•
Rating: 1985, unexpectedly, was the year that marked Falco’s surprising return to the top and a remarkable consecration on a global level.
Burned by the commercial disappointments of his previous album, Hans Hoelzel returned to the scene with a much different spirit than the snobbish, conceited attitude that had characterized him in the 1983-84 period.
In the new LP “Falco 3”, some of the sarcasm, energy, and biting irony of his early days resurfaced.
Musically speaking, the arrival of the Bolland brothers marked a clear upgrade in production and arrangement, with tracks much more vigorous, gritty, and modernized compared to the atmospheres of “Junge Roemer”.
The brilliant “Rock me Amadeus” (which incredibly reached number one on the American charts) paved the way for the LP, soon becoming a global earworm, also thanks to an original and ambitious music video, remembered as one of the most iconic of the entire decade.
The incredible success was soon followed by the release of “Vienna Calling”, also performed at the Sanremo Festival during a guest appearance that many people still remember (though not only for positive reasons due to extra-musical events), and the poignant—and highly controversial—“Jeanny”, which, because of an intentionally ambiguous lyric and video, sparked a media scandal and was even banned from radio.
A scandal that actually boosted sales of the single, as well as of the entire “Falco 3” album, which thus remained in the top 10 in its key markets (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) after having reached the third spot on the Billboard chart in the USA thanks to the success of “Rock me Amadeus”.
“Falco 3” also includes two covers, with Bob Dylan and The Cars being paid tribute to with irreverent boldness.
The nascent artistic duo Falco-Bolland proved instantly explosive: charts worldwide rewarded the seemingly perfect chemistry between the “new Mozart” and the Dutch duo.
Ultimately, it can be said that “Falco 3” represents, from both a commercial and audience perspective, the highest point of Falco’s career.
Unfortunately, in the following years, the Austrian artist, for various reasons, wasn’t able to match those same heights.
Tracklist
Loading comments slowly
