Rammstein

We like audiences to grapple with our music, and people have become more receptive." (The Times, Jan 29, 2005).
. But it serves a purpose. In recent years Rundgren has severed his connections with major record labels and now offers his new music direct to subscribers via his website, although he also continues to record and release CDs through independent labels. The band's own views of its image are sanguine: "We like being on the fringes of bad taste," according to Paul Landers, while Flake Lorenz comments: "The controversy is fun, like stealing forbidden fruit. He has had a pioneering involvement with music video and computing and was the co-developer of the computer screensaver system Flowfazer. The controversy did nothing to stop (and may even have helped) the single topping the German charts. Rundgren's music video for the song "Time Heals" was the second video to be aired on MTV.

It takes a darkly comic view of the Armin Meiwes cannibalism case, showing musicians of the band being held on a leash by a transvestite and rolling around in mud. 2nd Wind also included several excerpts from Rundgren's musical, Up Against It, which was adapted from the screenplay (originally titled "Prick Up Your Ears") which British playwright Joe Orton had originally offered to The Beatles as the screenplay for their never-to-be-made follow-up to Help!. In October 2004, the video for "Mein Teil" caused considerable controversy in Germany when it was released. His first to be released on CD -- these were cut totally live in the studio, and each song was recorded as a complete single take, with no later overdubbing. A Rammstein concert in Moscow scheduled for July 19, 2002 was cancelled due to fears that it would attract skinheads. Rundgren disbanded Utopia in the late 80s and after a short hiatus he resumed his solo recording career with two critically acclaimed albums, Nearly Human and 2nd Wind. Following the tragic conclusion of the Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia in September 2004, the Russian authorities claimed that the hostage-takers had "listened to German hard rock group Rammstein on personal stereos during the siege to keep themselves edgy and fired up." [2] (http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=573206) The claim has not been independently confirmed and the Russian authorities are known to have been concerned that Rammstein was too appealing to "undesirable" elements in Russian society. In addition to his own recordings, Rundgren has produced albums for Meat Loaf, Patti Smith, The Tubes, XTC, Badfinger, Jim Steinman, Grand Funk Railroad, Ian and Sylvia and many others.

In response, the band issued a terse statement:. The song "Bang the Drum All Day", from Tortured Artist Effect, later became an unofficial anthem of the Green Bay Packers, being played over the Lambeau Field sound system after Packers scores. Rammstein came under heavy criticism from right-wing and Christian groups in the United States, who claimed (amongst other things) that Till Lindemann's rolling Teutonic r's were an imitation of Adolf Hitler's diction. Subsequent solo releases included the album-long concept work Healing, the eclectic The Ever-Popular Tortured Artist Effect and A Capella, which was recorded using only Rundgren's multi-tracked vocals, and accompanied by arrangements constructed from programmed samples of his voice. In April 1999, it emerged that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - the two boys who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre - were fans of Rammstein and had declared it to be one of their favourite bands. It was followed by The Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978); this included the hit ballad "Can We Still Be Friends", which was accompanied by an innovative self-produced music video. 22, 2001). As well as his work with Utopia, Rundgren continued to write and record material which he released under his own name, including the transitional 1976 LP Faithful, which contained one side of original songs and one side of covers of significant songs from 1966.

If you want to put us in a political category, we're on the left side, and that's the reason we made the song." (The Grand Rapids Press, Jul. All four played multiple instruments and could sing both lead and harmony vocals. According to Kruspe-Bernstein, it means that, "'my heart beats on the left, two, three, four.' It's simple. This core Utopia lineup featued Roger Powell on keyboards, Kasim Sulton on bass and Willie Wilcox on drums. The song "Links 2 3 4" was written as a riposte to these claims. Over the next few years, as punk and New Wave reshaped pop music, Rundgren refined Utopia, scaling it down to a tight, disciplined four-piece contemporary rock group which many consider one of the best peforming and recording bands of its day. Rammstein have denied this vigorously and the members of the band have said that they want nothing to do with politics. The larger ensemble premiered on 1975's Utopia, which opened with a dazzling performance of the title track recorded live in concert; Uptopia Mk 1 also featured on the impressive live album Another Live, which mixed three new original songs with covers of The Move's "Do Ya" and "Something's Coming" from West Side Story.

Back home in Germany, the band has faced repeated accusations of fascist sympathies due to the dark and sometimes militaristic imagery of their videos and concerts, including the use of extracts from a propaganda film by Leni Riefenstahl in the video for Stripped. To present his new music, in 1975 he formed Utopia, a musical project that began as a large progressive rock ensemble including multiple keyboards, synthesisers and brass. Their stage act earned them a night in jail in June 1999 after the infamous giant dildo was used in a concert in Worcester, Massachusetts. During this period Rundgren regularly played the eye-catching psychedelic Gibson SG guitar that had been once been played by Eric Clapton in Cream. Rammstein have not been shy of courting controversy and have periodically attracted condemnation from moral campaigners. His new music addressed cosmic themes and showed a strong interest in spirituality; musically, the lengthy, highly-arranged and dazzlingly performed works displayed the musical influence of contemporary acts such as Mahavishnu Orchestra and Frank Zappa and on tour they were presented in a lavish stage setting that echoed the spectacular space-themed shows of acts like Parliament/Funkadelic. More unusually, the German composer Torsten Rasch has produced a classical opera cycle entitled Mein Herz Brennt, based on the album Mutter. Although he had eschewed drugs prior to this and reportedly quit Nazz because of his bandmates' drug use, Rundgren underwent a radical transformation in the mid-Seventies after experimenting with LSD, adopting an outlandish space-rock image and creating a large new repertoire of extended works that can best be described as progressive rock.

Rammstein's songs have been covered by a number of others, notably the Pet Shop Boys (who produced a cover of Mein Teil). Much of his work of this time was heavily influenced by soul music and R&B and by the harmony pop of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The production of the followup album Mutter was an experience fraught with difficulty for the band, which nearly broke up as a result of the strains that resulted, but the differences were resolved by the time Rammstein produced (Reise Reise) (2004). He had a brief flirtation with commercial success circa 1972, scoring a US Top Ten hit with the classic pop single "I Saw The Light". While Herzeleid was well-received and is still the favourite album of the Band, Sehnsucht is widely regarded as Rammstein's breakthrough album. Rundgren rapidly developed the ability to play numerous instruments, and married to his skills as an engineer and producer, he was able to record a number of superb albums on which -- like Stevie Wonder -- he wrote, played, sang and produced almost everything. Rammstein have so far released four full-length studio albums: Herzeleid (1995), Sehnsucht (1997), Mutter (2001) and Reise, Reise (2004). For most of the early Seventies he alternated production work with his career as a solo artist.

It's a combination of humor, theater and our East German culture, you know?" (The Grand Rapids Press, Jul 22, 1999). Rundgren was a founder member of the 1960s band Nazz, who gained minor recognition with the songs "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me" (which Rundgren later re-recorded). We take the music and the lyrics seriously. Todd Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is a musician, singer, songwriter and record producer born in Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia. but we're not Spinal Tap. Liars (2004). We do laugh about it; we have fun .. One Long Year (2000).

We do have a sense of humor. With a Twist (1997) (bossa nova remakes of earlier songs). We like to have a show, we like to play with fire. The Individualist (1995) (enhanced CD included a video game). The aim is to get people's attention and have fun at the same time: "You have to understand that 99 percent of the people don't understand the lyrics, so you have to come up with something to keep the drama in the show. We have to do something. No World Order (1993) (companion CD-ROM allowed the user to remix the songs). And overdo it!"). Second Wind (1991).

According to Kruspe-Bernestein, the on-stage wackiness is entirely deliberate (Rammstein's motto according to Schneider is: "Do your own thing. Nearly Human (1989) ("The Want of a Nail," "Parallel Lines"). During the current "Reise, Reise" tour they have worn lederhosen, corsets and vaguely military uniforms with steel helmets, while during "Mutter" the group kept to the themes of the album artwork and descended onto the stage from a giant uterus, wearing diapers. A Cappella (1985) ("Pretending to Care," "Lockjaw"). The band's costumes are equally outlandish. The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1983) ("Hideaway," "Bang the Drum All Day"). After some unfortunate early accidents the band took to employing professionals to handle the pyrotechnics; Lindemann himself is now a qualified pyrotechnician. Healing (1981) ("Time Heals," "Healing Parts I, II, III").

Rammstein's shows have become increasingly elaborate since the first ones 10 years ago, when their effects were confined to pouring kerosene around the stage and setting it alight. Back to the Bars (1978) (live album). The band's on-stage antics have included:. Hermit of Mink Hollow (1978) ("Can We Still Be Friends," "You Cried Wolf"). The variety of the pyrotechnics can be seen in a recent concert playlist, which includes such items as "Lycopodium Masks", "Glitterburst Truss", "Pyrostrobes", "Comets", "Flash Trays" and "Mortar Hits". Faithful (1976) ("Good Vibrations," "The Verb 'To Love'"). The heat is so intense that on occasion, people have been carried out of Rammstein concerts suffering from heat exhaustion, and lighting gantries have been seen glowing red-hot from repeated fireball hits. Initiation (1975) ("Real Man," "Initiation").

Rammstein has achieved particular fame (not to mention notoriety) for its hugely over-the-top stage show, using so many pyrotechnics that fans eventually coined the motto "Other bands play, Rammstein burns!". Todd (1974) ("A Dream Goes on Forever," "Sons of 1984"). Rammstein's song videos also tie in quite closely with films as they frequently "quote" from movies, including Tarrantinos classicsReservoir Dogsin "Du hast" and From Dusk Till Dawn in "Engel". A Wizard, a True Star (1973) ("Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel," "Just One Victory"). Rammstein's movie appearances to date are as follows:. Something/Anything? (1972) ("Hello It's Me" [originally recorded by Nazz in 1968], "I Saw the Light" -- see 1972 in music). The directors David Lynch and Rob Cohen appear to be particularly strong fans; explaining why he set the first 10 minutes of his thriller xXx in a Rammstein concert in Prague, Cohen said:. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (1971) ("Be Nice to Me," "A Long Time, a Long Way to Go").

Within only a few years of starting their career, Rammstein soon caught the attention of Hollywood for their explosive stage performances and energetic music. Runt (1970) ("We Gotta Get You a Woman"). 9, 2005) commented that on the stage "Mr. Lindemann gave off an air of such brute masculinity and barely contained violence that it seemed that he could have reached into the crowd, snatched up a fan, and bitten off his head." That said, Rammstein has also attracted praise for their inventive lyrics (Kurt Cobain is said to have been a fan) and their uncompromising style. 17, 1999) suggested that Till Lindemann's "booming, sub-sonic voice" would send "the peasants fleeing into their barns and bolting their doors", while the New York Times (Jan. Rammstein's style has tended to divide critics, some of whom have responded with memorably dismissive comments: Jam Showbiz (April 2001) described Mutter as "music to invade Poland to", New Zealand's Southland Times (Dec.

French might be the language of love, but German is the language of anger." (Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia), October 24, 2004). Explaining why, Oliver Riedel comments: "German language suits heavy metal music. The band almost always sings in German. Their songs show some unexpected influences; "Du Hast" is a play on German marriage vows (">>You have<< asked me and I didn't answer" but it can also be understood as "You hate" what would be written "Du Hasst"), while "Dalai Lama" is an adaptation of a famous poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

and in the last lines:. Similarly, the song Amerika features the tongue-in-cheek lyrics:. Zwitter ("Hermaphrodite") is a bizarre take on narcissism:. Rein Raus ([Get] in, [get] out), for example, is clearly tongue-in-cheek.

Despite their brutalist image, they show a sense of humour in their lyrics. Although it cannot really be said that Rammstein stick to any particular genre of music, they are most often described as an industrial band; they are also often associated with heavy metal and hard rock. Their first album was released a year later. "Flake" Lorenz was the last member; he had played with Landers before in the band Feeling B and was initially reluctant to come on board, but was eventually persuaded to join.

The four entered a contest for new bands and won, attracting the interest of Paul Landers, who knew them all and decided to join the band. I came back [to Germany] and said, 'It's time to make music that's really authentic.' I was starting a project called Rammstein to really try to make German music." He invited Till Lindemann, a basket weaver and drummer for the band First Arsch, to join the project as a vocalist. As Kruspe-Bernstein put it, "I realized it's really important to make music and make it fit with your language, which I didn't do in the past. Riedel, Schneider and Kruspe-Bernstein were the original founders of Rammstein, following an attempt by the latter to compose American-influenced music with a West Berlin band called Orgasm Death Gimmicks.

They are:. The band's members all come from the former East Germany, specifically East Berlin and Schwerin. Even though the lyrics are not in English, the band has enjoyed huge success outside of Germany, and with the album "Reise, Reise" (2004), they became the most successful German-language band of all time worldwide. The extra "m" in the band's name means that it translates literally as "ramming stone", or "battering ram", an appropriate name given the in-your-face nature of the band's music.

The band's signature song, the eponymous "Rammstein", is a commemoration of the tragedy that took place at the Ramstein Air Base. Rammstein takes its name indirectly from the western German town of Ramstein, site of an airshow disaster in 1988. The songs are performed almost exclusively in German. Their musical style, which they have dubbed Tanzmetal, or "dance metal", incorporates elements of metal, industrial and electronic music; similar in many ways to that of the band Laibach.

Rammstein are a German band formed in 1994. Lichtspielhaus (2003). Live Aus Berlin (1999). Keine Lust ("No Desire/Don't Feel Like It").

Ohne Dich ("Without You"). Amerika ("America"). Mein Teil ("My Part"). Feuer Frei! ("Fire At Will!").

Mutter ("Mother"). Ich Will ("I Want" lyrically according to a marriage; can also be translated with "I do"). Links 2-3-4 ("Left 2-3-4"). Sonne ("Sun").

Stripped. Du Riechst so Gut '98 ("You Smell so Good '98"). Du Hast ("You Have/You Hate"). Engel ("Angel").

Rammstein. Seemann ("Sailor"). Du Riechst so Gut ("You Smell so Good"). Keine Lust (2005).

Ohne Dich (2004). Amerika (2004). Mein Teil (2004). Feuer frei! (2002).

Mutter (2002). Ich will (2001). Links 2 3 4 (2001). Sonne (2001).

Single Collection (1998). Stripped (1998). Du riechst so gut '98 (1998). Das Modell (1997).

Du hast (1997). Engel (1997). Engel, Fan-Edition (1997). Seemann (1996).

Du riechst so gut (1995). "Moskau" ("Moscow"). "Keine Lust" ("Not In The Mood"). "Ohne Dich" ("Without You").

"Amerika" ("America"). "Dalai Lama". "Mein Teil" ("My Part"). "Bück Dich" ("Bend Over").

"Feuer Frei" ("Fire At Will"). "Sonne" ("Sun"). "Engel" ("Angel"). "Rammstein".

"Du Hast" ("You Have", also a homophone of "You Hate"). Reise, Reise (2004) (literally "Arise, Arise", from the now largely disused Middle High German verb "risen", to rise). Mutter (2001) ("Mother"). Sehnsucht (1997) ("Longing").

Herzeleid (1995) ("Heartache"). Band members surfing the crowd in a rubber dinghy. Rockets fired along cables strung above the audience;. Flake Lorenz being roasted in a giant cauldron by a flamethrower-wielding Lindemann;.

Exploding drumsticks, drums, microphones and boots;. Simulated sodomy and a giant custard-squirting dildo;. Till Lindemann singing an entire song while on fire (he now uses twin flamethrowers strapped to his arms);. Band members using head-mounted flamethrowers ("Lycopodium Masks") while singing/playing;.

Christian "Flake" Lorenz (Keyboards). Christoph "Doom" Schneider (Drums). Oliver Riedel (Bass). Till Lindemann (Vocals).

Paul Landers (Guitar). Kruspe-Bernstein (Guitar). Richard Z.