Links are provided to 30 second samples of some songs, where there are no links, you can hear samples at the Sony BMG site here.
The first album, and one that took sometime to develop. Having worked first with the Insisters and then Ulla Meinecke, as keyobard player in both cases, she had experience of making records and touring, but not as the main attraction. Then, on one occasion while Rienhold was touring with Spliff, she set to work making some demos on a 4 track tape recorder which Reinhold had shown her how to use. On his return, he was suprised to discover just how talented she was in her own right. This was enough! He knew she was ready to be that "Main Attraction!"
Over the coming months, they worked on the album together, some songs heres, some his, which he had not been able to use in his band Spliff, and some joint efforts. It had been intended to make the record in a traditional rock format, with guitars, bass, drums and so on. More extensive demo's were made in this way, but for reasons of budget and studio time, among others, it proved hard to do. So it was that they would resort to using electronic keyboards and drum machines, recorded in the studio in their own flat, and apart from vocals, the only acoustic instruments are a saxaphone on "Die Frau Ist'n Kerl" played by Wilson De Oliveira, and some handclaps.
Contrary to what you may expect, Rosa does not appear at all on some of these tracks. Why? Well, it seems likely that while Rosa was away touring with Ulla, Rienhold would continue working on the album to get it completed. I guess it's a bit like Paul Simon working on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while Art Garfunkel was filming Catch 22! This makes it the most diverse of the 3 Cosa Rosa Albums, but don't let that fool you. There are gems here, and the whole works in a way that takes you by suprise when you hear it. It may be the least satisfying of the 3 albums, but there are enough gems here to make it a must have for anyone who has heard the other 2 albums.
It's hard not to think of Rosa in the same way as Karen Carpenter, both were fine singers, (Karen had a 4 octave range, and Rosa appears to be in the same ballpark, though the voice is completely different. Both were instumentalists first (Karen on drums) and of course, both were taken from us too soon.) Rosa may not have been experienced as a singer, but you'd never tell. Not only did she have a wonderful, powerful and accurate voice, she had the gift of superb expression, so her interpretation of a song was unique, personal and captivating. No one I've ever heard could sing the words "Oh Ja" (From "Her Mit Dem Kindergeld" with as much feeling as Rosa!)
Tragically, this album has yet to be issued on CD. Quite why it wasn't
reissued in 1997 with the other 2 albums is a mystery, unless it was simply
that those 2 had already been digitally mastered. If so, would it really
have taken so long to add this one?
A composition by Rosa, and the first hit single. Has vocals, but no
lyrics, it's all "da da da de da" sort of stuff. Sounds boring? Well, not
at all, it's superb, and exhibits her ability to add expression to vocals
in a way few can. See the video here!
To me, this is the best song on the album, and it's another Rosa composition.
It might not be as polished as "In Freien Fall" but it's still better,
superb melody, catchy vocals, and just hits the spot! The title is abit
confusing, but I think it is supposed to mean "what I'd buy if I was a
child and loaded"! It appears not to have been a single, and yet there
is a video. Odd, but who's complaining. See it here.
Another Reinhold-only track, and an instrumental. As the title suggests,
it's old style music, essentially free-form jazz, but played on electronic
instruments, and it does indeed sound mostly authentic, with drums and
cymbals, and what sounds like a double bass, topped of with what sounds
quite, but not completely like a trumpet. Very impressive, though it does
leave you with the thought of being like a musical equivalent of a concept
car at a motor show: an example of what is possible, but without actually
having a potential audience. As I say, impressive, but the track you will
most likely skip.
A nice enough song, but the version on the "Millionenmal" compilation
has the first few seconds missing (sound effects in a shop, and the few
seconds include the door opening and sounding a bell, which might remove
a clue for the listener. Why edit it?) and I'd have put "Kindergeld" on
instead of this.
Another superb song, very understated performance lyrically, as Rosa
proves once again she has already mstered the confidence needed to be a
great singer. She delivers a mesmerising performance while seemingly making
little effort. Wonderful.
