zelle [Destroyed Cell]

2. Morning Dew

3. Ich Bin's [It's Me]

4. Modimidofrsaso [Montueswedthurfrisatsun]

5. Zwoelf Staedte (Twelve Cities)

6. Keine Schoenheit Ohne Geahr [No Beauty Without Danger]

7. Kein Bestandteil Sein (To Be No Part of It)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fünf Sterne auf diesem Skala, October 20, 2001

By 

M. Fantino (San Francisco, California USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five on the Open-Ended Richter Scale (Audio CD)

I have all of Einstürzende Neubautens' releases in one form or another (except for their post 2000 releases, sadly). This one I have on LP and I invite anyone who cares to look at the LP next time you are in a record shop because it's cover is far more beautiful than the CD version. The LP has silhouetted images of the band in modern-dance poses, their fingers, legs and hair like a beautiful choreography by Isadora Duncan. I'm not sure why they changed the look for the CD, life is funny that way. Of all their wonderful albums, this and Haus der Luge are my absolute favorites. They come from a similar pinnacle of their long and varied career where they coaxed each piece of metal, every giant spring, bucket of sand, etc. into a musical tapestry of pulsating rhythm. Blixa Bargeld's voice has come a long way from Negativ Nein's frightening scream, and on this album he manages to sing in a whisper, a chant and of course, his trademark screech that sounds less like a voice than it does a drill boring it's way through a bell.

This album is more hypnotic and, at times, even cozy. Like sitting in the worlds most comfortable chair watching the fireplace blaze so fierce and brilliant that it burns down the entire room, but you are too comfortable and mesmerized to move.
Fuenf Auf Der Nach Oben Offenen Richterskala contains what I think is their third English song. It's a cover of Tim Rose's Morning Dew (more people should get into Tim Rose). Their version is definitely much different than Tim Rose would have ever dreamed, even in his less than lucid moments. Morning Dew is one of the several highlights of this album, though, Ich Bin is more widely praised. MONDIMIDOFRSASO (the days of the week, I love the acoustic bit at the end), Zerstoerte Zelle and Kein Bestandteil Sein are my favorites.

Anyone reading this probably has been drawn to Einstürzende Neubauten for one reason or another. They are still one of the most important industrial acts out there, as well as one of the genres godfathers. Blixa's work with Nick Cave has been mutually rewarding. Fans of either should cross reference. Whatever the reason you came this far is, start with this album (or Haus Der Luge) and then move on to their three volumes of Strategies Against Architecture. This is a fantastic album.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, Bad Record Company, May 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Five on the Open-Ended Richter Scale (Audio CD)

If you plan to buy this album, please don't buy the version distributed by Thirsty Ear/Some Bizarre Records. The company has never paid the band for its recordings, and NONE of your purchase price will go to the makers of this exceptional music.

Another version is available through Indigo Records, and the group does get paid for those copies.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is only good music and bad music., April 13, 1999

By 

ptitchitza (Leiden, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five on the Open-Ended Richter Scale (Audio CD)

14 years ago I saw Einstürzende Neubaten live in action, in my hometown of Zagreb, Croatia. That concert still remains among the ones that stand out. I remember how surprised I was to see and hear how melodiously they sounded, especially given that their instruments consisted mainly of pneumatic drills, hammers, springs, chainsaws and the like. Only "conventional" instrument played was an electric guitar Blixa Bargeld played with his right hand only. It had 2-3 strings broken and it didn't matter. Since then they have reached beautiful artistic balance between the "conventional" and "unconventional" means of musical expression. Like all the best, timeless works of art, their music now defies categorization. "Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterscala", released in 1987, is a record of moving, pulsating, emotional music, distorted and melodic at the same time. It evokes the spirit of Nick Cave's "From Her to Eternity" (to which Blixa Bargeld contributed as a permanent member of Cave's band, The Bad Seeds) or the impact of "seductive evilness" of Diamanda Galás' "You Must Be Certain Of The Devil". Not being proficient in German, I am probably missing a lot (one song only - "Morning Dew", sort of a Berlin Blues - is sang on English), but these Berliners have made such a rounded and mature record that I don't feel the pleasure of it has been denied to me in any way. Not many German bands find their way abroad, but the ones that do (think of the Can, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream...) seem to be making a big and lasting impact. "Einstürzende Neubaten" are no exception in that.