Music That Surprised You

[Sundreme]

About a month or so ago in the chatroom, I mentioned a band whose music I'd been recently introduced to and that I was really getting quite into.

They've been around for almost 15 years, but they play what would be considered quite heavy industrial-metal type music and it wasn't something that I'd ever been interested in
exploring.
Not to mention that they sang in a language that previously and quite literally made me cringe.

Anyway, a friend sent me one of their videos, I listened to it, liked it, listened to other some of their other stuff and wound up quite enamored with this group.
Those who were in the chatroom that night know who I'm talking about.
The band is called Rammstein.

Well, the point is that it surprised the heck out of and even dismayed me at first, that here I was, this lover of Lightfoot's passionate but gentle ballads, this Jewish girl, somehow completely and I mean completely smitten by these six, headbanging, huge German guys. Its been a few months now, I'm still totally into them and I'm still surprised that I am.
I was wondering, were there any singers or bands that you've liked, loved or even been a bit obsessed with that you never in a million years thought you could get into; The type of artist that when you mention them to your friends and family, they reply with a startled..."You like them?!"

[Borderstone]

A lot of people younger than me are surprised when I tell them I like the music of R & B singer Usher. When Usher first came out,due to the negative hip-hop images of past artists,i thought "Oh geez,here comes another one".

I thought his name was lame and that he'd be another foul mouthed,womanizing thug.

Happy to say,he's not. I was fully convinced of his talent when he guested on an ABC special that paid tribute to disco. He sang McFadden & Whitehead's, "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" . His singing and dance style was right along with the type of pop artist I can really get into.

He is now the most popular male singer of this decade,having logged a total of 40 weks at #1. (That's all of his # 1 songs combined). His 2004 hit "Burn" was #1 on my birthday that year. So,yep...he totally proved me wrong.

[Patti]

One winter, '03-'04, I went thru a phase where I just had to listen to heavy metal music. I'm ok now - no really - I really love it sometimes....Rammstein, eh? I'll see if I can check 'em out. A few years before that,once I went to a heavy metal dance at a bar and the band actually played The Fitz... (I mean The Wreck) I talked to one of the huge guys at the break about ~gl~, and he was really mellow and he actually put his arm around me. That was kind of cool...

A friend's nephew once "fell" into a hatch on a great lakes ship and was killed. That was a tragedy even though it was only one person. Not to say The Wreck wasn't a tradedy.

[Patti]

I was just over at a site reading most of Rammstein's lyrics and I was thinking of telling you that sometimes I feel like writing songs of a similar sentiment, but no one would hear me. Then I read Los (-Less).

[Sundreme]

Originally Posted by Patti

I was just over at a site reading most of Rammstein's lyrics and I was thinking of telling you that sometimes I feel like writing songs of a similar sentiment, but no one would hear me. Then I read Los (-Less).

They have some amazing lyrics. They touch on such a wide range of topics and their songs are always full of emotion. I admit sometimes they border on the disturbing, but are written in such a brilliant manner that even the most outragous and controversial ones never stoop to cheap shock simply for shock's sake.

What were the ones that you read and could relate to Patti? What was it about Los that surprised you...that's actually one of the mild ones and an example of the clever word play that they use in their lyrics. Los means less but it could also be used to mean "go."

There's a guy on Youtube that puts subtitles on their lyrics. While translations are available
several places on the web, I think it helps to be able to read the meanings to the songs as they play. He said he'll be doing Los next. Anyway, here are a few of my favorites.

Amerika : This was the one that started it all for me. It was recorded a few years ago and is one of the few songs that features English lyrics.

YouTube - Amerika (English subtitles)

Klavier : A beautiful, haunting song about love, betrayal and revenge. This is one of their older songs. This version was performed in Berlin in 1998 and is featured on their Live Aus Berlin DVD.

YouTube - Klavier (English subtitles)

Steim Um Stein : An example of their harder sounding songs, from their earlier albums but this preformance was done in 2005 on their last tour and is on their latest DVD "Volkerball"

YouTube - Stein um Stein (English subtitles)

Keine Lust : Great video using awesome make up effects to use humor to illustrate a sad state of mind.

YouTube - Keine Lust (English subtitles)

Mutter : From the 2001 of the same name, Sad, haunting, beautiful.. perfect.

YouTube - Mutter (English subtitles)

Ohne Dich...Spectacular song, stunning video. Probably my favorite.

YouTube - Ohne dich (English subtitles)

[Jesse Joe]

A lot of people were telling me in the early 70's, You like The Partridge Family...

Today some people say to me you like Tori Amos ? I say yes, I know she's weird but different. Cornflake Girl ! She plays that huge Boesendorfer grand piano really good. And I think she has a good bunch of songs, she writes her own stuff like a good many artists that I like listening to.

YouTube - The Partridge Family - Echo Valley 26809

[Jesse Joe]

YouTube - Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl (US Version)

[Jesse Joe]

In this video she uses a Baby Grand Piano, but she usaually has a grand Boesendorfer...

YouTube - Tori Amos - Crucify

[Patti]

Originally Posted by Sundreme

They have some amazing lyrics. They touch on such a wide range of topics and their songs are always full of emotion. I admit sometimes they border on the disturbing, but are written in such a brilliant manner that even the most outragous and controversial ones never stoop to cheap shock simply for shock's sake.

What were the ones that you read and could relate to Patti? What was it about Los that surprised you...that's actually one of the mild ones and an example of the clever word play that they use in their lyrics. Los means less but it could also be used to mean "go."

There's a guy on Youtube that puts subtitles on their lyrics. While translations are available
several places on the web, I think it helps to be able to read the meanings to the songs as they play. He said he'll be doing Los next. Anyway, here are a few of my favorites.

Amerika : This was the one that started it all for me. It was recorded a few years ago and is one of the few songs that features English lyrics.

YouTube - Amerika (English subtitles)

Klavier : A beautiful, haunting song about love, betrayal and revenge. This is one of their older songs. This version was performed in Berlin in 1998 and is featured on their Live Aus Berlin DVD.

YouTube - Klavier (English subtitles)

Steim Um Stein : An example of their harder sounding songs, from their earlier albums but this preformance was done in 2005 on their last tour and is on their latest DVD "Volkerball"

YouTube - Stein um Stein (English subtitles)

Keine Lust : Great video using awesome make up effects to use humor to illustrate a sad state of mind.

YouTube - Keine Lust (English subtitles)

Mutter : From the 2001 of the same name, Sad, haunting, beautiful.. perfect.

YouTube - Mutter (English subtitles)

Ohne Dich...Spectacular song, stunning video. Probably my favorite.

YouTube - Ohne dich (English subtitles)

Earlier today I read most of their lyrics starting with their oldest songs. I was able to watch/ listen to and enjoy the first four songs that you posted here, but the last two are saying that they are no longer available. I had read the lyrics to all of those. Thanks so much for posting the videos. I can understand how Amerika was the one that started it all for you. It is one that I could relate to. Great video! What surprised me about Los was that it was the one I clicked on exactly after I was thinking of telling you about how I sometimes felt like writing something similar, ... and that song said something that took a bit of a hold on me. I'll try to see if I can find your favorite video on another website. I love this music.

[Patti]

Ohne dich is loading this time. (I just tried clicking again here).

[Sundreme]

Originally Posted by Patti

Ohne dich is loading this time. (I just tried clicking again here).

Glad its loading for you Patti. I know both of them work. If you go to the guy's youtube channel, he has quite a few others with english subtitles.

Here's a live version of Ohne Dich. No subtitles, but its just so powerful I had to share.

YouTube - Rammstein - Ohne Dich Live from...

and here for you, is LOS..no subtitles yet, but if you've already read the translation, you should be able to follow along. Enjoy!

YouTube - rammstein volkerball los

[Jesse Joe]

YouTube - The Partridge Family - One Night Stand

[Jesse Joe]

YouTube - the Partridge Family and bobby sherman

[Jesse Joe]

I know Im nuts, Patti ! But please dont repeat it.

[Patti]

I meant very humorous. That was so funny - the contrast. Partridge/metal.

Those lyrics were totally separate - something I wrote a couple months ago. Just felt like posting that after reading a bunch of metal lyrics.

I had never been a huge fan of classical music until I spent time listening to Sergei Rachmaninov .

YouTube - Rare movie of Rachmaninov

here's one of my favorite Rachmaninov compositions performed by a wonderful pianist:

YouTube - Sergei Rachmaninov: Preludium g minor

During the late 30's...there was a wonderful annual music fest in Worcester, MA -Rachmaninov would perform along with a line up that included Marion Anderson and the Von Trapp Familiy singers. Must have been amazing!

[Jesse Joe]

Originally Posted by Patti

I meant very humorous. That was so funny - the contrast. Partridge/metal.

Those lyrics were totally separate - something I wrote a couple months ago. Just felt like posting that after reading a bunch of metal lyrics.

Oh I forgot it had to be metal, {Partridge/metal} now I understand what you meant.

[Patti]

whether you like country or not, you might like this one

YouTube - Lee Ann Womack - Something Worth...

[Sundreme]

Originally Posted by Patti

Sundreme, I went over to a friends yesterday and showed here Rammstein on her computer. She really liked it too. She is mostly German, but speaks English. I found out that my youngest son has Rammstein's Rosenrot CD. He played it last night for me. I really like your favorite one too, Ohne dich. It is very sad and very true and pure and beautiful...the seconds ; they are not worth it, I know.

Here is something I wrote down a few minutes or so ago. (Not quite done with it yet.)

I find it very very easy to be true
My hope is gone because I don't have you
You've got my heart and I don't want it back
It's all that's real, yet still I lack

The saving grace has put me in this race
The road of love has put me in your place
I didn't know that you'd make me so blue
But you're the one, what can I do?


I like many different types of music, though I was pretty much raised on country. My dad should have been a heavy metal guy. He was 6'4", and he could sing low really well.

Oh Patti,
I'm so glad that you like them and that they are inspiring you to write and to share your writing.
They really are fantastic and I know I personally haven’t felt this deep of a connection with any artist's music since I got into Gord.
Although I'm sure many GL fans would disagree, the more that about I think about it, the more I feel that at the core, there is actually a similarity between them and GL.
Not in structure or in melody, but in spirit of the songs, the way they make me feel. Its like GL and R+ both have a certain magic to them.

By this point, you probably don’t need me to point out any more good songs of theirs to listen to, since it sounds like you’re well on your way to knowing how good they are. But if you would still like to discuss them, want to know of some decent R+ sites or would like to share more of your writing, feel free to private message or Email me anytime.

Erica