Search - Udo Jurgens :: Aber Bitte Mit Sahne

GREAT MUSIC FOR LISTENING OR PUMPING UP THE PARTY.

LOYD WIERMANS (lwiermans@ozemail.co | AUSTRALIA | 10/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AT LAST I HAVE UDO IN MY CD COLLECTION. I HEARD MUCH OF UDO ON THE RADIO WHILST I LIVED IN GERMANY BUT NEVER THOUGHT TO BUY ANY RECORDINGS. I ENJOY LISTENING LISTENING TO THIS CD 'COS IT HAD MOST OF THE SONGS IN HIS REPOTOIRE & IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THEM AGAIN. I BELIEVE UDO TO BE A VERY ACCOMPLISHED AND DEDICATED MUSICIAN WHO SINGS WITH AS MUCH STIRRING GUSTO AS HE PLAYS THE PIANO. FORTUNATELY BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND GERMAN I HAVE THE EXTRA BENEFIT OF UNDERSTANDING THE LYRICS WHICH IN THEMSELVES ARE INTERESTING. BUT EVEN WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LYRICS YOU CAN ENJOY THIS MUSIC BY SIMPLY LISTENING OR YOU CAN USE IT TO MAKE A PARTY SWING ."

Good selection of Udo Jürgens' best-known songs

LOYD WIERMANS (lwiermans@ozemail.co | 05/13/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Making a selection from Udo Jürgens' repertoire: a repertoire spanning 30 years and over 500 songs, with musical styles ranging from pop to jazz and classical, could never be easy. This well-arranged CD has made a good attempt. The famous Udo songs are naturally here- 'Siebzehn Jahr, blondes Haar'; 'Ich war noch niemals in New York' ; 'Griechisher Wein', and of course the marvellously satirical 'Aber bitte mit Sahne'. The versions featured here (1967-1991) cover most of his career although technically the tear-jerker 'Merci Cherie' and 'Warum nur Warum' are older. Incidentally, both were Austrian Eurovision Song Contest entries, with Merci Cherie winning in 1966. If a song was ever written to show off Udo's voice it has to be the latter one: pure rich black-velvet power! The collection shows the subtle change in his style over the years, from the 'crooner' 'Immer wieder geht die Sonne aus' to the electro-pop influence of 1991's 'Na und..?'. Whatever the period though, he remains true to his unique mix of jazz, big band and classical-influenced pop. Swinging between satire ('Ein ehrenwertes Haus' , 'mit 66 Jahren'), romance ('Merci Cherie') to the upbeat 'Hautnah' and the fragile hope in 'Ihr von Morgen', he manages to cover most human moods. No Udo 'greatest hits' would be complete without an example of his charismatic live performances and here we have a 9-minute version of the moody '5 Minuten vor 12' with full orchestration. Also included are a selection of the medleys that are such a popular feature of his concerts. Having for many years written the team songs for Germany's World Cup Soccer team, it is natural to have one here: 1978's 'Buenos Dias Argentina' with its distinctly Latin feel. OK, so what's the downside to this CD? Well, as a collection of Udo Jürgens' music, it's precisely what the subtitle says: his greatest hits. As with all compilations, the commercial big guns are here, for that's what sells; but it can never truly reflect the man's range and unfortunately, by definition, misses some of his lovliest songs. To be fair however, I find it difficult to see how one CD could achieve this scope. Also, more sleeve information would have been a bonus. If you like Udo Jürgens, you probably have this already. If you're just browsing, don't speak much or any German but are curious: just try it for the music - you might just find something you recognise. It will be a cover of the Udo Jürgens' original..."

Un po' demodè, ma sempre di grande effetto

LOYD WIERMANS (lwiermans@ozemail.co | 07/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Peccato che in Italia i cantanti tedeschi non siano molto popolari"