Gabi, Robert, and Paul...dig?

[Sue Trowbridge <ins_aset%JHUNIX.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>]

>BTW - Does anyone out there know anything about a group named
>"Deutsches-Americanishes Freudenschaft"?
>I have seen a couple of their albums
>used, but have no idea what they sound like.  The song titles (in German,
>I think) look interesting, but I'm afraid that they might turn out to be
>wimpy European syntho-schlock.
 
>Ami Silberman
 
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, now known simply as D.A.F., are
great.  Granted, I don't know if our tastes in music are particularly
complementary (Diamanda Galas, Die Krupps and the Pheromones aren't
quite my cup o' tea), but I think I can assure you that D.A.F. don't
play "wimpy syntho-schlock."
 
I don't have their first two albums, but the next ones -- "Alles Ist
Gut," "Gold und Liebe," "Fur Immer," and "1st Step to Heaven" -- are
all recommended.  D.A.F. are Robert Gorl (German) and Gabi Delgado
(Spanish).  Gorl plays hard-driving, dark synth-lines, and Delgado
rants, hormone-crazed, about "Sex Unter Wasser" (sex under water) and
similar subjects.
 
The first 3 albums are all in German.  After "Fur Immer," D.A.F. broke
up and Robert and Gabi produced solo albums -- both are worthwhile,
with Gorl's ("Night Full of Tension") closer to the D.A.F. sound and
Delgado's (aargh, can't remember the title) is lighter, adding
horns and other instruments to the mix, thus straying from the synths-
and-drum-machine-only credo of D.A.F.  "1st Step to Heaven" was
released late last year on the Dean/Illuminated label (the first D.A.F.
albums were on Virgin).  It was preceded by 4 12" singles.  It's all
in English, save a brief cover of "Voulez-Vous Couchez Avec Moi."
"1st Step" is very much geared to the dance floor and has a more
"disco" feel to it, but there are still some rather good songs on it,
especially "Pure Joy" and "Absolute Bodycontrol."  Oh yeah, they
still sing a lot about sex too.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------
 
If anybody else out there thinks Paul Simon's "Graceland" is an
overrated yawn, you owe it to yourself to check out the Coolies'
"dig..."!  They do very irreverent things to several of Paul's
Art G.-era tunes ("Cecelia," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Scarborough
Fair," etc.)  Also, their cover of "Feelin' Groovy" is brilliant --
imagine Steven Wright singing "Hello, lamppost, what you knowing,
da da da da, feelin' groovy" in his most depressed deadpan voice.
 
I fear that Simon may have started a dangerous trend with
"Graceland," though.  The lead cut on former Men At Work singer
Colin James Hay's solo elpee rips off the Afrobeat as
well.  Note: I *do* like real S. African music and think Fela
and Toure Kunda are cool, but I think Simon sinks "Graceland"
with jejune lyrics and that morally suspect Linda Ronstadt duet.
 
--Sue
 
"i sent four letters, none received"