Customer Reviews

Sehnsucht

5 star:		(322)
4 star:		(75)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I was thinking of giving this cd 4 stars but no- it's a five star deserver. This was the first cd I ever heard of them, I heard it at work one day and loved it. My co-worker gave it to me but I really didn't appreciate it until later. I used to only listen to the songs "Engel" and "Du Hast" but then it broke and I had to get it again. Now, with a brand new copy, I am content at last and listen to the whole cd with much love and affection. The first version I had contained two bonus tracks: English versions of "Engel" and "Du Hast" whereas my new cd contains the one bonus track "Stripped". Let's get started, shall we?

1. Sehnsucht (Longing): Longing is so cruel! You were right when you wrote these lyrics, Till. This starting song of the cd is just so BAM! It's got the perfect amount of energy and umph that every cd needs to capture ones' attention. I loved the mixed in wailing/singing voice in the background. It's just so catchy. Everyone with me now: "Sehnsucht!" >O

2. Engel (Angel): "God knows I don't want to be an angel" states the lyrics during the chorus. This is like, the only song I know where they have a woman singing with them. I wonder what happened off cd between the singers... OH! Sorry. Um, it's a really clever song, I love the whistling that Flake mixed in. Probably a keyboard filter, but you never know. In the english version they had to re-write the lyrics and so I didn't care for it as much. When a band has to change what their song is about to appeal to other people that's just sad. We should all be open to everything.

3: Tier (Beast): The song about the beast that dwells inside every man. Ooooh, catchy and fast with a great opening and chorus. Again great mixing in and FX throughout the song. Clever and smashing.

4: Bestrafe Mich (Punish me): When I first heard this cd I knew nothing about the band and thought that there were two people singing together until I got it again and realized it's just ONE PERSON: Till, one of my idols now-a-days. His vocals here are INCREDIBLE- or incredible enough to sound like two seperate people @_@ This song has great music to it too and altogether it one of the best on the cd.

5: Du Hast (You Have): Not to be confused with the word "Hasst" which means "Hate" This song is a lyrical genious to me (despite the repetetivity). The song is about getting married and has german plays on words in it, so when they did an english version, again they had to re-write it and it lost the impact *cries* It has a beautiful melody and is just marvelous. This song was also what got them reknowned over in america.

6: Buck Dich (Bend Down): Gotta love this song. It's so catchy and though I haven't seen I hear that the live performance is scandalous (laughs evily) It's great and has very good lyrics as well. The music is so cool and again has great mixings on it. Till's speaking is so rythmic its fabulous.

7: Spiel Mit Mir (Play With Me) This song has one of the creepiest melodies I've ever heard. It belongs in some scary movie (they're on a lot of soundtracks, so it probably is somewhere) A song about incest- but it's really good despite that. Really! It's so brooding and foreboding.

8: Klavier (Piano): This is my favorite song on the cd actually. I think I have a habit of liking the odd songs of theirs best. This song is the prettiest on this album and has INCREDIBLE words. It's so touching and poniant. The earnest melody line and double vocals Till does (along with some beautiful deep humming) are spectacular. The song is about a boy watching a girl play the piano and he kills her. It gives me goosebumps listening to this song it's so haunting. The best line is when he says "And when she played I held my breath" giving it this feeling of anticipation and expectance at the same time of turmoil. It's great.

9: Alter Mann (Old Man): This song has some incredible lyrics as well. I love how they can mix their music so that they play mega-heavy guitar riffs but still make it a slow pretty song. You know you're a good musician when you can accomplish this. This song is about learing a lesson from an old man. Toughtful and brilliantly done. You know sometimes I think I compliment this band too much, but they really do a good job with their music!

10: Eifersucht (Jealousy): Ah, no gothic band is complete without writing a song on this topic! This time Jealousy is a cannibalistic cuissine! Hurray! Declaring lines like "I am more handsome; cut up my face" and what not he reduces himself down to a tasty hacked up meal. This song is not for those of weak heart, or else just never read the translations.

11: Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch) (Kiss Me {Furfrog}) Ah, an interesting song to say the least. It's really got a super catchy chorus and has the strangest sound FX I've ever heard them use, sounding like a cartoon is playing in the background or something. It's really catchy and has a great piano/techno mixed solo that lasts a few seconds but is really good! This is a good cruising song. I can totally drive in the car jamming to this- which may not be exactly safe, but is enjoyable.

And the optional:

12: Stripped: I believe this is a remake actually, but that doesn't make it any less good. It's great- in fact it's the most addictive of their songs I've ever heard. After only listening to it twice I had this song in my head for a week- and so did my sister and brother and they'd only heard it once. It's catchy and the vocals are really cool. So is the keyboards and the guitars on this song. It's really was a good choice to cover, if that's what it is. Another really good techno solo provided by Flake. And TADA! We're finished; it's time to push the repeat button and listen to this cd again- trust me, you'll want to!

Most people became Rammstein fans or checked into Rammstein after hearing the song "Du Hast" on the radio. That might be this German group's biggest hit single, but there are several other very good songs on here, and the album as a whole is also very good. And honestly, who cares what "du hast" means? Let it mean whatever you want it to mean! Or just ignore the lyrics, and listen to that song because it's catchy and has good music.

Rammstein have always been a solid and underrated/overlooked band, because most Americans can't get past the language barrier. I'll admit, I couldn't either, at first, but then I started listening to it just for the music and I started to really like "Sehnsucht."

"Sehnsucht" is the sound of industrial metal done right. Rammstein aren't heavy on the synthesizers; they riff more than some industrial bands (i.e. Nine Inch Nails) would ever dream of. But, unlike some (other) metal bands, Rammstein actually have rhythm. The riffs aren't dominating or super heavy; they make a "chugga chugga" sound, which often makes the rhythms worthy of a toe-tapping. And sprinkle on some keyboards and bells, and the result is an album which is truly worthy of the label "dance metal."

The title track tosses in some beeping, buzzing synths in between the heavy chugging guitar riffs and thumping drums. There's a good, mechanical vibe flowing throughout this song, and this song also has a catchy refrain.

"Engel" falls into a top-tapping groove, when the guitars and synths kick in, but this song is a personal favorite because it uses some pretty female vocals well.

The beginning and end of "Tier" sounds partially acoustic, and the middle has more fast, rhythmic chugging guitars.

"Bestrafe Mich" has riffs which are so chunky, they sound like slow buzzsaw riffs. A synth solo is included near the end, also.

"Du Hast" has the usual guitars and drum noise, but thanks to the twinkling synthesizers (at the beginning and near the end), this song might be the catchiest on the album.

"Buck Dich" features pounding, booming riffs which are great for banging your head to.

"Spiel Mit Mir" begins with high pitched vocals and even some violin plucking, and then the crunchy riffs kick in.

"Klavier" begins with some real singing and light, piano keys, but the big power chords and raised vocals make an appearance for the brooding choruses.

"Alter Mann" has more repetitive chugga-chugga guitar work, but the drums in the background make an almost aquatic sound.

"Eifersucht" features another very catchy rhythm, with grooving guitars. Most of the singing is deep and snarly, but there are some backing vocals which sound almost like laughter.

"Kuss Mich" is, musically, like any other track on here, but this song has some animated and almost funny sound effects.

The hidden track, "Stripped," is sung in English, so it's surprising. Plus, the vocals are slow (almost spoken words), so this song is also quite creepy.

So, it would be wise of you to get past the language barrier (or just listen to this C.D. for the music), because I've looked up the lyrics online and they're not that great. Other than that, though, this C.D. is solid from front to black. All metal collections need some industrial metal, and Rammstein do this genre very well, so all metalheads (and all fans of dance metal and bands like KMFDM) should definitely check this album out!

Rammestein is one of the most original hard rock bands in the market. In a music scene where a lot of bands cut and paste from others Rammestein are one of the rare few which stand on their own. Well, when your lead singer sounds like the goddamn cookie monster (Till Lindemann)that can't really be too hard. But that's not all. Behind their head stomping, muscular tunes that can make your testorine levels soar into new heighs just through hearing some songs (Try Buck Dich, then you'll know what I mean) Rammestein are extremly musically talented. With songs liked Engel and DuHast they made the synthesisers their trademark. Also their guitar work is brutal, atmospheric and assault you like a thunderstorm (eg: the opener Sensucht, again Du-Hast and the brilliant Spiel Mit Mir). But all the other reviewers were correct: Live is where Rammestein are at their most brutal best. Their pyrotechnics, the thumping guitars, the eeire synthesisers all coordiante together to create a visual and listening experience I never seen before. Please get the Family Values tour video and see them perform Buck Dicsh. This album made me a true believer in Rammestein, (I purchased their fist album Herezeleid, the following say) and hard rock. They are a very cold breath of fresh air.

Okay, here's a tip: As a fluent German speaker, I understand their lyrics. I also know that most of the translations you find online are dreadful. Rammstein uses a highly idiomatic language from Berlin, and it's rather colorful. If you don't get it, it's hard to translate. "Du Hast" means "You Have". The song, however, has to do with rejection. Hence, "You Hate". Sehnsucht means "longing", and that's what this album is all about.

Sehnsucht is Rammstein's first "commercial" album. It lyrics are painful, and for the most part about, well, "sehnsucht". The rhythms are a blend of punk, techno, heavy metal, and industrial. There's a primal feel to all of their music, and this album is certainly a good example of it.

One reviewer said it's repetative. So what? So is Phillip Glass. So is Iron Maiden. The Beatles had trouble getting away from a I-IV-V-I progression. Rammstein is doing it for effect. This is very sexual music, and the rhythms reflect that. (If you understood the German, and Berlin idioms, it's a whole lot easier to pick this up.)

Rammstein's lyrics are no worse, and are probably better, than most metal bands floating around the world today. "Du Hast" hit the airwaves the same time as Korn's "adidas", the lyrics of which are as juvenile as they get.

Rammstein is melodic, dark, primal, and, sometimes very witty. They mask quite a few things in ironies, a literary device the Germans haven't forgotten. Check out this album, and then go pick up the other ones.

Ok, here the rammstein "du hast" lyrics translatet by a real german ;o)- it`s not easy because the englisch and german gramma is very different. i will try it as an direct translation.

du (you)

du hast (you had)

du hast mich (you had me)

du hast mich gefragt (you (have) asked me)

und ich hab nichts gesagt (and i (have) said nothing)

willst du bist der tod euch scheidet (do you want untill death separetes you)

treu ihr sein für alle tage? (be faithfull to her for all coming days?)

nein (No)

willst du bis zum tod der scheide (do you want untill the vaginas death)

sie lieben auch in schlechten tagen (love her in bad days too)

nein (No)

Hast in german means "have" in the simple past and not "hate" (hasst - two s). But in spoken language it is the same word. So in the lyrics of "du hast" it is a game with words of the musicans. it's like the game with the words "scheidet" (seperates) and "scheide" (vagina)

This along with mutter is my favorite rammstein CD. This release is about exactly what you would expect from the band and there is little experimentation, just full fledged rammstein. I love the keyboards and synthesizers as well, which are absent in some of rammsteins later albums. My favorite song on here and from rammstein is "Bueck Dich", which literally means bend down. The topics on here are pretty disturbing but what else would you expect from rammstein? My favorite song include: Sehnsucht, Engel, Du Hast, Buck Dich, Spiel Mit Mir, Eifersucht. Eifersucht (jealousy) kind of reminds me of Laichzeit from rammstein's previous album, the rythms are just so catchy its hard not to like. Rammstein also continues its trend of having 11 songs and one slow song on the album. In this case its Klavier (piano) and this song is still pretty good. Its a nice change and shows off tills ability to drasitcally change the pitch in his voice (the other songs he sings in such a low voice). Also, I love Engel, it starts out so eriley, kind of giving you the feeling that Heirate mich did from their last album. Overall I'd say this one of the best rammstein albums and a great one to start you collection on. The US version has some english song named "stripped" which really isnt that great but all the other songs are fantastic. This is classic rammstein, you wont be disappointed

This CD is incredible! The guitar work is fantastic. This collection of songs really gets me pumped up and eager to learn their riffs. Sehnsucht is a must for those who appreciate razor edged fretwork with some heavy electronica types of sounds. I agree with another fan that this is Ministry (Rape & Honey thru Psalm 69) meets Depeche Mode with some NIN and Stabbing Westward, too. It's refreshing to discover what other countries have to offer in the ever so great and wide world of rock music and not be concerned about the language barrier. Me, I speak German and I have really been into German bands for many years and have been listening to Falco, Kraftwerk and others since high school (early 80's). If you really love stuff like Rammstein and don't mind a bit of intellectualism, I strongly suggest you try Einsturzende Neubauten. They are the pioneers of pure, minimalist industrial music which later evolved into Ministry, Skinny Puppy, et al. They recorded their! first album under a bridge. The only instrumentation used were banging pipes, glass, wood and other types of metal objects together and machines, with of course, vocals and a hint of guitar. It's kinda tribal, but really eerie. In later works, they incorporated guitars and then synthesizers without losing the cerebral quality to their lyrics. Such instrumentation most likely influenced bands like Ministry (aren't we glad they changed their sound after Twitch?!). As for Rammstein, Sehnsucht is a wise addition to my eclectic CD collection and should be added to yours!

This album is definitely fighting for the title of Rammstein's best album, and is definitely up there for the top industrial rock album of all times.

First, let me explain what the term Industrial Rock means:
Industrial rock is basically heavy metal/hard rock, combined with elements from both techno and pop. When done right, as in this case, it creates not a cheezy, poppy effct, but an incredibly heavy rock song. Industrial rock is NOT Korn. Korn sucks. Industrial rock is Marilyn Manson, Rob/White Zombie, some Nine Inch Nails songs, Hanzel und Gretyl, some KMFDM, especially their latest, WWIII. And most of all, Industrial Rock is NOT David Bowie. (While that is occasionally good music) It's not even rock.

1) Sehnsucht (Longing)--the title track of this album is incredible. The vocals are great, the guitars are sharp, and the beat is fas and hard. A quintessential Industrial Rock song. The lyrics are about a guy who screws a girl while she's asleep.

2)Engel (Angel)--This song is good too, with a slower, hippier beat that makes the video's setting (a strip club) easy to believe. It also features a background singer, a woman named Bobo, who plays the voice of the angel, which is a nice contrast to Till Lindemann's harsh growl. Also notable about this track is that the instrumental version was combined with a rap song by Eminem called "Slim Shady," which was very cool. This song is about going to hell.

3) Tier (Animal)--This is an awesome song. It starts out with a trippy line on the accoustic guitar, then slams into the full fury of Rammstein. This song is about a guy who sleeps with his daughter until his wife kills him.

4)Bestrafe Mich (Punish Me)--This song is cool as well, with a slightly more poppy sond than some of the other ones. The song is about someone who wants to be punished, and I think with some religeous allegory.

5) Du Hast (You Have)--This song has a total of about ten words (Du -- du has t-- du hast mich. Repeated a lot of times, and then the chorus). It has a really cool guitar riff, and an awesome chorus that sounds like opera turned gothic, but there is an annoying techno blip to it. The song is about renouncing wedding values.

6) Buch Dich (Bend Down)--An awesome, really hard song with a slamming beat and guitars, sadistic vocals, and a cool 'solo' ish thing at the end. It's about homosexual rape.

7) Spiel Mit Mir (Play with me)--from the start of this song, it's apparent that it's going to be evil. It starts out with a low string line, a single note repeated many times, with children laughing barely audible in the background. Then the guitars kick in, and it's a mid tempo, pounding song, with more operatic vocals and a guitar solo that sounds like something you would hear in a murder scene of a movie. In fact, they should use the whole song in some horror movie. The song is about an incestuous relationship between two small children.

8) Klavier (Piano)-- this song is pretty good, as far as ballads go. It's pretty sad, but about halfway through it gets downright suicidal when the guitars start. It's about a guy who dates a girl who plays her piano in a locked room until her mother and father find out and beat him to death.

9)Alter Mann (Old Man)--this is the only REALLY bad song on the CD. I hate it; it's just a boring, pointless song that seems to go nowhere, with lackluster vocals and not enough tempo. It's about an old man who dies, basically.

10) Eifersucht (Jealousy)- This is a cool song, but not nearly as cool as any of the first seven songs. It has a low, pounding beat and evil, psychotic sounding vocals. It's about a guy who's making threats to someone who is jealous of him, telling him to remove whatever he's jealous of.

11) Kuss Mich (Kiss Me)--An okay song, but the vocals are too high, and not suited for the sadistic content. It's about rape, basically. And about killing someone by beating them to death with your tounge.

Overall, the album is great, even though it seems to lose much of its intensity after the first eight songs.

10/10

I've had this album since Du Hast was released on the radio, and it is awesome, perfect when I'm in a thumpin' kind of mood. I'm not your typical hard music fan (professional, married, stepmom of 3!), but I've nearly blown the speakers at home and in my car on this one a few times. Just wicked!!

The album is excellent, but i would just like to clear up one thing: Du Hast DOES NOT mean you hate!!!!

that is a very common misconception

Du hast means you have

the song is about marriage vows

You

you have *

you have me

you have asked me

you have asked me and I have said nothing

Do you want, until death seperates you,

to be faithful to her for all days

No