Scattershot but still Great Nina

For those of us who are fans,we know what Nina Hagen is capable of,and at times she Delivers.Return promises more highlights than not,yet after a good handful of years one wonders why the album not only has just ten songs,but one of them"He Shiva Shankara" has already been released prior elsewhere,and the least interesting "Hollenzug" appears twice!!
I also feel that the result of using 3-4 diffrent producers on one album emanates a slight lack of continuity of sound and cohesion.

Amidst this subtle irritation lies some great tracks that will definitely fulfill our desire to hear Nina doing what she does best-and this albums mix of themes on Spiritualism,U.F.Os,Prophecy,Conspiracy,and alittle of everything else recalls Ninas earlier and more original efforts.

Splendiforous!

I absolutely LOVE Nina, but have to agree some of her 90's albums were rather uninspired and lacked good production. She has spoken in interviews about her problems with various producers. This is one of her best albums of all time and my current favorite. The songs are:



1.Return of the Mother: excellent, techno sounding, but with incredible operatic vocals, quite emotional and powerful.



2. Der Wind Hat Mir Ein Lied Erzahlt: a gorgeous ballad with smooth, emotive vocals.



3. Schachmatt: A very catchy, addictive trance type of song. Mysterious, dark and evocative.



4. Frequenzkontrolle: My favorite on this disc! A grinding industrial tune that will have you both thinking and shaking your butt! This song is not about aliens,as stated by another reviewer, it is about how Americans think they have a free society but we actually live in "the most controlled society on this planet." It is about control and manipulation of the media and lifestyles. Bravo, Nina!



5. Poetenclub: Very pleasant, laid back, trip hop tune.



6. Hollenzug: Another favorite of mine on the album, it is great, but difficult to describe. Very passionate, mid-tempo,very danceable with a nice guitar riff holding the various elements of the song together. Sort of a folkie/pop/industrial song. A very complex, layered tune that keeps your interest. Do some of the reviewers on here even listen to the CDs? There is only one version of this song on the disc.



7. Schuttel Mich: One of Nina's more cartoonish songs with silly vocals. Fun, cute, silly, danceable.



8. Yes Sir: Another of the more cartoonish songs, very fast, upbeat, swirly and yes, good for dancing.



9. Hand Grenade: A more challenging song that requires repeated listening. At first, it seems very simplistic, but it grows on you. This is one of the more political songs, about Nina's (and many others) belief that it is not AIDS that is fatal, but the drugs they use to treat it that ultimately, kill people.



10. He Shiva Shankara: Yes, this song is a little weaker than some of the others and not in the same musical style. Still, I don't agree with the reviewer who said he would not purchase further CDs if she included songs like this. It is a simple devotional hymn, yet pleasant enough. Nina obviously wanted it on the CD to reflect her spiritual/Hindu beliefs and if her fans care about her as an artist or a person, they need to respect her beliefs. It does not, in my opinion, ruin the album.



If you love Nina, buy this album, it is well worth the import price! If you enjoy artists who are brave, creative, unique and not afraid to tell it like it is, buy this!!!

When something throws me to the ground....

This record did. I remember vividly listening to the Return of the mother for the first time. The title track threw me to the ground. What a great song full of raw energy and fire. I just like the way she plays with her voice in that song.

Der wind.. another beautiful slow song where Nina sings with a very soft voice...a magical moment. Hang grenade is very lound and delivers a personnal message about aids that you might agree or not...its up to you.

This album has differents styles (different producers ) so it might feels like a different style of music and production from one song to another. It might even feel like its a best of...

But beside that i give this record a 5 stars...any true Nina fan should own this record...