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Rating: I type "Klaus Nomi" into Debaser's search engine and find no reviews: I'm surprised but only to a point; a bit disappointed, but the first thing I think is this: "this is a golden opportunity you shouldn't miss out on." But calmly, it requires tact, documentation, and humility; I know full well I am not the best person to talk about this artist, if only for purely chronological reasons, but it's worth a try. What did this bizarre artist's self-titled debut leave me with on the first listen? Beyond a slight headache and a basic but inevitable "insane coolness," the predominant feeling was certainly wonder, with a hint of alienation. We have this sort of new Farinelli capable of reaching absurdly high pitches for a male voice, absolutely unpresentable for the most conservative and habitual mainstream, who engages with these tunes of miscellaneous origin reinterpreted in a partly dance, partly new wave style, stuff that might even "break through" if only this freak of nature stayed a little more within the lines and adhered to the tastes of the general public.
Klaus Nomi gained more notoriety and following after his death than when he was alive, and a quick listen to this album is enough to understand why: his career lasted too short, there's no way to know which paths he would have taken, if he would have eventually managed to reach a wider audience, but in this debut he did absolutely nothing to somehow disguise his "diversity," to make it more appealing and accessible to the general public, as his idol David Bowie managed to do with absolute finesse, the only one to give him a concrete chance to emerge from the underground. Freak and proud of it, probably also aware of the inevitable consequences of his artistic choice; anyway, "Klaus Nomi" is something unforgettable starting from the cover, a perfect indicator of the uniqueness and charisma of the musical proposal.
"Total Eclipse" is certainly one of the most effectively deadly hits I've ever listened to, a delightful pop madness that alone would be enough for the highest ratings, but there's much more: the brilliant kitsch-vaudeville air of "Nomi Song", the hypnotic and slowed-down reggae of "Wasting My Time", and especially "Keys Of Life", a disconcerting canticle of medieval monks on which Nomi proclaims his visionary prophecy, "Exploring new dimension, new lifestyle my intention, do not ignore my advice, you hold the keys of life". This is regarding the original material, then there are some covers of '60s pop classics, among which stands out a "You Don't Own Me" overwhelming and with lyrics reflecting the character, performed with a theatricality that almost mimics the style of Nina Hagen, then the echoing and almost spectral extravagance of "The Twist" and the more frivolous and dance-like "Lightning Strikes"; completely transfigured songs, which Klaus Nomi appropriates and impresses with his own indelible mark. Just for fun, why not add some "real" operatic arias as well? Well, why not, so here are a couple of classics like "Cold Song" by Henry Purcell and "Samson And Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saëns; here Klaus Nomi limits himself to purely interpretative work, even musically sticking without oddities to the original compositions, but it's perfect as is, and I think the artist wanted to convey a specific message: some things you can go wild and do cabaret, others need to be taken more seriously.
You know those little lists that various music magazines sometimes have fun compiling? Like the 100/200/500/a million/ten million albums to listen to before you die? Well, in my list, this is a landmark, an essential album with an overwhelming impact. In its simplicity, because it is still Pop, often very dated too, I consider this album and this artist far more courageous, innovative, and noteworthy than an endless plethora of mass phenomena, rock and non-rock, that have achieved world celebrity status. But remaining confined to a relatively narrow niche was an inevitable price for an artistic choice of this kind.
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 Lightning Strikes (02:59)
Listen to me baby, you've got to understand
You're old enough to learn the makings of a man
Listen to me baby, it's time to settle down
Am I asking too much for you stick around?
Every boy wants a girl he can trust to the very end
Baby that's you, won't you stay? But 'till then,
When I see lips begging to be kissed, I can't stop (stop) I can't stop myself
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Nature's taken over my one-track mind
Believe it or not, you're in my heart all the time
All the girls are saying that you'll end up a fool
For the time being, baby, live by my rules
When I settle down, I want one baby on my mind
Forgive and forget, and I'll make up for all lost time
If she's got to get out fine, then she's on my mind
I can't stop (stop) I can't stop myself
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
There's a chapel in the pines waiting for us, around the bend
Picture in your mind love forever. But 'till then,
when I see lips begging to be kissed, I can't stop (stop) I can't stop myself
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
Lightning striking again (and again, and again, and again, and a-)
05 The Twist (03:10)
Come on humans, let's do the twist
Come on humans, let's do the twist
Take me by the little hand and go like this
Father's just sleeping, and mother's not around
Father's just sleeping, and mother's not around
We're going to twist until we tear the house down
You should see my little sis'
You should see my little sis'
She knows how to rock and she knows how to twist
Twist... Baby twist...
Oh yes... Let's do the twist
Just go like this and do the twist
07 You Don't Own Me (03:41)
You don't know me, I'm not just one of your little toys
You don't own me, don't say I can't play with other boys
And don't tell me what to do, don't tell me what to say
Please when I go out with you, don't put me on display
Because you don't know me, don't try to shame me in any way
You don't own me, don't tie me down 'cause I never stay
And don't tell me what to say, don't tell me what to do
Just let me be myself, that's all I ask from you
I'm young and I like to be young
I'm free and I like to be free
To live my life the way I want
To say and do whatever I please
You don't know me, I'm not just one of your little toys
You don't own me, don't say I can't play with other boys
And don't tell me what to do, don't tell me what to say
Please when I go out with you, don't put me on display
I'm young and I like to be young
I'm free and I like to be free
To live my life the way I want,
To say and do whatever I please
09 Total Eclipse (03:30)
Big shots
argue about what they've got
making the planet so hot,
hot as a holocaust.
Blow up.
Every thing's gonna go up,
even if you don't show up
in your Chemise Lacoste.
Total Eclipse
It's a Total Eclipse
It's a total Eclipse of the sun.
Can't come to grips
with the total eclipse
just a slip of your lips
and you're go-o-o-o-one.
Fall out,
nobody left to crawl out.
If someone calls, we're all out,
turning in to French fries.
Last dance,
let the entire cast dance,
do the dismembered blast dance
as we get atomized
Total Eclipse
It's a Total Eclipse
It's a total Eclipse of the sun.
Can't come to grips
with the total eclipse
just a slip of your lips
and you're go-o-o-o-one.
10 Samson and Delilah (Aria) (03:44)
Mon c?ur s'ouvre ࠴a voix comme s'ouvre les fleurs
Aux baisers de l'aurore!
Mais, ?n bien-aim鬠pour mieux s飨er mes pleurs,
Que ta voix parle encore!
Dis-moi qu'ࠄalila tu reviens pour jamais!
Redis ࠭a tendresse
Les serments d'autrefois, ces serments que j'aimais!
Ah! r鰯nds ࠭a tendresse!
Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!
((? Mi coraze abre a tu voz como si abre las flores A los besos de la aurora!
? Pero, ? querido, para secar mejor mis l᧲imas, Que tu voz todav�habla!
? Dime que en Dalila vuelves para siempre!
? Repite a mi ternura Los juramentos de en otro tiempo, estos juramentos que me gustaban!
? Oh! ? Responde a mi ternura!
? P᧡me(Vi鲴eme),
p᧡me(vi鲴eme) la embriaguez!))
14 Just One Look (03:19)
Just one look and I felt so hot
In love with you
I found out how good it feels
To have your love
Say you will, you will be mine
Forever and always
Just one look and I knew
That you were my only one
I thought I was dreaming
But I was so wrong, yeah yeah yeah
But I'm gonna keep on scheming
Till I can make you,make you all of my own
So you see I really care
Without you I'm nothing
Just one look and I know
That you were my only one
I thought I was dreaming
But I was so wrong, yeah yeah yeah
But I'm gonna keep on scheming
Till I can make you my own
So you see I really care
Without you I'm nothing
Just one look and I knew
I'll get you someday
Just one look
That's all it took
Just one look
That's all it took
Just one look
That's all it took
15 Falling in Love Again (02:40)
Falling in love again
Never wanted to
What am I to do
I can't help it
Love's always been my game
Play it as I may
I was made that way
I can't help it
They cluster to me
Like moths around a flame
And if their wings burn
I know I'm not to blame
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt,
Denn das ist meine Welt.
Und sonst gar nichts.
Ich kann, was soll ich machen,
Ja, doch lieben nur,
Das ist meine Natur,
Sonst gar nichts.
Männer umschwirr'n mich,
Wie Motten um das Licht.
Doch wenn sie verbrennen,
Ja dafür kann ich nicht.
16 Icurok (04:24)
ICUROK2C
ICUROK2
ICUROK2C
ICWR2
URAQT
I1U2
OO2EZ
I1U2
---
I see you are okay to see
I see you are okay too
I see you are okay to see
I see double - you are two
You are a cutie
I won, you too
Oh, oh, too easy
I won, you too
18 Wayward Sisters (01:40)
Wayward sisters,
you that fright
the lonely traveller by night,
Who, like dismal ravens crying,
beat the windows of the dying.
Appear!
Appear at my call,
and share in the fame.
Of a mischief
shall make all Carthage flame.
Appear!
19 Ding Dong (03:11)
Ding Dong!
The Witch is dead!
Which old witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is dead!
Wake up, you Sleepy Head!
Rub your eyes, get out of bed!
Ding Dong, the Wicked Witch is dead!
She's gone where the goblins go,
Below, below, below!
Yo Ho!
Let's open up and sing,
And ring the bells out!
Aye ho, the Merry-O!
Sing it high, sing it low!
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead!
20 Simple Man (04:19)
I'm, I'm just a simple man
I have to do the simple things that a simple man can
You are holding out your hand
You want to know the simple things in my simple plan
And I know there's so much to share
So what else can I do?
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
Come now and take my hand (come and take my hand)
Now and forever, never to be lonely
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
I do the best I can (I do the best I can)
Now we're together, just remember only
That I'm a simple man
Love is just a simple thought
A little bit the worse for wear
like a thief who got caught
Hope is just a thing you bought
It's just another safe white lie
that every body got taught
I can see you look to me
So what else can I do?
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
Come now and take my hand (come and take my hand)
Now and forever, never to be lonely
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
I do the best I can (I do the best I can)
Now we're together, just remember only
That I'm a simple man
I do the best I can
I got a simple, simple plan
I hope you understand
I'm just a simple man (yes, I'm a simple man)
I'm holding out my hand (I'm holding out my hand)
It's such a simple, simple plan (it's such a simple plan)
I think you understand (you understand)
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
Come now and take my hand (come and take my hand)
Now and forever, never to be lonely
Yes, I'm a simple man (I'm a simple man)
I do the best I can (I do the best I can)
Now we're together, just remember only
It's so simple
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