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Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr – Lauschangriff

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Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr - Lauschangriff

Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr - Lauschangriff
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Big band revamp of 12 Heinz Rudolf Kunze songs
  • Some of them with a very different new interpretation
  • Great songwriting and new arrangement

The holiday season is typically also prime time for Best of albums. Lauschangriff is a collection of the biggest hits of Heinz Rudolf Kunze. The German rock musician is very successful on the domestic market, but still feels a bit of underrated to me. While I typically skip compilation albums, this 15th November 2024 release is special. Kunze joined forces with the Big Band der Bundeswehr, the Big Band of the German Army, and gives a very different view on his best songs. I just had to have a listen to this one.

Heinz Rudolf Kunze – About The Artist

After his 2020 album Der Wahrheit die Ehre, Lauschangriff is the second Heinz Rudolf Kunze album I feature on Flyctory.com. His father was part of the Waffen-SS in WWII and returned from Russian captivity rather late, so that Kunze was born in a refugee camp in Espelkamp-Mittwald on 30th November 1956. He is nowadays one of the most active German songwriters, looking back to a total of 30 studio albums. While is most successful era were likely the mid-1980’s, majorly boosted by his Top 10 single Dein ist mein ganzes Herz, he is nowadays in the German Top 10 album charts with his records as well. He also wrote successful songs for other artists and works as an author and lecturer.

 

Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr – Lauschangriff – Track by Track

The twelve song album lasts 57 minutes.

1. Dies ist Klaus

The album kicks off with a song from one of Kunze’s key albums, Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (1985). The song starts with a very limited arrangement, before the band is fully kicking inn, merging the typical big band sound with jazzy and swing elements. The song tells the story of a police snitch in the 1980’s. Like in many songs of this album, I find quite new aspects in the comparably popular original song.

2. Meine eigenen Wege

Meine eigenen Wege, released in 1988, is one of Kunze’s classics and one of my favorite songs by the German artist. The new big band version is on the one hand more rhythmic, but also has a nice flow especially driven by the brass section of his collaboration partner. A really nice revamp of this song.

3. Leg nicht auf

In 1994, Kunze was beginning by “Don’t hang up” for having a listen in a difficult relationship situation. The 2024 version does not feel that different in the stanzas, the big band is especially present and leaves a mark in the instrumental sections. However, there is also a rather present guitar section in this one.

4. Die ganz normalen Menschen

This six minute track is one of the rather latest releases by the German rock musician. Die ganz normalen Menschen (“The pretty normal people”) praised the average, well-behaving, hard working people in his 2018 release. Together with the Big Band of the German Army, the thoughtfulness of the song is even stronger in focus.

5. Mit Leib und Seele

The song was one of the drivers of the most successful period of Kunze in the mid-1980’s. Later, he also released a version with Julia Neigel. The song feels a bit slower than the original, which is nicely contrasting to the vibe and power added by the wide instrumentation. Especially the saxophone part of this updated recording adds a lot of value to the listener.

6. Aller Herren Länder

In the late 1990’s, Kunze focuses on the faith of refugees who try to somehow make it over the Mediterranean and thereby risk their lives. It is somehow shocking that some 25 years later, the song still feels contemporary and relevant. Du wirst nie zuhause sein, wenn du keinen Gast, keine Freunde hast – “You will never be at home, if you don’t have guests, when you don’t have friends”. The key feature of this recording is a touching trumpet solo.

7. Lola

Weird Al Yankovic made Yoda out of this one – and Heinz Rudolf Kunze just kept the title Lola from the Kinks original in 1984. After the very thoughtful Aller Herren Länder, Lauschangriff shares a rather joyful listen, which profits from the wide big band arrangement.

8. Finden Sie Mabel

Finden Sie Mabel has likely been the key track of the 1986 album Wunderkinder. The song about the private investigator Marlowe, who is assigned to find the mysterious Mabel, feels timeless. The arrangement of Heinz Rudolf Kunze’s big band version feels very jazzy, which leads to a cool touch.

9. Die Dunkelheit hat nicht das letzte Wort

In 2020, Kunze shared this song, whose title translates to “The darkness does not get the last word”. A song about lies, including the strong request to fight the darkness with light. The song keeps the strong message of the original recording. This also means that the Big Band der Bundeswehr is just very present in scattered moments – but that intensifies the sad and personal atmosphere of the song.

10. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz

I just had very few opportunities to see Heinz Rudolf Kunze live on stage. However, I have to give in that I was always looking for this song. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz is one of my all-time favorite German songs. On this album, the song starts more or less with the piano only, before more instruments are joining in occasionally. And then, there is a lovely brass solo, which adds such a nice new element to the song. That’s so intense, so magical. Thank you for this one.

11. Wenn du nicht wiederkommst

This track is the only track released before the album. Kunze shared it eleven days before album release, on 4th November 2024. The new version of the 1991 original has been a wise choice for that role. It is very catching and grooving – and even rocks quite a lot. Love it!

12. Die Zeit ist reif

The last song of Lauschangriff is the big band version of the 2020 release peace song. Lasst Euch nie mehr mit Gespenstern ein – “Don’t deal with ghosts any more”. A typical Heinz Rudolf Kunze message at the end of the album.

 

Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr – Lauschangriff – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Heinz Rudolf Kunze & Die Big Band der Bundeswehr – Lauschangriff – My View

I am definitely not neutral about Heinz Rudolf Kunze and his music. But I feel that Lauschangriff is giving such a wonderful new focus and new perspective on twelve of the amazing songs this artist has written. I am simply thankful that Heinz Rudolf Kunze went for this project. A really great release!

Favorite Track: Dein ist mein ganzes Herz

 

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