Music album review: Thomas Anders und Modern Talking Hits & Raritäten (2011)
I was actually looking for something else when I stumbled across this on Amazon.de the other week. A CD box with three discs for a little under €10, but what would it contain? I only got as far as skimming through the tracklisting of disc one before pre-ordering it while uttering little delighted squees. If you’re a fan of Thomas Anders OR Dieter Bohlen (or, specifically, both of them together) and have ANY sense at all, you should be doing the same.
Basically, the three discs are about three different eras. Disc one is Thomas Anders pre-Modern Talking. Second one is Modern Talking, third Thomas Anders solo. I’m not going to talk about the discs in order, but rather in the order of interest, starting with the least interesting one and working my way up, because that’s how I roll!
Disc 2: Modern Talking 1984-2003
- You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul
- You Can Win If You Want
- Lucky Guy
- Cheri, Cheri Lady
- Brother Louie
- Atlantis Is Calling (S.O.S. For Love)
- Angie’s Heart
- Geronimo’s Cadillac
- Give Me Peace On Earth
- Jet Airliner
- In 100 Years
- Anything Is Possible
- You Are Not Alone
- Love Is Like A Rainbow
- Love Is Forever
- I Need You Now
- Ready For The Victory
- Mrs. Robota
- Love To Love You
- Blackbird – Modern Talking / Christoph Leis-Bendorff / William King
This could be your standard Modern Talking compilation, really. Songs 1-10 are from the 1980s and arranged in chronological order, from the first to the sixth album, reminiscent of the ordering on Back For Good – The 7th Album, but without the new songs. They’re the big hits, more or less. Then are a few more surprising choices – I mean, why Anything Is Possible and Mrs. Robota, for instance? Sure, I like those songs, but of all the choices, why those particular ones?
More understandable are tracks 14-16 and 19, as I don’t even need to check the albums to remember Thomas had a hand in writing them. Either he just wrote the lyrics or he wrote the whole shebang. And this is a Thomas Anders compilation first and foremost, so that makes sense. Good choices, liking it. Even if it has I Need You Now which is one of my least favourite Modern Talking songs ever!
However, simply because I’m so familiar with all these songs already, I’ve not actually listened to this disc yet, so I can’t say what exactly is so special about Blackbird and who those guest artists are. Maybe jazz musicians or something? I wouldn’t know, jazz has never been something I take an interest in. (Guess which of Thomas’s solo albums I have but not really listened to at any length?)
Disc 3: Thomas Anders 1989-2009
- Love Of My Own
- One Thing
- Turn On The Light
- Soldier
- The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye
- Más que amor
- Whispers Of Love
- How Deep Is Your Love
- My One And Only
- When Will I See You Again – feat. The Three Degrees
- The Love In Me
- A Little Bit Of Lovin’
- Independent Girl
- King Of Love
- Never Been Loved Before
- Just Dream
- The Night Is Still Young – with Sandra
- Geboren
- Songs That Live Forever
- You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul (Ballad Version)
Now then, this is a bit more interesting! Thomas Anders’s solo work between Modern Talking (as in, 1988-1997) never struck me as being as strong as Modern Talking was. Some of the tracks are really good, but they lack a bit of oomph. This disc, however, puts together some of the best tracks of those years. From Roxette’s The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye to a song from the album he did in Spanish. This disc is great, a real treat. 🙂
To use Más que amor instead of the English Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love) I think was a bad choice, because the English version is a lot better. Instead, I think they could have changed it around to include the Spanish version of My One And Only (Luna De Plata) because it’s a lot better. Or even Miedo De Ti (Dangerous Lies). On the other hand, having looked up the tracklisting of Barcos de Cristal (1994), I realise now that actually, Más que amor wasn’t even on it. Huh. Okay, kudos for having rare singles on it! 😀 Still prefer the English version, though …
Tracks 12-14 are from the post post-Modern Talking era, the album This Time (2004). Track 19 is the one that he sung for the Eurovision Song Contest German pre-contest (didn’t win) and is included on Songs Forever (2006). Just Dream is a single from the Holiday on Ice Dream Tour 2004/2005 (don’t ask, I haven’t a clue), the Sandra (another 80s icon) collaboration was a single (and features on Sandra’s 2009 album Back to Life) and is still a bit meh, Geboren is interesting because it’s in German, and I don’t know where it’s from. Never Been Loved Before I also haven’t a clue of its origins, but it’s a really good song.
The Ballad Version of You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul is from a Modern Talking Fanclub CD (2000). I’m sure I also heard Cryin’ In The Night on this disc (and went “ooh, good choice” over it), also from that year’s Fanclub CD, but I can’t see it in the track list. Apparently you can get a good amount of money out of one of them these days but I sure as hell ain’t sellin’ mine!!
Disc 2: Thomas Anders 1980-1984
- Judy
- Liebe ist ein zweites Leben
- Du weinst um ihn
- Einer von uns beiden
- Es war die Nacht der ersten Liebe
- Mädchen so wie du
- Ich will nicht dein Leben
- Ich hatte mal Freunde
- Was macht das schon
- Steig aus, wenn du kannst
- Wovon träumst du denn (in seinen Armen)
- Du bist die Frau fürs Leben
- Endstation Sehnsucht
- Zwischen Himmel und Hölle
- Heißkalter Engel
- Wie ein verbotener Kontinent
- Es geht mir gut heut nacht
- Und wenn die Sonne schlafen geht
- Catch Me I’m Falling (Single Version) – Headliner
- Catch Me I’m Falling (Long Version) – Headliner
If this disc doesn’t make you squee, you’re either not a fan or you are simply unaware of why this disc is awesome. First of all, all these tracks came out prior to the first ever Modern Talking single. Track 9 and onwards were produced by Dieter Bohlen. The odd numbers are the A-sides to singles, the even numbers are the B-sides. Some of them are covers of songs originally in English:
- Judy = Call Me by Randy VanWarmer
- Was macht das schon = Pick Up The Phone by FR David
- Heißkalter Engel = Send Me An Angel by Real Life
Then, of course, 17 is a German version of a song later recorded by Modern Talking: Lucky Guy. The “ooh” in the chorus is different, but it’s the same melody. Some of the songs have been recorded by other artists as well, for instance, 14 and 17 were both recorded by Dieter Bohlen himself: You’re A Devil With Angel Blue Eyes (as Steve Benson) and Lucky Guy (as Ryan Simmons). Bohlen is much better as a producer and song writer than a singer, let’s put it that way …
Catch Me I’m Falling was also originally sung by Real Life, and I think it was a bit of an experiment to have Thomas sing it, and having him sing it in English rather than in German. It’s also the first ever single sung by Thomas Anders in English, so it’s a piece of history, man! So is the whole darn disc!
Most of the songs on the third disc have never been released on CD before now. That’s why I had to order it. The Bohlen songs (9-18) a fan had on EPs and recorded onto a tape for me when we met up yonks ago, and I eventually found the whole lot as MP3s (recorded from old, raspy EPs) thanks to the very helpful fan community. But that’s the thing – the option of having the songs on an official CD, made from the original tapes, doesn’t just mean finally hearing them in glorious high quality, it also means that finally, I have a legal copy. And for that, I’m really happy and really grateful to the people who came up with the idea to put together this compilation.
It truly is a collection of both hits and rarities, and to get three discs for under €10 is a bargain for any Thomas Anders fan. If you’re only really a fan of Dieter Bohlen’s music, perhaps you’ll be less enamoured with it, because you will already have heard everything on disc two, and only half of disc one will be of any interest to you. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of Thomas Anders singing Dieter Bohlen’s music, you can’t go wrong. Go and get this as soon as you can.
5 out of 5 overexcited fangirls! The only thing that’s letting it down, ever so slightly, is a lack of song lyrics, but I don’t mind. Already have those anyway. 🙂
