Like Nena's "99 Luftballoons", this same-year one-hit wonder import from Germany comes on an album that has no dogs. They're all good, especially "Lifetime Guarantee". The title track is a revisit of David Bowie's "Space Oddity".
Track Listings (the English only re-issue) 1. Only Dreams 2. Lifetime Guarantee 3. Error in the System 4. Major Tom (Coming Home) 5. Major Tom, Pt. 2 6. (Let's Play) U.S.A. 7. I Have No Desire 8. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night)
"No Guilt" "Wise Up" "Quit" "It's My Car" "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" "I Know What Boys Like" "Heat Night" "Redland" "Pussy Strut" "Go On" "Jimmy Tomorrow"
The Ketchup Song (This is one where the video *should be* watched from the get-go.)
There is a "Spanglish" version, but it's really "Gibb-lish", as all the non-English parts are really Spanish-sounding gibberish, based on an approximation of the SugarHill Gang's "Rapper Delight": "I said a hip hop the hibbit, the hibbit to the hip hip hop, and you dont stop rock on baby bubba to the boogie the bang bang the boogie to the boogie, the beat"
This one has a cheesy video, but uses the studio version and is therefore better than the live performances.
The tracks from this album are:
99 Red Balloons (English version) (sample) "?" ("Fragezeichen") (sample) Hangin' on You ("Ich Häng´ an Dir") (sample) Just a Dream ("Nur Geträumt") (sample) Let Me Be Your Pirate ("Lass Mich Dein Pirat Sein") (sample) Kino ("Cinema") (sample) Das Land der Elefanten ("The Land of the Elephants") {Love the synthesizer elephants} (sample) Leuchtturm ("Lighthouse") (sample) Rette mich ("Save Me") (sample) Uner Kannt Durch's Märchenland ("Unrecognized in the Fairytale Land") (sample) 99 Luftballons ("99 Balloons", German version) (sample)
I like a wide variety of music, a very eclectic mix. *But* I have an extremely strict guideline: it must have a unique melody.
Unique: if it sounds like all the other songs, I get bored.
Melody: I could care less about lyrics. If they happen to be good, great. If they are offensive, they'll nix an otherwise catchy candidate. These melodies sseduce their way into your inner dialog. They may be instant, quickly accessible favorites, or they may sound strange at first and when your mind/ear synapses get a few exposures, they'll grow to love 'em.
Examples: Almost anything by Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney. Most of the Ziggy Stardust album by David Bowie. The first two Seals and Crofts albums (none of which were played on the radio). Most of the "99 Luftballoons" album by Nena. Some of Lorraine Feather's songs. Hardly any country or rap. Some of the pre-slut Nelly Furtado. "The Ketchup Song" by Las Ketchup. Some Lilly Allen.
Here are some of my favorites that you may not have heard, but should, starting with my...
