Geier Sturzflug - In der großen Tradition der kleinen Haushaltswaren (CD)
The NDW was and remains a cult classic. In the early 1980s, music became colorful and new. Extraordinary anthems, songs that, even decades later, one simply cannot (and does not want to) banish from one's brain. The Bochum band Geier Sturzflug played in precisely this league. Their hits are now part of the NDW's DNA. They are as relevant today as they were back then. The gross national product may be called
Gross domestic product, but is still being diligently increased and Venice is constantly on the verge of collapse.
In 2021, Friedel Geratsch was vacationing in southern climes. With the sea at his feet and the sun above his head, he came up with the idea of making another "Geier" ska and reggae album after all these years. Back then, the band's trademark was tackling not-always-pleasant topics with ease and cheerfulness.
When Friedel and his collaborators Carlo von Steinfurt and Reiner Hundsdoerfer came up with the idea of rekindling their love, they quickly found support from the congenial new vulture, Karsten Riedel. Karsten, a successful theater musician and composer on the side, fell in love with reggae and ska at an early age. With his band Natty U, he managed to play several concerts in the home of reggae in the early 1990s. He even enjoyed a lively atmosphere with his audience in Jamaica's capital, Kingston.
Friedel & Karsten got started: "Ska & Reggae – In the Great Tradition of Small Household Goods" was created within just two months. Songwriting, composition, mixing, and mastering were all included. 2 songs, including two unreleased and updated ones from the early days of Geier Sturzflug. All songs follow the "old" tradition: seriousness with humor in lively melodies. Topics such as the legalization of cannabis ("Smoking Weed Boosts the Economy"), climate change ("Five to Twelve"), or YouTube Academy graduates ("Doofmannsgehilfen") bear witness: Geier Sturzflug still enjoys being uncomfortable today, and they're allowed to. For a line like "humanity isn't getting any smarter because of television."
("Totally crazy"), other artists would sell everything they owned. Geier Sturzflug's songs flow with complete ease. For that alone, you have to love the band. But there are other elements that make the album something truly special. Like Friedel's self-made cigar box guitars. They are usually used on his blues albums, but they can do other things too. The world has certainly never heard reggae and ska with a cigar box guitar before. Both are woven together on the album to create something completely unique, giving the songs not only a relaxed attitude but also a touch of southern blues, of the sweaty swamps deep in the southern USA. Even if "Ska & Reggae - In the Great Tradition of Small Household Goods" is to be Geier Sturzflug's last album, the band is as we know them. But it also sets new standards that are hard to resist. Who would say no to that?
01 Bob Job
02 Lockdown
03 Five to Twelve
04 Born to roll
05 The Last Train
06 The old brush
07 Totally crazy
08 Hey Captain
09 Smoking weed boosts the economy
10 load vehicles
11 corners of the mouth raised
12 idiot assistants
13 Modern is when you win