Showing posts with label Abwärts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abwärts. Show all posts

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Various Artists ‎– Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig (ZickZack Sommerhits 81) (Zickzack ‎– ZZ 45) 1981


The ironically sub-titled "Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig (ZickZack Sommerhits 81)" on Hamburg based Zick Zack, has very little to do with summer as we know it. Maybe a lot to do with the summer of the "Neue Deutsche Welle"? Not that a lot of the acts on this record would admit to being part of it of course.....quite rightly.
It starts off with a danceable slab of British style Post-Punk then descends into a melange of  electronics,industrial,avant garde,straight new wave, and proto-goth.
Good to see the inclusion of a rare X-Mal Deutschland track, whose singer,Anja(can't remember her surname), was as close as one got to a teenage celebrity crush (Phwoooar!).I was also a great fan of her two note flat singing style,diametrically opposed to the vomit inducing over-singing of todays dumb 'X-Factor' generation....I prefer the 'X-Mal' Factor myself.
Frankly, anything with "Die Todliche Doris" and the lovely Anja on it, has to be good ...ja?

Tracklist:

A1 –Front "Blech Und Liebe" 2:34
A2 –Kosmonautentraum "Nr. 10" 3:02
A3 –Aus Lauter Liebe "Ein Herz In Not" 2:45
A4 –Falsche Fahnen "Mutti, Ich Und Die Sonne" 0:02
A5 –Die Tödliche Doris "Überlieferung Josef Pfeuffer 3.6.76" 2:30
A6 –Abwärts "In The Summertime" 2:38
A7 –Andy Giorbino "Sxmmxr Zx Kxrz" 1:45
A8 –Saal 2 "Strandgefühle" 4:40
A9 –Nachdenkliche Wehrpflichtige "You Say You Don't Love Me (Tribute To Pete Shelley)" 3:25


B1 –Palais Schaumburg "Aschenbecher" 2:38
B2 –Einstürzende Neubauten "Bakterien Für Eure Seele" 3:44
B3 –Andreas Dorau "Sommer Im Dornrosental" 1:35
B4 –Die Zimmermänner "Ich Werde In Der Sonne Immer Dicker" 2:00
B5 –Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle "Eingeschlagene Schaufenster" 2:59
B6 –Vielleichtors "Ohne Titel" 2:05
B7 –Wirtschaftswunder "Eis" (Live) 2:30
B8 –X-Mal Deutschland "Kälbermarsch" 2:39
B9 –Die Radierer "Madagaskar" 1:17


DOWNLOAD the summer hits of 1981 HERE!

Thursday, 5 October 2017

Abwärts ‎– "Der Westen Ist Einsam" (Mercury ‎– 6435 155) 1982


As Abwärts seem to be unexpectedly popular, it seems logical to post the second ,and major label released, studio album. Which is an altogether more polished product than their debut;but still an entertaining example of the West German post-punk world.I'm always suspicious of a garish/glossy album sleeve.Stinks of over-investment, albeit an investment i'm sure Mercury/polygram never got back....I hope.

Tracklist:

A1 Beim Erstenmal Tut's Immer Weh 3:08
A2 Papier 1:43
A3 Stein 3:39
A4 Das Wort Zum Sonntag 4:45
A5 Aus Einem Gartenhaus 3:24
B1 Agent 2:27
B2 Deprimiert 2:27
B3 Sei Froh 3:38
B4 Tierlieb 3:22
B5 Affentanz 3:00


Wednesday, 4 October 2017

Abwärts ‎– "Amok Koma" (Zickzack ‎– ZZ 10) 1980



From the city that gave us the Beatles, Hamburg, came Abwärts in about 1980. Their greatest contribution to pop music was that they provided a couple of members of Einsturzende Neubauten.
Abwärts themselves were a standard German Post-Punk band who sang in that slightly annoying German raspy timbre that was well suited for barking orders, but not for singing pop, or Punk; rather grates on the ears.
Nonetheless, cheese grater voices aside, the music is reasonably inventive and reminds one of Wire, with bits of Pink Flag and the more punky parts of "Chairs Missing".
I've added single "Computerstaat" to the end of the vinyl rip by the way.
Ps..a small largely irrelevant item of interest is,I remember that photo that they nicked for the cover. There was also a small child falling with the girl.I'm pleased to say the child survived the fall by, unfortunately, landing on the young lady featured here, who alas died!

Tracklist:

Amok
Maschinenland 2:57
Karo 1/4 08/15 Hoch 2 0:34
Monday On My Mind 2:38
Shanghai Stinker 2:45
Bel Ami 2:01
Verzählt 2:58
Softly Softly 1:58
Koma
Unfall 4:00
Mehr 4:27
Türkenblues 3:52
Neon Kind 3:20
Ich Bin Stumm 2:16
Japan - Live 3:52

Computerstaat 3:11