Nena - ? (Fragezeichen) (1984) - €10,00

? (Fragezeichen) (German for "Question mark") is the second album by German pop rock band Nena and the third studio album to feature its lead singer, Gabriele "Nena" Kerner. It was released on 27 January 1984, just a few months before the band's first international album 99 Luftballons, which contains songs from their debut album Nena (1983) and this album, some of them re-recorded with English lyrics.

Like its self-titled predecessor, this album was produced by Reinhold Heil and Manne Praeker of Spliff.

In appearance, the second Nena album again bears typical hallmarks of a new wave act: a shadowy band photo on a black background on the cover and nothing more than a question mark as its title. However, as with the debut album, the music has little to do with actual deconstructionist strategies or new wave's typical intent to disturb. In fact, it is even further removed from that than its predecessor, which was driven by forceful songs and Nena's almost masculine singing approach on that occasion. The opening "Rette Mich" does pick up from there, but the rest of the album contrasts the debut by being much more romantic. 

Love and longing are the main subjects, with Nena's voice conveying a touching vulnerability that suits the wistful mood of the album perfectly. The music veers even closer to the magical sounds of '70s Baroque rock, which there had also been hints of on the first album. 

The song structures, however, retain an '80s simplicity, with writing credits spreading out even more evenly between all five bandmembers in various combinations, retaining their general tendency toward classy, beautiful pop melodies. 

Its tender atmosphere makes it truly special among Nena's albums. The title track, first launched as a surprisingly laid-back single in late 1983, features lyrics by Nena herself about the emotional to and fro (and acceptance) of one's own contradicting desires, and despite its lack of musical excitement, the song took on an anthemic quality for Nena's fans. 

In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the album consolidated the band's stature as the unsurpassable success story of the moment. 

Moreover, the concentration of the media on Nena significantly drained attention away from the German new wave scene in general, and by year's end there was a consensus that the drive to commercialize new wave in Germany had actually finished it off as a genuine movement. 

Side A
A1.  Rette Mich  (3:17)  
A2.  ? (Fragezeichen)  (4:28)  
A3.  Das Land Der Elefanten  (3:42)  
A4 . Unerkannt Durchs Märchenland  (3:21)  
A5.  Küss Mich Wach  (2:43)  
A6.  Lass Mich Dein Pirat Sein  (4:51) 

Side B
B1.  Ich Häng' An Dir  (4:13)  
B2.  Sois Bienvenu  (3:22)  
B3.  Keine Antwort  (3:18)  
B4.  Der Bus Is' Schon Weg  (0:15)  
B5.  Es Regnet  (4:45)  
B6.  Der Anfang Vom Ende  (3:53) 

Notes

Release:  1984

Format:  LP

Genre: Neue Deutsche Welle

Label:  CBS Records

Catalog#   25870

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00