When I first got into Rammstein, I was told that Sehnsucht and Mutter were the two records I needed to listen to to understand Rammstein. At the time, I was quite surprised to find that I did not care for the album at all, and almost (almost, almost) abandoned checking out the rest of their discography due to it. I knew Du hast (who doesn't?), but other than a couple songs, I couldn't understand the hype.
Silly me. Perhaps I just wasn't ready at the time, but it clouded my vision for the record going forward. After listening to Mutter (and subsequently Herzeleid) I found that I loved the band, but always had it in the back of my head that Sehnsucht was not a great record. The more I've listened to it over the years, the more I have found myself to have initially been wrong.
1997's Sehnsucht was released with 6 different album covers - Spotify features drummer Christoph Schneider (bottom right on the composite collage seen below) and the one I've seen the most (including on Wikipedia) features singer Till Lindemann (top middle). When I first downloaded the album (shhh....), the cover featured was of keyboardist Flake Lorenz (bottom left).
Rammstein - Sehnsucht
11. Spiel mit mir
For a song whose title literally translates to "Play with me", Spiel mit mir is easily one of the most boring tracks in Rammstein's entire catalogue. And, of course, it's about incest. Because why not? In any full Rammstein ranking, this song would be bottom 10 for me.
10. Bück dich
One of the more infamous songs in R+'s arsenal, the band was arrested in Massachusetts for simulating a sexual act during this song, which led to them not playing in the United States for many years. Bück dich (Bend down) is another sexually charged song whose lyrics far outweight the music. I wouldn't say its a bad song, but it has never really stood out to be much more than that.
9. Sehnsucht
For all of the title tracks in Rammstein's history, Sehnsucht (Longing) is the only one for me that hits a sour note. It's definitely an interesting song, and like just about everything else they write, is rooted in sexual metaphors and colorful imagery. If Rammstein does do one thing great, it is chanting one or two word choruses over and over again to make them catchy.
8. Klavier
Klavier (Piano) is another one of those beautiful melodic songs that has a huge, explosive chorus and a great guitar/key solo that perfectly compliments it. There just isn't enough to fill in the rest of it other than the lyrical beauty. The dramatic ending is perfectly Rammstein, too, with the piano playing protagonist found dead at her post. This is another one of those songs that just sounds like 1997, which is still not the bands fault, but it just peels back the timelessness of their other songs.
7. Du hast
Go ahead and get all of your moaning out of the way now. Du hast has the most dull lyrics of anything Rammstein has ever written. The keyboards are immediately recognizable and make it for the perfect pulsing keyboard hit, and my buddy Frankie (singer for Rammstein tribute act FleischgewehR) says that is ranks as one of the greatest choruses ever. And, everyone knows Du hast. It was so popular that they released an English-lyric version, making the band even more accessible on the North American continent. I've just never thought of it as one of their best songs.
6. Tier
When I first listened to this album, I thought Tier (Animal) was absolutely the best song. Aaaand then I read the lyrics. Hahaha. Bestiality, incest, rape... hey, take your pick. These dudes are dark, but this song rips. One of the best riffs in their entire catalogue, in my opinion. You just have to not think about what its about, and move on to the next dark, dirty song. Haha.
5. Alter Mann
Conversely, when I first listened to Sehnsucht, I thought Alter Mann (Older Man) was a dull clunker. Half a lifetime later, I've come to respect the brilliance of Flake's keys, the driving guitars and Till's abrasive delivery. The lyrics are ambiguous enough that it can be interpreted into many different moods, which I think is a plus for any song. Rammstein's lyrical quality has such a wonderful duality between ambiguity and straight-forwardness.
4. Bestrafe mich
Bestrafe mich (Punish me) is such a tremendously heavy song, it's almost hard to believe it's on the same album as a song like Klavier. It's another one of those jams where everything is perfectly blended together, in the way that only the sado-masochistic NDH titans can. If the band had to have chosen another single for this record (they only chose Du hast and Engel), I think it definitely would've been Bestrafe.
3. Eifersucht
There aren't many songs with better keyboard openings than Eifersucht (Jealousy). As a whole, it's a fairly simple song with tanz-metal guitars and great keys... and of course, another singular word chorus chanted over and over again. Who doesn't love yelling Ei-Ei-Ei-Eifersucht!! While most R+ records go out on a somber note, Sehnsucht punches to the very last with Alter Mann, Eifersucht, and Küss mich.
2. Engel
Just about any R+ fan I know has Engel (Angel) in or at the top of their list for the entire band catalogue. It's a beautiful, fantastic and BIG song with guest vocals from German singer Bobo. Till is known to wear massive pyrotechnic angel wings when performing this one live. It's one of those songs where you hear it, even without knowing the lyrics, and you say "this is it. This is a great song". It's honestly hard to describe.
1. Küss mich (Fellfrosch)
Surprised?! Of course you are! I looked on Spotify, and the only songs in Rammstein's discography with less streams than Küss mich (Kiss me) are Das Alte Leid, Roter Sand, Ein Leid, and Mehr. Take that for what it is, as on every album other than Herzeleid, the closing track is the least (or second least) streamed. But for my money, this one is the best. The guitars are an absolute assault, Ollie Riedel's bass pulses and bounces throughout, and for reasons that nobody seems to know, Flake has old Looney Tunes sound effects sprinkled in. Musically it rips top to bottom - the perfect workout song. Lyrically (amusingly) it is a song about a girl who just wants some head but can't get it... maybe because she has bad hygeine habits. Fellfrosch is German slang for female genitalia - not to be said in polite company.
Honestly, this is one of those records that seems to get better every time I listen to it, which is a strange thing to say about a record I've spun a dozen times. The Rammstein we know today owes itself to the success of Engel and Du hast, and for that I am grateful.
Mutter is next! Feel free to comment your thoughts.
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