CD Review : Schrei - So laut du kannst
This CD ("Scream - as loud as you can") is a different, "international" later version of Schrei, released not only in Germany but also in France and a few other countries.
Track list
1. Schrei (2006)
2. Durch den Monsun
3. Leb' die Sekunde
4. Rette mich (2006 - video version)
5. Freunde Bleiben
6. Ich bin nicht ich
7. Wenn nichts mehr gehts
8. Lass uns hier raus
9. Gegen meinen Willen
10. Jung und nicht mehr jugendfrei
11. Der letzte Tag
12. Unendlichkeit
13. Beichte
14. Schwarz
15. Thema Nr 1 - Demo 2003
16. Schrei - Acoustic version
17. Durch den Monsun - Unplugged version
It contains several bonus tracks - 5 songs and 3 music videos (Durch Den Monson, Schrei and Rette Mich). Also, 3 of the songs from Schrei feature there in versions re-recorded with Bill's dropped voice : Schrei, Rette Mich and Der Letzte Tag.
Track commentary
(see the Schrei review for tracks 1 to 12)
13. Beichte ("Confession")
The cutest satanic invocation heard in Hell."Hey devil, come out / I've seen you / and I hope you understand me / Can you read my confession / and talk about it with God / don't be too hard / or if you are / let me be the only angel in hell". In case you wonder how TH made it to the charts top so fast (... 'kay, it took them 6 years after forming the band, but still), that's the answer. The devil heard that and like me, he went all cooey and signed them up for stardom.
Just kidding. Though there are people who do take that as a sign that TH is satanist. *sigh* Not on this side of the Atlantic though, as far as I can tell.
The line "I stole my brother's girlfriend" has been commented a lot, but according to Tom, "das ist geloooogen" (*laughs* Oh, Tom, shame on you).
14. Schwarz ("Black")
Schwarz is... okay, rather emo. I don't actually know what is the real definition of emo music, I don't listen to it. But when I heard the song title, I laughed at the cliché of goth-ish looking guy singing that.Upon listening to it, though, it's rather compelling. Though teen angsty, totally.
"The sight behind us is black / and in front of us lies the night / there is no coming back / luckily"? Something like that. Oh I duncare, TH gets a wild card for me on stuff like that anyway. And it does depict their life at that time pretty well.
(though I would have done without the owl-like back vocals)
While Beichte and Thema #1 are recorded with Bill's pre-puberty voice, Schwarz is sung in a lower key, probably the first recorded song post-voice-drop. That and his interpretation gives a fragility to his voice that fits the song perfectly.
15. Thema Nr 1 - Demo 2003 (... have a guess for the translation)
High-school themed pop-ish number. About the school's most popular girl. Or something. Tune is catchy, but that's when I'm glad I can overlook the lyrics.16. Schrei - Acoustic version
Uh, actually I think they only changed the instrumentation. Bill's vocal track is identical to the "original" version. I don't really see the point, especially on THAT song, since it's supposed to be "as loud as you can", so, acoustic?...17. Durch den Monsun - Unplugged version
Same thing as above (the instruments are unplugged, but the vocal track is identical to the "official" version). It works just as well unplugged though, at least.There's also been a "Slidepack" version of Schrei, that contains the 17 audio tracks, but not the videos, in a cardboard slidepack instead of a plastic CD case - you wouldn't have guessed, right? It's a lot cheaper (under 10 Euros in France).
