excellent CD but:

I have to set things straight. This CD is a combination of her first and second album/record released in 1978 and 1979 (shown on the cover of the CD).

EXUBERANT MASTERPIECE

Wow, this is one great album by the German rock diva, perhaps her best. It is more accessible than the debut, offers greater variety and some truly gripping songs. African Reggae is a powerful tour de force and by the way, a dancefloor classic, Wir Leben Immer Noch (Lene Lovich's Lucky Number) is a perfect pop song, and Wenn ich ein Junge war with its somewhat risque lyrics just about bursts with exuberance. Fall In Love mit Mir is another catchy number, but every track has its own charm. The great melodies and intelligent lyrics with enthusiastic playing by her band ensure the classic status of this album. In my opinion, this is her Opus Magnum. It demonstrates what can be achieved by integrating reggae rhythms into a rock format, while the rock songs remain top of the league. Her vocal gymnastics are less in evident than on the debut album, but her voice is still brilliantly utilised. An excellent, timeless classic!

Nina!

An excellent opportunity to get Nina Hagen's first two albums together in one set. Musically challenging, extremely offbeat and just downright weird, Nina Hagen has been setting stages and recording studios on fire for about 25 years now... hard to believe.



With tracks like "Alptraum", "Hermann Hiess Er" and "Auf'm Friedhof", Nina is definitely more palatable to those who understand German, however an understanding of the lyrics is hardly necessary to appreciate the music she and her band crafted in the late 70's and early 80's.



As a rule, I tend to prefer the earlier efforts of musicians, and Nina is no exception. Outside of "Nunsexmonkrock", which is much more polished, this double album set is her best work to date. Much more hard hitting than her later, more dance oriented works. The cover of The Tubes classic "White Punks on Dope" ("TV Glotzer" when Nina does it) is better than the original, in my opinion.



Nina Hagen remains one of the most unique characters in the history of rock and roll. These albums prove why.