Achim Reichel
Regenballade

THE REVIEW

Rolling home to good ol' Hamburg, rolling home across the sea - Achim Reichel's Retrospective - Chapter III

And finally we arrive at the most precious piece of this mono: the third album in three years, "Regenballade" from 1978 represents for its creator the perfect realization of the third phase of his very personal creative cycle. With "Dat Shanty Alb'm" he created, with "Klabautermann" he consolidated, here he adds complexity, ambition, a sound more in line with the milieu of the time, without however interrupting the artistic continuity with the two predecessors, of which he retains all the salient characteristics: folk, storytelling, maritime themes. But in "Regenballade" there is also much more: all the lyrics are adaptations of poems by German authors (including Goethe), and above all, there is a formidable inspiration and an even more particular charm.

Yet the beginning seems to herald a very conservative album; unchanged quality, but essentially nothing new compared to the previous works. I'm referring to the first two songs on the tracklist, "Herr Von Ribbeck Auf Ribbeck Im Havelland", a spirited tavern rhyme that immediately recalls the atmospheres of "Dat Shanty Alb'm" and the rock with funky undertones of "Pidder Lung", very American and pleasantly groovy but not particularly original. The change of pace comes with "Een Boot Ist Noch Buten", a sinuous and visionary ballad enhanced by impeccable Hammond organ accompaniment, which is more narrated than sung, of course with the usual charisma. It's clear that there is something new, especially in terms of mood, but even this excellent performance, at first listen, did not manage to predict the electric jolt, the chills, and the emotion, simply the "kick in the head" that the next two songs on the list powerfully delivered.

"Regenballade" starts with a simple minor arpeggio, accompanied by a whistle that immediately evokes a western imagery: then Achim begins to sing, softly, with his low, hoarse voice; he does it freely, almost uninterruptedly, for almost seven minutes, in a stream of consciousness where words and images overlap; a no man's land, the inevitability of Fate, ancient legends, a gothic visual imagery and above all a sense of inner, spiritual tension. And after this contemplative hypnosis comes an electric dance, malignant, shamanic, "Die Zauberlehrling", with which Achim Reichel sets to music the famous Goethe poem of the same name and positions himself at the forefront of the then nascent Neue Deutsche Welle, all with an absolutely breathtaking performance. The synths, the guitar, the way of singing, the rhythmic progression, the theatricality; there's nothing, and I mean nothing in this piece that isn't perfect and doesn't transmit an irresistible electric shock. If I had to choose just one song as the absolute pinnacle of AR's repertoire, the choice would certainly fall on "Die Zauberlehrling", and given the level of the "competition" this speaks volumes about the piece's excellent quality.

After such magnificence, "Regenballade" continues offering foggy, visionary, and decadent atmospheres, continues at high levels with "Nis Randers" and "Trutz Blanke Hans", rock rides with a stormy mood, interpreted with a shamanic flair, and finally the sorrowful dusk of "Der Fischer", another masterful adaptation of Goethe: liquid keyboards, a voice that whispers melancholically. Visions of distant glory, now faded, there remains only a weary calm dragging a raft adrift. But it is not with the languor of "Der Fischer" that the album closes, but with the lighter yet still beautiful "John Maynard", a perfect folk song with a change of tempo and a surprise ending. And in the end, I ended up with a track-by-track; I hope you'll forgive me for it. But I wouldn't have known how to effectively describe "Regenballade" in any other way: a journey through the mists of an elusive dimension, suspended between music and poetry; an album simply sublime.

...e naufragar m'è dolce in questo mare...