Search - Nena :: Cover Me

One Disc Would Have Been Better (But Some Great Songs)

Alan E. | 12/06/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"COVER ME was a Christmas gift from a German friend of mine, and there are tracks on here which are simply amazing. There are, however, 31 performances; and that's the major problem. One disc would have been enough. Too many cooks begin to spoil the broth, it seems....



This is Nena's first album of covers with one disc of German re-makes and another in English. She interprets fellow German pop singers' songs alluringly, deftly displaying a believable blend of smoothness, sensuality and spunk.



Some of this Teutonic-tongued music is especially well-done. The musical orchestration is richly realized. Nena's partner Philipp Palm supplies drumming which is vivid and clear and stands out on a number of tracks. Palm and Derek von Krogh as producers also keep the technical standards noticeably high throughout the first disc, and Nena in turn provides admirable feeling and finesse. Examples of moving and meticulous material include her renditions of Klaus Hoffmann's "Mein Weg ist mein Weg" (Nena certainly likes to do things in her own way, this is touching), Marlene Dietrich's "Ich werde dich lieben" (the video to this is very funny: At the end it shows Nena with photos of all her different eternal loves), "Winter Sommer" (effectively ethereal) and "Astronaut" (eroticism taken to the stratosphere).



There are, however, some numbers which are fairly pointless. Still pleasant perhaps...but sometimes there's not much Nena brings to the table that another artist hasn't already captured. There's some sense of songs being re-made solely for the purpose of being re-made. This is especially true of the second disc in English, which is produced by keyboardist Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen. Not singing in her native language, Nena is difficult to understand, and the accompanying emotion is also diminished. Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" is a good one that really matches Nena's sexy urban style. But she could have used a vocal coach for the others. (She did a much better job singing in English on IT'S ALL IN THE GAME back in '85.)



At the end of the journey you can't help feeling that less would have been more. Again, there are some beautifully done songs here which really capture different shadings of Nena's personality--the whimsical little girl, the independent-minded leader, the goddess, the dreamer, the environmentalist.



But stopping while she's ahead would have been better. Not every artist can bring the appropiate passion to "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Children of the Revolution," and unfortunately here she starts to stretch a little out of her comfort zone.



Still recommended for Nena fans like me who like to hear her flex her instrument and find her voice seductive on almost any style of music.



TRIVIA: Nena's rendition of the Rolling Stones' "She's a Rainbow" from COVER ME was released as a single in both the U. K. and the U. S. A. It went to #42 on the British charts."

DISCOVER THESE COVERS!

Kevin Marshall | USA | 02/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For anyone out there who is not familiar with Nena, this is the CD to purchase! A treasure trove of musical riches(over 30 songs!),which includes a full-length CD in Nena's native German and a full-length CD in English! How generous of this hugely talented,beautiful and multi-faceted performer! Nena offers the listener a huge palette of musical diversity and delivers these terrific cover versions of songs in a way that only someone as talented as herself could! BUY THIS CD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!"

Don't Miss These Carefully Crafted Covers

chilke | Troy, MT United States | 10/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with Alan E.'s authoritative review of the German language disc. I feel that Alan E. and genxgirl have been overly harsh on the English language disc. Standout tracks include the exuberant and essential She's a Rainbow, the rocking It's All Over Now Baby Blue, a delightful cover that may exceed the original Big Yellow Taxi, a manic girl-group type take on Friday I'm In Love, and an edgy arena rock take on After The Goldrush. Blowin' In The Wind and Children Of The Revolution are not interpretations that work all that well for me. Us And Them is remarkable in how little it differs from the original except for Nena's voice and maybe it is richer than the original. I can't even imagine the effort that went into these arrangements and instrumentation. Nena's genuine fondness for these songs shows in every performance, even the very few overly thought out interpretations. Any Nena fan would pay the money for the songs mentioned. The rest, and the German disc, are just a fabulous bonus. This collection may be best for dedicated fans, but has much to offer to devotees of brilliant covers of classics, as well."