I have to admit I have never heard of the legendary German group Die Zimmermanner so getting a best of is a good starting point for me and other listeners new to the bands music. The band whose name translates as The Carpenters were based in Hamburg around the core of Timo Blunck and Detlef Deiderichsen.
The album opens with Paderborn a funky low-fi synth tune that's got a heavy Silver Apples influence as they sing about what goes on in Paderborn.
Wo Bleibt Da Die Lebensqualitat? Is sort of kraut synth ska pop, I'm sure if I was fluent in German it would be catchy as hell, even if the keyboards veer a touch too close to schlager, nothing else does and it sounds like some very odd cartoon music.
Keiner Ruft Cornelia An (Zweite, Revidierte Fassung) has a cocktail party vibe to it part Mahattan Transfer part Pilot but with infectious sounding vocals about whatever Cornelia is getting up too, as the brass section comes in and out of the mix, before the truly odd dub section that's sort of Rhubarb and Custard on acid.
Ich Werde In Der Sonne Immer Dicker is the soundtrack to a super sordid German porno complete with some wonderfully salacious sax playing.
Der Weg Zu Mir is based around a very squelchy bassline and almost spoken word vocals on a quite sweet sounding song.
So Froh sounds like they are the German Skatalites and is pretty magnificent, this would sound great played next to some of Peps Perssons reggae tunes, and the mad keyboard solo is a brilliantly odd touch.
Timo Blunck is a tribute to one of the bands members, not sure if Timo is singing about himself or if it's Detlef singing this like a love letter to his partner in crime, it has sweeping strings and a sense of yearning in the vocals that might not be there if you understand the lyrics.
Erwin, Das Tanzende Messer was the song they had on one of the recent Tapete compilations I reviewed and as such stands out as I recognize it straight away and is totally memorable with some great funky bass and an almost No wave approach apart from the often falsetto vocals this sounds great.
Note Des Kleinen Mannes sounds like a German outtake from John Cales Paris 1919 album with lush strings and quite cool and deadpan vocals.
Christiane Paul is a light fun pop song with the odd noises floating in and out of the mix as we find out what was so special about Paul.
Mama, Baby, Joe has an almost Philly funk feel to it with very laconic vocals as this should be on the soundtrack to a Krautsploitation film set on the Reeperbahn as this tale unfolds and the way it fades out like your listening through the walls is cool.
Die Grosse Sporadische is a disco funk floor filler with a bit of a Blow Monkeys vibe to it, and you'll want to be sashaying along to it in no time.
Schlecht, Aber Einer Von Uns: Jesaja sets its course to be easy listening jazz pop with a very laid-back feeling to it.
Anja is a slightly over wrought song of is it love and love for Anja, if I understood German I'd know the answer to that, either way it's a rather interesting flute funk with a Philly Soul feel to it tune.
Passwort is a song that with the passing years and the fun and games of getting across borders is probably more relevant now than ever, as this wonderful slice of odd synth pop with a techno edge to it keeps on zinging.
Gluck Und Schmerz Hoch Drei (live) is a rather sparse and laid-back tune that's almost got a torch song feel to it to close a rather interesting best of from a band I knew nothing about.
Find out more at https://www.tapeterecords.de/artists/die-zimmermaenner/
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