CD Review : Schrei
Schrei ("Scream") is Tokio Hotel's first album under that name, and released by Universal (initially only by the German division).
Track list
1. Schrei
2. Durch den Monsun
3. Leb' die Sekunde
4. Rette mich
5. Freunde Bleiben
6. Ich bin nicht ich
7. Wenn nichts mehr gehts
8. Lass uns hier raus
9. Gegen meinen Willen
10. Jung und nicht mehr jugendfrei
11. Der letzte Tag
12. Unendlichkeit
Interestingly, Bill said on occasion that they had recorded it (or at least his vocals) in 2002. That's way before the CD was released, and way before Tokio Hotel did sign a contract with Universal - though he didn't mention that.
It was also before his voice dropped, which means it's "German angry pop-rock sung with a high-pitched little boy's voice". At first hearing, it can be very WTF inducing, but it's also one of the appeals.
For starters, it doesn't sound like anything else you know - okay, the music is not dazzingly original, neither are the arrangements. But it's catchy, fresh and new.
Track commentary
1. Schrei ("Scream")
Title track. I'm not a big fan. Oh, I get where the intent come from."You get up and you get told where to go / Once there, you get told what to do // Scream as loud as you can".
Teen age rebellion, it's their age. Not quite mine.
But Bill seems to dig it as a stage piece, because it allows him to blast it and to set the crowd on fire (though since a lot of it is constantly squealing his name, I'm not sure they get any louder and in tune with the song for Schrei). 'nyways.
There is another version of that song, recorded in 2006, with Bill's dropped voice. It sounds significantly different, and less like Bill is going to rip his vocal chords to "schrei" it.
2. Durch den Monsun ("Through the monsoon")
Their first single in France, with a catchy tune, and Bill's high-pitched voice. An instant hit.Come to think of it, I guess one reason why the first album is appealing is because chibi-Bill had to force his voice a lot to compensate for the fact that he was 13. So it gives a urge to the singing that
3. Leb' die Sekunde ("Live in the moment")
"Live fast, die young, and leave a nice corpse", German-version. Minus the die young part. I don't quite get what he means about worlds are on sale, but it's one of the earliest songs that Bill wrote, the band already had a version of it on their pre-Universal debut in 2002 (see the Devilish review).4. Rette mich ("Rescue me")
Ballad. More stray kitten calling in the rain. *pets*Aw, he's all lonely and heartbroken and cute. *feeds him cookies and a glass of warm milk*
Second song that has a "2006" version re-sung with Bill's post-puberty voice. That's the version that was used on the video.
5. Freunde Bleiben ("Staying friends")
Ah, I like petty songs. And titles that lie. So I like this one. The refrain goes"Please let's not stay friends / I'd like it better / We can't stand each other"
I would like it even better without the attempt at being more politically correct by adding "Without people like you and me it would be boring". Plz bois. If you're going to attempt looking all badass, do it well.
6. Ich bin nicht ich ("I'm not myself")
Metaphysical interrogation. "I'm not myself when you're not here". Do I still exist if nobody is watching me? (actually, I suspect Bill is really asking himself that, but I am guilty of psycho-analyzing people too much).Yeah, I know. No, I don't care that it's angsty beyond words. He manages to sing it with conviction. You gotta admire kids.
7. Wenn nichts mehr gehts ("When nothing goes well anymore")
Angst, with a double topping of angst."When nothing will go well anymore, I'll be an angel - for you alone / For you I will appear in the darkest nights / and we will fly away from here / we will never lose each other"
Aw.
It really only works when sung by a teenager. Our world is too cynical for lyrics like that otherwise.
8. Lass uns hier raus ("Let us out")
The best defense is attack sometimes, so this song sums up all the "flavour of the moment" image of the band. And ends with :"Next morning you'll have our posters burnt down, and you already have bought the next ones".
Classy. I like a touch of cynicism in my bands.
9. Gegen meinen Willen ("Against my will")
About parents divorcing. Which did happen to the twins' parents when they were kids. It may make it work as sung, even though it might be perceived as purely marketed when you just read the lyrics.... Am I too cynical or what?
10. Jung und nicht mehr jugendfrei ("Young and no longer innocent")
("jugendfrei" actually translates to "G-rated" or equivalent, if I'm not mistakened. All-ages-rated)I'm a wee bit too old to feel in tune with the young rebelliousness in that one. But I'm still in touch enough with the world to understand the "We don't fit your expectations, sorry, but you're on the way" theme. Very catchy tune.
11. Der letzte Tag ("The last day")
Pre-break up song. It is ganz cute (ah yes, one of the plagues that Tokio Hotel unleased on the world is fangirl!German. Like fangirl!Japanese in manga fandom, except even more annoying to people who do speak the language).When performed live in Germany, Bill often picked a random fan in the crowd to sing part of it with him on stage - either that song or Schrei. Eh, they're so consumate stage pro, they know all the claptraps and stage tricks.
This is the 3rd and last song that has a different, "dropped voice" version on "Schrei - so laut as du kannst".
But Bill has some troubles reaching the high notes on the chorus now, so live he sometimes performs a slightly different version of it (nah, I'm not saying he sings out of tune. They made a different chorus melody for when he's too tired to do the original one with his "grown-up" voice). I like the old one better, but eh... I can't really go against time.
12. Unendlichkeit ("Infinity")
I heart this song. It's so... out of space and dreamy and meditative. And captures the title perfectly in its flow. They used to end their live shows on this one, during the Schrei tour.
