Customer Reviews

Ute Lemper - Berlin Cabaret Songs

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I recieved this disc for review when I was a radio station DJ about three years ago. However the disc I got, which was on Polygram, was in English. So try to get the English disc if you don't speak German - the translations are great, you'd think the songs were written in English. It has the same title I think, if it is still available. One other reviewer here said that he found the album more relevant to his life than the entire top 40 and I say 'hear, hear' to that. And Ms. Lemper's heffy Cherman eccent is delightful!

A beautiful album, dripping with emotions: longing, irony, cynicism, sarcasm, love (yes, love), anger, humor. And Ute Lemper transmits those emotions like no other performer I know. At least some of the song writers/composers fled to the US to escape Nazi Germany, and had distinguished careers here, too. The songs are beautiful, with meaningful lyrics that aren't just the blindingly obvious ideas and sentimentality offered by a lot of recent "political" songs.

I love this album. Despite not speaking German and (at the time of purchase) not knowing anything about cabaret culture or Ute Lemper, this has become one of my favorite records. The songs sound silly and sweet at first listen, and are a stylistic treat. Ute Lemper has a beautiful voice with remarkable depth and range -- even when you don't now what she's singing about, it's still very enjoyable. The orchestral accompaniment is just about perfect. When you do listen to the lyrics, never fear-- there's full lyrics and translations in the liner notes, which are exceedingly helpful and useful. The songs are mainly about politics, sex, and survival, and are ironic, humurous, and occasionally bittersweet. Even though these songs are from another country and another time, I find that they are much more relevant to my life and times than the entire Top 40 Hit Parade. This record is worth it-- as are Ute Lemper's other albums (I can especially recommend Punishing Kiss, Illusions, and City of Strangers.)

I have recently become interested in German cabaret music, and this CD is just what i've been looking for. I think the music quality is sensational, and Ms. Lemper has an outstanding voice and personality which make this compilation that more enjoyable. Overall a great buy. I recommend this album to anyone who love German music.

Wow! This beautiful and immensely talented dame knows how to thrill. The album is absolutely superb. And auf Deutsch! There are many jazzy and big band type numbers and some that are a little more folky. But the satire, the humour, the depth of the lyrics, along with the pure artistry and sophistication Ute Lemper brings to the material is quite refreshing, despite the fact that some uncomfortable and depressing topics are covered. What a relief, a modern artist that encourages her audience actually to think! Thank you so much Ute for such a treasure and bringing these important songs to our attention; with all that is going on in our politics and the world these Berlin songs are even more poignant for our times than one may suppose.

`Berlin Cabaret Songs' by Ute Lemper are issued as part of London recording company's `Entartete Musik' series or music suppressed by the Third Reich. One of the very best things about this issue is the fact that Ms. Lemper and London have issued the album in two versions. One is in the original German and one is sung entirely in English.

For starters, I strongly suggest you listen to both, but if you simply have no interest in listening to the German version, I will reassure you that the English performance is musically virtually identical to the German. The instrumentals almost sound as if they were done Kareoke style, with Ms. Lemper's English or German mixed in afterwards. I'm almost certain this was not actually done, as the translations probably changed a few things here and there about the meter of the lyrics, but I could find nothing in the instrumental or vocal performances to prefer in one over the other, except for the genuine experience of hearing it the same way as the cabaret audiences in Berlin would hear it.

Ms. Lemper's English interpretations, as they are in all her earlier albums, is impecible. It also seems to be about as accent free as you can imagine. Not only is it free of German inflections, it is free of a British accent as well, so it should sound great to American ears.

The first thing which strikes me about the lyrics of these songs is that to my ear, there is practically nothing which is critical or even satiric of a specific government. There is not even much which is sexually explicit, let alone lewd. Some pieces from Kurt Weill in `Mahagonny' may be more objectionable than most songs in this album. One thing that tells us is exactically how extremely conservative the Nazis were about any art whatsoever. The most strident politically oriented song is in favor of women's rights and makes no mention of the Nazi government or any other political party for that matter.

The only weakness of the album may be that virtually all this material is unfamiliar to the average listener, so we don't have the pleasure of seeing how Ms. Lemper does a new version of, for example, `Bilbao Song' or Jacques Brel's `Amsterdam'. But then, I relish any chance whatsoever to hear Ms. Lemper sing. She is still fresh and free of the kind of syrupy sweetness we get from, for example, Barbra Streisand, these days from her `Guilty Pleasures' album.

I love this album. Despite not speaking German and (at the time of purchase) not knowing anything about cabaret culture or Ute Lemper, this has become one of my favorite records. The songs sound silly and sweet at first listen, and are a stylistic treat. Ute Lemper has a beautiful voice with remarkable depth and range -- even when you don't now what she's singing about, it's still very enjoyable. The orchestral accompaniment is just about perfect. When you do listen to the lyrics, never fear-- there's full lyrics and translations in the liner notes, which are exceedingly helpful and useful. The songs are mainly about politics, sex, and survival, and are ironic, humurous, and occasionally bittersweet. Even though these songs are from another country and another time, I find that they are much more relevant to my life and times than the entire Top 40 Hit Parade. This record is worth it-- as are Ute Lemper's other albums (I can especially recommend Punishing Kiss, Illusions, and City of Strangers.)

Collection of 1920s and 1930s cabaret songs that were later forbidden as most of composers were jewish.
Lemper obviously love this material and she has a great fun with it - they demand both acting and singing talent and she is perhaps born to do this,always makes me wonder why Marlene Dietrich never recorded this as she actually started singing "Das Lila Lied" in cabarets of the time.(And claimed she didn't know what was the song about,hm)
Lemper sings them in mock-old fashioned style but goes soft when song need it.Real actress.Of course her pronunciation is spotless and she acts different characters in each song.
Surprisingly enough,althought this material comes from bygone era,it sounds modern enough that even today audience will enjoy it - seems that human stupidity,greed,lust,narcissm and obssesions basically never changed - put it on any stage and audience will roar with laughter.
I laughed out loud on many occasions while listening this.
For those who don't understand german,english translations are also provided in booklet and english version of this album is also recorded,althought I never heard it.
Highlights: "Sex appeal" (send up to Garbo),"Peter" (o.k. at least Marlene Dietrich recorded that one) and hillarious "Tamerlan" where lady complains that world is full of wimps and daydreams about some "Attila The Hun" to come and brutalise her just a little bit.I dare you not to laugh when you hear this.
Ah yes,music itself is also very very good.

Sencillamente extraordinario, la maravillosa voz de Ute Lemper nos hace vivir unos momentos de fantasía y alegría indescriptibles. Muchas de mis secciones musicales terminan con éste maravilloso disco (Obviamente que lo tiene que comprar cantado en Alemán). Es uno de mis discos favoritos y tengo más de 2.500 CDs.

300% RECOMENDADO

This rarely heard music is extremely interesting and gives great insight into musical life in Germany in the 20's and early 30's. Ute Lemper as always is amazing.