Error in the System/Fehler Im System

Peter Schilling

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 11, 2008)
• Original Release Date: November 11, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B001G2S4B8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,968 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Only Dreams

2. Lifetime Guarantee

3. Noah Plan

4. Error in the System

5. Major Tom (Coming Home)

6. Major Tom, Pt. 2

7. (Let's Play) U.S.A.

8. I Have No Desire

9. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night)

10. ...Dann Trügt der Schein

11. Fast Alles Konstruiert

12. Wüste Lebt

13. Fehler im System

14. Major Tom (Vollig Losgelost)

15. Major Tom

16. U.S.A.

17. Ich Hab' Keine Lust

18. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Peter Schilling is probably best known for his new wave hit "Major Tom" from the album Error In The System which got all the way up to # 61 on the Billboard charts in 1983. This unique two-fer also including the German version of this album, Fehler Im System.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! It's about time!, February 9, 2009

By	Michael Smith "betamax001" (Woodstock, IL) - See all my reviews

I became a fan of Peter Schilling like most people in America-through his hit single "Major Tom (Coming Home)." My mom was complaining that she couldn't get the English version of that song on itunes, so after looking it up on youtube, I instantly became hooked to that song. I found the Different Story album very cheap on Amazon and got it. I never heard any other song by Peter and was floored about how awesome the disc was. Looking up more about the album I came across Error in the System. Much to my disappointment the album was never issued on CD. About a year went by, and I decided to look up Peter Schilling on Amazon for no real reason. Much to my suprise, Wounded Bird Records re-issued the original Error in the System album on CD with the original German version, Fehler im System. I scrounged up some cash and bought the CD right away. Just like the Different Story album, Error in the System was amazing and the re-mastering was top notch. Every song was just as good, from the familiar beats and sounds of "Major Tom" and "The Noah Plan" to new favorites such as "I Have No Desire" and "Only Dreams," this album is a must own for any fan of 80's pop music or good music in general. The German versions of some of my favorite songs was very intriguing to hear, though I usually don't listen to those. The only flaw I could think of the re-issue was the extremely bland and boring cover art. I've made better covers then this. But no matter, it's the music that matters right? I just hope Wounded Bird follows up with a Things to Come/120 Grad reissue soon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring back the 80's, June 8, 2009

By	Juan F. Zamora - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bough this album on cassette back in 1983. It was one of my favorite albums, I will play it over and over. So much that I can now sing some of the german version of the songs. I spent over 20 years looking for a CD version of this album to no avail, I was wondering if this album was ever to be release. Finally after a long wait someone decided to release it.

While Major Tom was the most popular song here in the states, this album has other great tunes,I have no Desire and Lifetime Guarantee been my two favorites. It is a shame that with all the crap that's has come out lately such a great album could be forgotten.

I believe that Peter Schilling was one of the most underrated singers in the 80's.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sci-Fi Sociocriticism/Sci-Fi Loneliness (in English & German), March 11, 2009

By	Alan E. - See all my reviews

Peter Schilling performs songs of loneliness against a believable backdrop of science fiction and fatalism. Social commentary is made within an Apocalyptic, now-or-never framework, and this seems to be an agreeable formula for the bright, serious German man.

These songs are available here in both Schilling's native tongue and in English. ERROR IN THE SYSTEM/FEHLER IM SYSTEM features Schilling's big international hit "Major Tom," whose final lyrics leave you wondering if the character created by David Bowie in "Space Oddity" may have deliberately left his home on Planet Earth and chosen outer space. In "The Noah Plan/die Wueste lebt," Schilling manages to create the credible, frenetic-yet-fated feel of a world running out of time. "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" is a haunting modern retelling of the Christmas classic with sociocritical commentary: "Weil keiner mehr richtig dem andern vertraut/Man statt vertrauen nur Grenzen aufbaut" ("Since nobody really trusts anyone else, instead of trust we just build up walls"). The new lyrics are moving--but not in the same way as the original. They make you think of what is lacking in society instead of what is really there. And "(Let's Play) U. S. A." is a biting satire on life among ultracapitalists who often care more about profit and prestige than venerable humanistic values and customs.

Peter Schilling seems to have a way with these TWILIGHT ZONE-esque, all-alone-at-the-end-of-the world themes: He perceptively points out what is wrong with the world and what is right with the universe. Even if he delves into a similar fatalistic mindset on some of the tunes, he does it in a fresh way so that you don't get bored with it. Peter Schilling's music is not given to extravagance or excess but is nontheless enjoyable, meaningful and thought-provoking. Schilling's voice is that of Everyman but with noteworthy insight and intelligence. Moreover, in his unique loner delivery, he feels sincerely but doesn't mince words. There's no towel-wringing or head-banging. But by the time you're finished listening, you are aware that something deep and devoted has been explored.

On the English takes, he sings without much of a German accent so he's easy to understand. The translations are also not stilted. They sound very natural.

(Portions of this review were written by me before I became a formal member of Amazon and published as a critique for the Peter Schilling disc A DIFFERENT STORY, which combines material from his two English-language CD's.)