EThere are many reasons why Udo Juergens one if not the greatest German-language songwriter of the 20th century. You can discover them on a new album, for which his children John and Jenny Jürgens have selected 61 songs. “da capo, Udo Jürgens – stations of a world career” brings together pieces from the musician’s decades-long career.
This includes alternative versions of the classics, for example a version of “Thank you for the flowers” with spacy synth sprinkles. Or “Seventeen, blond hair” in the English version as “Wayward Girl”.
Reminisce
The album, released on Friday by Sony Music, resurrects his hits. If you get involved once more, you might discover new, special details: the powerful piano and the lively strings at the beginning of “But please with cream”. The groovy piano and bass interplay in “An Honorable House”. The dashing strings of «At 66 years of age».
Jürgens, born in Klagenfurt in 1934 and died in Switzerland in 2014, had an undeniable flair for catchy tunes. But they were always well-crafted. The pathos is not neglected. Big harmonies and string parts can have a comforting effect in rather dark times. Just take the uplifting hit “The sun always rises”.
old and new
When you listen to it, you notice once more how political many of the songwriter’s songs are – not only in the lyrics of the often misunderstood song “Greek Wine”, which can be heard on the album as an English version. “My Greatest Wish”, “Singers in Chains” or the utopia of the end of the Cold War in “Moscow – New York” also bear witness to this.
There are also surprises to discover. For example the snappy “I know what I want” from 1979 with a disco beat. The futuristic vocoder voice at the beginning of «Your Tomorrow». The song «The day before», which evokes the apocalypse with stoically repetitive, ominous synth tones. Or the funky rock number “Peace Now” from 1970.
The compilation also includes great instrumental pieces by Jürgens, who began studying music at the Carinthian Conservatory when he was still a schoolboy.
“In the 61 songs that my sister Jenny and I chose, the album tells the stages of our father’s world career,” said John Jürgens in advance. “You accompany our father from song to song on his journey through life. In the big successes like winning the Grand Prix in 1966, but also in very personal moments, in songs dedicated to my mother, my sister or my father’s brother. You get very close to our father by listening.”
