Search - Bernd Cluever :: Engel in Blue Jeans

Bloody Great Singing!

nurfurleid | Germantown, Maryland USA | 04/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first ran into Bernd Cluver on a trip to England and fell in love with that sonorous voice immediately. He was singing a duet with Carin Posch, another lovely german singer, on german t.v. And ever since coming Stateside, I have been trying to locate him and finally succeeded in discovering him on here. The first title in the album is "Engel In Blue Jeans" which is an adaptation of Neil Diamond's "forever In Blue Jeans." ANd on this song, steel drum rhythms jive nicely with the background music to create a marvelous, swinging tune. In addition, Cluver also does a masterful job of singing a Neil Daimond medley in English at the end of the album. Other stand out cuts include the bouncy "Mehr Als Eine Nacht", the lovely remake of "Sometimes When We Touch", done in german as "Wenn Ich Dich Beruhr" with Carin Posch's lovely, lively vocals, the pensive "Oben Steh'n Und Singen" and the rocking "fur Immer Nur Du." Track 8 and 9 are two more excellent compostions. One is a flamenco styled, horn laden "Keine Angst So Ist Mallorca" replete with that infectious hand clapping and of course, the reggae influnced, danceable "Einmal Liebe Und Zuruck." And even though "Mammy Blue" is old and shopworn and sung by artsist as diverse as Demis Roussos and Julio Iglesias, and had been done in every imaginable way, Cluver ressurects it here, one more time, with the gusto and the vocal control of an experinced Opera singer. He also imbues it with his own stamp and tackles German, English, French and Spanish in the lyris, withough missing a beat. All in all, though it's my first album of this brilliant singer, I know that I'm hopelessly addicted now and will be acquiring many more, in the future. And whether you understand German or not, Bernd Cluver is a must for any fan of dicerning music, which is more tha what I can say for what's on the radio these days. And though Schlager music may not be for everyone, I really love it because it puts me in a relaxed and enjoyble mood everytime. And that brings us back to Herr Cluver, who through his smooth vocals and marvelous arranging and producing, has managed to create a masterpiece which will last forever. True enough, he maybe an oddity in todays music market, but his burly baritone reigns supreme on the Deutsch Schlager charts today, after more than thirty years in the business, and one could only hope, someday, perhaps in America!"