95%
Rammstein—Liebe is für alle da (2009)
Details
Produced by Jacob Hellner with Rammstein. Engineered by Ulf Kruckenberg and Florian Ammon. Mixed by Stefan Glaumann at Toytown Studios, Stockholm. Assistant engineered by Tom van Heesch. Mastered by Erik Broheden and Henrik Jonsson at Masters of Audio, Stockholm. Recorded at Sonoma Mountain Studio Estate, CA. Assistang engineering by Michael Scully and Scott Church. Drums recorded at Henson Studio B, Los Angeles, CA. Assistant engineering by Nico Essig.
Band
- Till Lindemann—Vocals
- Paul H. Landers—Rhythm guitar and backing vocals
- Richard Z. Kruspe—Lead guitar and backing vocals
- Oliver “Ollie” Riedel—Bass
- Christian “Flake” Lorenz—Keyboards
- Christoph “Doom” Schneider—Drums
Tracks
- Rammlied (Rammsong)
- Ich tu dir weh (I hurt you)
- Waidmanns heil (Huntsman’s salute)
- Haifisch (Shark)
- B******** (Bückstabü, a made up word which means “Whatever you want”)
- Frühling in Paris (Springtime In Paris)
- Wiener blut (Viennese blood)
- Pussy
- Liebe ist für alle da (Love is for everyone)
- Mehr (More)
- Roter sand (Red sand)
- Führe mich” (Lead me) — bonus track
- Donaukinder (Children of the Danube) — bonus track
- Halt (Stop) — bonus track
- Roter sand (Orchester version) (Red Sand (Orchestral version)) — bonus track
- Liese (it’s a female first name) — bonus track
Review
Thanks to a chest infection I’m running a week behind schedule. I’d better get this review written now because a couple of days ago I downloaded the new Mastodon album (Once More ‘Round the Sun) and nothing else is getting airplay at Saunders HQ just now while that slab of rock settles in. My first Rammstein LP of this project Mutter (2001) scored a mighty 98%. How will this one fare?
It’s an odd thing, already being a fan of Rammstein I spun this disc a good few months ago on an evening that I was looking for something different to listen to. A cheeky wee listen-ahead I thought, and… well, I was thoroughly disappointed to be honest. However, listening to the CD almost non-stop for the last two weeks I now find myself wondering what I was listening to back then. Did I have different ears? What was I listening to it on? Was I just having a bad evening? Because this album rocks!
It’s been a surreal week. Half of it spent in bed, listening to the album via earphones on my smartphone; the other half listening to the same album at work on my Sennheiser’s. Or rather half-listening to conversations in English in one ear and lyrics in German in the other. And I don’t understand German.
Liebe is für alle da opens with something modern and choral—but altogether too fleeting. It’s quickly replaced with something new, German and hard and altogether Rammstein.
There is nothing particularly new about this album: massive riffs, booming Teutonic vocals, industrial grooves. It’s more of the same, and the same is great. You only have to close your eyes an imagine at which points the shooting pillars of fire will explode when they play these songs live.
And then there is their sense of humour. “Waidmanns heil” opens with a huntsman style horn. Is there a video for this? I can imagine Rammstein on horseback, dressed in red jackets hunting the huntsmen themselves. “B********” opens with a particularly Ministry-style guitar riff, which is fun.
And then there is “Pussy”, one of Rammstein’s few songs sung with English lyrics. I appreciate that it’s tongue-in-cheek, that it fits with the theme of “love is for all” but I still find it disappointing. If not entirely out of character, which I can forgive them for. But still, Rammstein can do much better than this.
“Frühling in Paris”, for example. The song mixes German and French lyrics which are awkward, endearing, sweet, disturbing, beautiful:
In a dress made of light she came up to me
I know like it was today*
I was so young
Feeling awkward
But still I never regretted it
She shouted words into my face
The tongue bristled with lust
It was only her language I didn’t understand
I didn’t regret it
More of that please.
The version I inherited was the two disc edition which includes four bonus tracks plus an orchestral version of “Roter sand”. (This isn’t the deluxe box set, by the way, which included six sex toys, handcuffs and lubricant!)
Conclusion
Having experienced rather a false start to this album, I’m delighted that the love that the album title suggested might be for all included me. And in turn I’ve loved it back.
Review score: 95%