? (Nena album)
Untitled | |
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
? (Fragezeichen) (German for "Question mark") is the second album by German pop-rock band Nena and the third studio album to feature its lead singer, Gabriele "Nena" Kerner. It was released in 1984, just a few months before the band's first international album 99 Luftballons (1984), which contains songs from their debut album Nena (1983) and this album, some of them re-recorded with English lyrics.
Like its self-titled predecessor, this album was produced by Reinhold Heil and Manne Praeker of Spliff.[2]
Title track
The album's title track was co-written by Nena and the band’s keyboard player Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen. It reached #3 in the German charts in 1983.[3] The lyrics – written by Nena – comprise the thoughts of someone racked by indecisiveness (“Today I’m coming, today I’m also going….Perhaps I’ll stay, Yesterday that wasn’t for me, Today I need endless love") but still adamant that they know what’s best for them (“No-one can tell me what is best….and who is best…because I know exactly.“)[4] The song is a mainstay of Nena’s live concerts and seems to be particularly popular with female fans although it is not uncommon for Nena to interrupt her performance of the song, apparently to laugh at the absurdity of the lyrics.[5] In the middle of the version recorded for the 2004 album Nena Live Nena she says, “I felt so small when I wrote this.”
Like most of the Nena's band greatest hits, ?(Fragezeichen) was anglicised for the international album 99 Luftballons and then updated for the Nena feat. Nena album which reignited Nena’s solo career in 2002.
Track listing
Side A contains tracks 1 to 6 and Side B contains tracks 7 to 12.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rette mich" (Rescue Me) | Carlo Karges | Karges | 3:17 |
2. | "? (Fragezeichen)" (Question Mark) | Nena Kerner | Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen | 4:28 |
3. | "Das Land der Elefanten" (The Land of the Elephants) | Karges, Fahrenkrog | Fahrenkrog | 3:42 |
4. | "Unerkannt durchs Märchenland" (Unrecognized Through Fairyland) | Kerner | Jürgen Dehmel | 3:21 |
5. | "Küss mich wach" (Kiss Me Awake) | Rolf Brendel | Brendel | 2:43 |
6. | "Lass mich dein Pirat sein" (Let Me Be Your Pirate) | Brendel | Kerner, Brendel | 4:51 |
7. | "Ich häng' an dir" (I'm Hangin' on You) | Kerner | Fahrenkrog | 4:13 |
8. | "Sois bienvenu" (French: Welcome) | Brendel | Fahrenkrog | 3:22 |
9. | "Keine Antwort" (No Answer) | Karges | Dehmel | 3:18 |
10. | "Der Bus is' schon weg" (The Bus Has Already Left) | Karges | Karges | 0:15 |
11. | "Es regnet" (It's Raining) | Karges | Karges | 4:45 |
12. | "Der Anfang vom Ende" (The Beginning of the End) | Kerner | Kerner | 3:53 |
Total length: | 42:16 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Allmusic[6] and Discogs.[2]
Nena
- Nena Kerner – main vocals, arrangement
- Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen – keyboard, backing vocals, lead vocals on track 3
- Carlo Karges – guitar, backing vocals
- Jürgen Dehmel – bass
- Rolf Brendel – drums, percussion
"? (Fragezeichen)" and "Lass mich dein Pirat sein"
- David Sanborn – saxophone
- Ollie Cotton – engineering
- Stanley Wallace – engineering
Technical personnel
- Imre Sereg – engineering (on all tracks, except "? (Fragezeichen)" and "Lass mich dein Pirat sein")
- Manfred "Manne" Praeker – production
- Reinhold Heil – engineer (on all tracks, except "? (Fragezeichen)" and "Lass mich dein Pirat sein"), production
- Jim Rakete – cover design
- Roman Stolz – cover design
- Rico Sonderegger – mastering
Charts
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums Chart[7] | 1 |
Dutch Albums Chart[8] | 2 |
German Albums Chart[9] | 1 |
Norwegian Albums Chart[10] | 17 |
Swedish Albums Chart[11] | 11 |
Swiss Albums Chart[12] | 1 |
Certifications
Country (Provider) | Certification |
---|---|
Germany (BVMI)[13] | Platinum |
Release history
Region | Year | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
West Germany | 1984 | CBS Schallplatten GmbH | LP | CBS 25 870 |
Bertelsmann Club | CBSCL 40383-2 (Club edition) | |||
Netherlands | CBS Schallplatten GmbH | CBS 25 870 | ||
Yugoslavia | CBS Schallplatten GmbH, Suzy | |||
West Germany | CBS Schallplatten GmbH | cassette | CBS 40-25870 | |
CD | CDCBS 25870 | |||
Japan | Epic/Sony | 35.8P-55 | ||
Yugoslavia | CBS Schallplatten GmbH, Suzy | cassette | CBS 40-25870 | |
Europe | 1993 | Columbia | CD | COL 47365 2 (reissue) |
Germany | 1998 | COL 47365 9 (reissue) |
References
- ^ Severa, Alan. "Review of ? (Fragezeichen) by Nena". Allmusic. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ a b "? by Nena". Discogs. June 28, 2013.
- ^ "German charts - Nena". Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
- ^ "Lyrics and credits to "? (Fragezeichen)"". Nena.de. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
- ^ See "Made in Germany Live" 2009 DVD
- ^ "Credits for ? by Nena". Allmusic. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Nena – Nena". AustrianCharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Nena by Nena". MegaCharts (in Dutch). Hung Medien, DutchCharts.nl. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Chart positions for Nena by Nena". Media Control (in German). Charts.de / media-control.de. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Chart history of Nena". NorwegianCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "Chart history of Nena". SwedishCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ Click on "Charts"→"Alben":
- "Chart history of Nena". SwissCharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ Press "Suchen":
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Nena)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.