CK 64790 14 Friendly Abductions:
The Best of Nina Hagen
Compilation produced by Bruce Dickinson
Released on April 2, 1996
no chart information
Find it at GEMM
CK 64790 cover  

I ’m not sure I needed to be held hostage for three versions of “Zarah,” but otherwise this is a friendly adduction to Hagen’s dossier. Many of my favorites are here: “Universal Radio” (here in a 7-minute dance mix), “Cosma Shiva, “My Sensation,” “Smack Jack,” “Wir Leben Immer Noch (Lucky Number).” Unfortunately, the compilation stops at Ekstasy, so Abductions isn’t the career compilation it could have been. Still, it captures the Nina Hagen Band at the height of their powers, from her punk origins (“TV-Glotzer,” “African Reggae”) to her delightfully demented dance phase (“New York New York”). Nina and the band wrote most of their material, but you wouldn’t know it from this album. “My Way” and “Spirit In The Sky” help push the cover ratio into novelty factor nine, which is a little shortsighted. Certainly “Superboy” is a stronger single than these (okay, well “My Way” does totally kick ass), and you’d get a better sense of Nina’s loopy charms by hearing “I Love Paul” or “Flying Saucers” than sloughing through the dub mix of “Zarah.” On the plus side, Nina finally gets the attention she deserves in Arthur Levy’s generous liner notes. If you’re unfamiliar (or only passingly so) with Hagen’s body of work, Fearless or Nunsexmonkrock are as tantalizing an entrée as 14 Friendly Abductions. Since the one may be too clubby, the other too kooky, I suppose this compilation represents a safe shot in the middle. But then again safety ain’t what Nina’s all about, so better to be hijacked by fortune and buy the first album you find. Just remember to strap yourself in for the ride (and bring a clean pair of underwear).

CK 64790 back sleeve
CK 64790 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

  1. ZARAH    (M.Jary/B.Bale; english lyrics: Nina Hagen)    4:37
  2. NEW YORK NEW YORK    (Nina Hagen/Steve Schiff/Karl Rucker)    5:15
  3. SMACK JACK    (Ferdinand Karmelk)    5:15
  4. TV-GLOTZER (WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE)    (M.Evans/William Spooner/Roger Steen; german lyrics: Nina Hagen)    5:14
  5. SPIRIT IN THE SKY    (Norman Greenbaum)    5:15
  6. AFRICAN REGGAE    (Reinhold Heil/Bernhard Potschka)    6:16
  7. UNIVERSAL RADIO (UNIVERSAL DANCE MIX)    (R.Dumas)    6:59
  8. MY SENSATION    (Nina hagen/Steve Schiff)    4:03
  9. IKI MASKA    (Nina Hagen/Karl Rucker)    5:08
  10. WIR LEBEN IMMER NOCH (LUCKY NUMBER)    (Lene Lovich/Les Chappell; german lyrics: Nina Hagen)    4:54
  11. COSMA SHIVA    (Nina Hagen)    3:17
  12. ZARAH (DANCE MIX)    (M.Jary/B.Bale; german lyrics: Nina Hagen)    6:30
  13. ZARAH (DUB)    (M.Jary/B/Bale; german lyrics: Nina Hagen)    6:54
  14. MY WAY    (G.Thibault/C.Francois/J.Revaux/P.Anka/C.Niesen)    4:25

CREDITS

Jessica Sowin -- project director
Nicholas Bennett -- packaging manager
Sean Evans -- cover design
Kim Gaucher -- graphic artist
Niels Van Iperen -- cover photo
Deluze/Stills and Levy/Stills -- inside photos

return to NINA HAGEN discography

REGION RELEASE DATE LABEL MEDIA ID NUMBER FEATURES
US April 2, 1996 Columbia/Legacy CD CK 64790 picture sleeve
NET 1996 Sony CD 484010  

 

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