Tank Battles: Songs of Hanns Eisler

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Total Tracks: 36   Total Length: 78:12

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The Trenches

Glyndwr1969

The original release didn't have the German versions of the last 10 tracks. They're some of the best political songs ever written because they appeal to your head and your heart at the same time. My only worry is where did that bit in 'the Trenches' about 'see those French and English workers yonder' come from? Kurt Tucholsky's lyric actually says 'throw the flags away, the military chapels strike up to play your funeral march . . . ' Sorry to be boring, i've wondered about that for years. It's still a wonderful piece of musical research capturing the spirit of the German left between the world wars which made a lot of sense when it came out to a UK indie scene used to the Brechtian lyrics of groups like McCarthy or the Wolfhounds.

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April.10.09

brighternow

Dagmar Krause - vocals..... Alexander Balanescu - viola..... Steve Berry - double bass..... Michael Blair - percussion..... Lindsay Cooper - bassoon..... Andrew Dodge - keyboards Phil Edwards - saxophone..... John Harle - saxophone..... Sarah Homer - clarinet..... John Leonard - bassoon..... Ian Mitchell - clarinet..... Bruce Nockles - trumpet..... Ashley Slater - tuba..... Steve Sterling - horns..... Graeme Taylor - guitar, banjo..... Gertrude Thoma - vocals..... Danny Thompson - double bass..... John Tilbury - keyboards.

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Great!

Music Lover

Yes, this is a lot of tracks and will use up a large portion of your monthly allotment, but you will be hard pressed to find this on CD at a comparable price unless you are fortunate enough to stumble on a used copy. Dagmar is worth it, especially here.

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cabaret music with real teeth

NoelZevon

I can't say enough about this album. There's nothing remotely mannered or gutless about Dagmar Krause's performance or repertoire. By comparison, Ute Lemper sounds like a supper club chanteuse. No doubt this is because of Dagmar's art-rock background with Slapp Happy and Art Bears, and in fact "Desperate Straights" (SH's collaboration with Henry Cow) echoes here pretty strongly.

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great music, not just great political music

bendy

One of my all time favorites, and one of the first records to guide my listening habits outside of rock. These are some of the greatest rebel songs ever done, rendered here contemporarily, but not too much so. Brecht's work with Eisler is much more challenging, but no less pleasing than with Weill. This record sound like a clash between Tom Waits and Crass.

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They Say All Media Guide

A worthy follow up-to Supply and Demand, this release focuses on Krause’s interpretation of the music of Hans Eisler, a great German songwriter and contemporary of Brecht and Weill (though less well known). As usual, the singing is stunning, and the instrumental accompaniment, which features significant contributions by Lindsay Cooper and Danny Thompson, is impeccable. Krause recorded English and German versions of Tank Battles (hence the title Panzer Schlacht) and both are highly recommended. – John Dougan