Not Rock On

Unfortunately the license for MP3 on my Nero 6 version ran out, so I have to save songs from my LPs in MP4. After a bit of googling I found a MP4 Plugin for MediaMonkey, the tool I use to administrate my music collection. This plugin came from a Winamp site, so Winamp should be able to play this file format too. Anybody who has an MP3 key for my prog (not just any codec, it has to work with N**o) will be granted with a unique download aka a special wish posted directly to his mailbox! KEEP LOOKING IN THE ARCHIVE! UPDATE - I will soon repost the mp4 files as zip files with single mp3s! I found a way by using LAME!

This was an LP that was a shock to normal Rock critics : it sounded absolutely fantastic (I haven't heard many records that sounded that good at the time and still!), it had great songs and great melodies, everything from Pop to Reggae . They had this great drummer Fe Wolter, he knew everything from Bossa over Reggae to Punk. But,what more could you want from a record after more than 20 years? And it bombed. I don't know how many they actually sold, it was way too less!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Listen to these fine melodies! der Moderne Man - Unmodern.zip

I first heard of Der Moderne Man on John Peel's Music on BFBS first. Saturday night after midnight and this Modern Day Guru told me about the music that was happening only 150 kms away from me, what a shame! He played a few songs from the Live 33/45. Of course I got it, then "Unmodern", the fantastic LP they released in 82, hear it to beleive the grat sound! der Moderne Man - Verstimmt.zip Finally you get it as zip file containig all the mp3!

Mel Brooks did a great rewrite (if this is possible) of Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be. That was a movie dealing with actors being on the verge between being shot or not, in Warsaw in the war. In an Ernst Lubitsch Screwball way the story moves to its peak, I can't tell it here, you have to see it! This is a special extended version of the 7" A + B sides from 1983, I joined on the PC. Mel Brooks - To be or not to be (7" A + B side remix)

This is one of the first examples of New Music in the late 70's, I heard. This one was presented on NDR2 by Gerd Timmermanns. He played this close to Biomutanten by Conny Plank and Holger Czukay. Les Vampyrettes - Biomutanten / Menetekel 12" I had my transistor radio (that is an mp3 player you don't control to you, Kids) next to me when I was cleaning the cows stable and listened to very strange music. The cows didn't complain. This is where SynthiPop started, real earnest art! Yet still fantastic melodies! Zang Zang Zang Zang - That is what this record is about, at least for me. The lyrics set in and it get's more eerie. This was one of the initial records for me, RC is still around. Robin Crutchfield Support him! He is THE ORIGINAL, Co-founder of DNA with Arto Lindsay! Robin Crutchfield - Hands in the dark

Well, Germans don't always talk Philosopy! But they like to laugh! Really! Monty Python - Philosopher's Song

At the moment this blog is a little football (soccer) orientated, but I can't help it! Last night our team was in the first 1/8-final game against Sweden. AND THEY WON!!! We had a lot of respect, when we heard we had to play Sweden, but fortunately the game was a game, two goals in the first 12 minutes. Who would have expected this??? Well not me, but I am happy, so I continue the happy vibe with Kettcar - Ich danke der Academy a great popsong. You can learn more about this fantastic pop band here : KETTCAR This is one for the future: Maximilian Hecker - Cold Wind Blowing and another nice one from the past: The Slits - So tough   Maybe the next one is not so anger-inducing now anymore, a great song with a great video, showing how the people worked to build up again, which you can see further up in this blog. Paul van Dyk & Peter Heppner - Wir sind wir A song that is trying to show some patriotism, that until now always has been hidden or shown by the wr...

I don't want to sound ignorant or arrogant, but my team won today! At the moment it is 3:0 against Ecuador. A great fight between the two sides. Peter Igelhoff - Wenn ich vergnügt bin, muß ich singen I changed the song to the original version from 1936 because I later posted the whole Grosse Freiheit EP .

This is the B-side to the Kommissar 7" on ZickZack ZZ 11, which Rich posted on his fantastic Mein Walkman ist kaputt Wirtschaftswunder - Kommissar / Television 7" ZZ 11 On this repost I have included the A-side as well as the covers! Unfortunately Mein Walkman ist kaputt seems to be offline...

As you might have noticed, the Football (soccer) World Championship is happening now in Germany. Our team started pretty good, so the mood in the public is great. Great peaceful matches, people from all over the world enjoying, even the weather is great! This started something pretty strange. Germany had (with a reason) hesitations to show patriotism. For the first time now, having the competition in our country, people are taking joy in showing the colours without having to be called Nazis. I think this is a good thing, 16 years after reunification and all the fears that came with this in the countries around us. And there were and still are enough examples of the ugly German to be seen, especially in the East. But now it's time to just enjoy the great mood in the country, thanks also to almost 60 years of democracy! "Das ist Demokratie, langweilig wird sie nie!" Andreas Dorau - Demokratie 1988 For this repost I included the B-side and the covers.

This was one of my first ZickZack Singles. At that time I think I was the only one to buy these 7" at this alternative shop (I think the name was Eulenspiegel) in Lüchow, the only that had anything like this. I immediately liked the beat and the flow, Ska was all around. It took about 15 years 'til I discovered, that this was a Caribbean masterpiece! I will soon discover the origins of these songs! Ede & die Zimmermänner - ZZ 7" Single 1980 (Zip-file) Watch the archives for DIE ZIMMERMÄNNER - GOETHE , the fantastic LP from 1984!

Dalston Oxfam Shop and Mein Walkman Ist Kaputt posted the first links to my blog! Thanks guys!

In 1980 this EP was a sign, against the ProgRock peers and against society, at least we thought so. Computerstaat is still a very strong and radical piece of music. In the end of 1982 everyone in Germany (including me) was mesmerized by Nena's red leather mini skirt, but Abwärts still got their message along. After Beirut Holiday Inn in 82 they got a little out of focus but they still have their purpose! Abwärts - Computerstaat EP (zip file)

Finally the soccer World Cup started today! My team started with a 4:2 against Costa Rica. We are still worried about the defense, but the offense did great. The opening ceremony was pretty neat too. And finally I like the WM song by Herbert Grönemeyer, normally he sometimes is pretty dull, but his song for the WM is great, all drums and chants, very African. Unfortunately I don't have it yet, but you get the inofficial hymn by Sportfreunde Stiller, a popular band from Bavaria with a love for football (soccer). They released a whole album of football songs (You have to win Zweikampf) . The hit is 54 74 90 2006, combining the years when Germany won the Cup in an equation : 54 x 74 -1990 = 2006! So we have to win again! Sportfreunde Stiller - 54 74 90 2006 I hope you enjoy the Cup as well! ADD : The Sportis released a new version of this song after Germany was defeated by Italy in the semi-final : 54 74 90 2010 with slightly altered lyrics. The maths don't work anymore, but they...

A very rare soundbite by one of Germany's top comedians of the 50s and 60s and the early 70s (unfortunately Heinz Erhardt could not talk anymore after a stroke in 71, very hard as he worked with words brilliantly!). This is a promo flexi single in gold by Heinz Erhardt for Herrenhäuser Diplomat Bier in his typical style of funny wordplay. I found it on a fleamarket and just slid it into another 7" I bought, nasty me... Have a nice long weekend! Heinz Erhardt - Diplomat Bier You should understand German to appreciate this!