Besetzen Sie sprechen Deutsch (Man Speaking German Reviews)

ken · Post by **ken** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:32 am

Stellen Sie Ihre wirksamen Deutschnachprüfungen hier.

WeaselSlayer · Post by **WeaselSlayer** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:34 pm

Um, well, mein spriegel ist ein flammenveffer.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:44 pm

Please stop.

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:54 pm

Achtenshun!

Das machinen ist not fir gefingerpoken und mittengrabbin. Ist nix geverkin by dumbkopfs, das rubberneckin, sightseerin, und stupidish goofoffers, bast relaxin kip hands in pockit und vatch the stuffa cum out.

Das Management.

Something I saw and remembered while playing on my Grandfather's TRS 80 that was suppose to hang above a photo-copier. I memorized it. Kids do the strangest of things........

I'm looking forward to this fight.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:04 pm

Wow, good memory Tone. Close but no cigar:

ACHTENSHUN
Das machinen ist nodt for gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist ezy for brekken das springenwerks, blowenfusen mit loudisch popen und spitzensparken. Ist nix gewerken by dumkoffs!
Das rubbernekken, sighdtseeren und stupidisch goofoffers bast relaxen, kipp hands in pokkets und vatch das stoffa kumoudt!

Das Manichmindt

Jim of Seattle · Post by **Jim of Seattle** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:28 pm

I'd love to see a similar sign posted in Germany that's supposed to sound like English.

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:41 pm

Niveous wrote:Wow, good memory Tone. Close but no cigar:

ACHTENSHUN
Das machinen ist nodt for gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Ist ezy for brekken das springenwerks, blowenfusen mit loudisch popen und spitzensparken. Ist nix gewerken by dumkoffs!
Das rubbernekken, sighdtseeren und stupidisch goofoffers bast relaxen, kipp hands in pokkets und vatch das stoffa kumoudt!

Das Manichmindt

Hahahahaha.... Niv, that's hilarious. I haven't seen the sign in years, but that's great that you posted the actual one, although I'm pretty sure there may have been different versions of the same sign. I'm pretty well, almost, certain it was as I quoted (except for the spelling)..... I have been known to have been wrong though....... sometimes...

Bolio · Post by **Bolio** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:10 pm

JoS - JHC this is awesome. Every twist, every turn.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:34 pm

Seconded. Nice one, Jim. Very score-sounding, was there a film in mind?

Jim of Seattle · Post by **Jim of Seattle** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:04 pm

Wow, thanks, both of you! No, no film in mind.

Bolio · Post by **Bolio** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:07 pm

Started out very 'Moonlight Sonata'-ish IMO

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:03 am

..... Jim I don't know, what is it with a 9:43 piano concerto for this title. I'm just having, and I try to give the benefit of the doubt, a hard time wondering how your piece ties in with the title. Wouldn't it be Man Playing German? And even then, where is the Germanness of it all? I just don't get it. And believe me I tried, but over 9 minutes worth....... you just asking for a flame war.

;p

Kapitano · Post by **Kapitano** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:10 am

tonetripper wrote:..... Jim I don't know, what is it with a 9:43 piano concerto for this title. I'm just having, and I try to give the benefit of the doubt, a hard time wondering how your piece ties in with the title. Wouldn't it be Man Playing German? And even then, where is the Germanness of it all? I just don't get it. And believe me I tried, but over 9 minutes worth....... you just asking for a flame war.

What do you mean? It's a very germanic piece. Quite a good pastiche/parody of the Romantic period with unresolved melodies, cascading arpeggios, and the beginnings of atonalism. Typical of somewhat overblown Sturm und Drang Naturphilosophie.

Personally I think it could have more of the characteistic sliding up and down of tempo. And the odd bits of Scott Joplin, that take over towards the end, make it too much of a parody for me.

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:16 am

To be honest with you I wouldn't really know a Germanic piece if it bit me in the ass. All I know is it's 9:43 of piano music that after a short period of time bored me to tears. And I still don't see the correlation with the title. My gal who is a Mezzo didn't see it as a Germanic piece either and would never make those generalizations these days about a particular piece of music. I'm sorry not too much will sway me from the feeling that it is just a long winded piano recital exploiting Jim's obvious talents. I'm not buying it.

Bolio · Post by **Bolio** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 9:00 am

I'm not saying I'm gonna vote for it because I like it so much (J$ also has an exceptional song in this fight), I do always bring the 'Tieing to the subject' into account. But if this is a simple piano-recital, then I'm gonna have to start attending more of those, because this is outstanding! I know I couldn't do it. And Songfight is the only place I can get it.

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 9:55 am

Beef Animals ROCKS!!!!! 8)

Kapitano · Post by **Kapitano** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:51 am

Ants (Invisible)
I think it's great you've got the skill, knowledge and confidence to do this. I just don't...enjoy it.

What's it called when you wish you could do something, but don't actually want to do it? There's probably a German word for it - there usually is. Anyway, that's my attitude here.

Beef Animals
This will be popular - it might even win. I like the chorus a lot and dislike the verses a lot.

Fluid Probe Liason
It's Frank Zappa's evil sister. The electric and acoustic pianos, the drums and bass, all sounded good. Though the vocals were mixed a bit loud for my taste. The horns and beat at three minutes perked it up, but a minute too late. Too slow - add 20BPM. Too long - lose 90 seconds.

Gregorian Pants
There had to be a Kraftwerk pastiche in this fight, and here it is. A blend of the Computer World and Man Machine periods. I liked it, and the pseudo-plainsong vocals matched nicely with the stilted vocal delivery we expect from Kraftwerk. The trouble is, I liked it as a collection of references to other songs, not as a song in itself.

Post the lyrics, with translation for those of us with naff German.

Johnny Cashpoint featuring Hoosenbergler
I don't know Kompressor's work. From the description, it sounds like Laibach. Is that a Village People break at 1m24?

Everything here sounds good, except for that downright wierd singing voice, which I can never get used to. I presume those are your little girl backing vocals too? Great tone on the guitars, drums could be a little louder for a driving rhythm like that.

Kapitano
It would have been useful to have a native speaker around to correct my grammar. As it is, a week's worth of reading German dictionaries and listening to Status Quo produced this.

Landstanders
Is this a parody of Laurie Anderson? Your voice sounds more like Suzanne Vega. If you mean this seriously, it's drivel.

Minty Handy
You did this in a day? Impressive. A smartly whimsical song about thieving teutonic studs. Musically it reminds me of Close To You by The Cure. I'd like to hear what else you can do.

Ross Durand
I think we've found the new Josh Woodward. Playing, recording, processing, mixing, writing and singing all good. Just not much variety.

Sausageboy
I was waiting for someone to sample Adolf Hitler. I like the sound, but it's far too limited for a 1m25s piece.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 2:47 pm

Niv's review paragraph

Third review of the day, the Magenta fight. First Beef Animals aka 8LO & Leaf. No ham and cheese, huh. This is lyrically vapid and not in that Mars Volta good way. Then what's with the speed-up? Next. Fluid Probe Liaison. Wouldn't make you a douche gopher? Is this Boomstick? If so I would've rather you call it Boomensticken. Pretty good tune and the bridge was very interesting, despite references to "the Weasel". (Would you believe that in Junior High School, I was well versed in Paulie Shore speak. Oh the shame of it). Next, 9 minutes of instrumental Ants. There a quite few ugly notes in there. Perhaps that's the German coming through. It can be a gruff language. Halfway through I can't see how this is Man speaking German. I can see this being Niveous falling asleep. Even for a classical piece, it stays in the middle of the road throughout most of the piece. Spice it up Jim. Next. Mintyhandy. Ever see someone's pic and then hear their voice later and be surprised. That's what just happened her. I expected a Clapton-esque drawl for some reason. The song feels French to me, like the videos I used to watch on MCM as a teen. It's a decent little song. Next, Ross Durand. Unremarkable. It's a song. It's got words, music, some meaning. Doesn't strike my fancy. It's just kind of there. Next, J$. Ode to Kompressor!!! He may not dance but I think he would make an exception for this. I'm scarred by the thought of Johnny and the Kompressor thong but this is a fun tune. Frontrunner. Next, Landstanders. No-fidelity G^2. Yeah. I love that stuff. But this is a repeative one trick pony. Even 2 minutes of this is too long. Plunk. Plunk. Plink. Next, the child of the meat packed in its own skin. Short and very German. OK. Next, Gregorian Pants. German new wave (though I prefer Alphaville). What's with the shrill noises in there? That was below average. Last, Kapitano. Maybe I'm just in a mood, but I didn't dig this either. Catchier than some of the other tunes in this fight but still not a song I'd want to take another listen to. Vote time. My vote goes to "To Kompressor with Love", followed by FPL and Minty Handy grabs the bronze.

Jim of Seattle · Post by **Jim of Seattle** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:10 pm

This is how it ties in with the title. None of you has to buy it, nor do you have to agree that it's "legal", but I know I was indeed following the rules consciously.

Opening bars, quote from "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven (who is German)
Piano suite form borrowed from Bach (who is German)
Thick multitextured layers, imitating Brahms (German)
Chromatic non-tonalities a tribute to 12-tone composers (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, all German)

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:32 pm

Jim of Seattle wrote:Opening bars, quote from "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven (who is German)
Piano suite form borrowed from Bach (who is German)
Thick multitextured layers, imitating Brahms (German)
Chromatic non-tonalities a tribute to 12-tone composers (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, all German)

Funny that you say that Jim cuz that's what she said first time she heard it. That it sounded like Moonlight Sonata at the beginning. All things considered I can see the correlation, but why? I realize that ideas can be borrowed, as we as musicians may borrow unconsciously at times, but if you knew this going in then, why? Why? Why? WHY?

I'll give it a listen again to see if I get a different perspective. Maybe too early to jump the gun. It was a gut, first hit me, kind of instinct. I do get it. Man Speaking German. As in playing German. It's just an odd transference of energy from you with this Ants project. Especially after so many cool tunes. This one just seems a little too much of a stretch, especially over 9 minutes worth. Imagine boy and guitar tune for 9 minutes. Better be pretty darn good to hold my attention for 9 minutes.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:33 pm

Sorry Niv, only half right. This half of Boomstick's on hiatus until after the LA show... though the Flash (ahh-ahhhhh) Gordon title may squeak in this week.

Freudian's a busy busy woman of late, heh.

WeaselSlayer · Post by **WeaselSlayer** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:40 pm

If I could, I'd vote for Johnny Cashpoint's song mixed with Ants', I would. Because I'm listening to both of them at the same time, and it's awesome.