This is my review of Sportfreunde Stiller's second album, Die Gute Seite, released on Motor records in 2002. Attatched to this review is a picture of the album cover and if you want some background information on the band then check out my review of their third album Burli.
1)Wie lange sollen wir noch warten?
The album begins with rolling bass and fast spoken lyrics, with electro samples over the entire song and sporadic keyboards, I like this song especially the bridge with more rolling bass lines and overstated electro effects. 4/5
2)Komm Schön
This song is quite different to the first, there are few effects used here, just traditional guitar, drums, bass (again rolling under the verses) and lyrics, the chorus is quite catchy as well to back it up. 4.5/5
Here's the link to the video: [URL=http://www.sportfreunde-stiller.de/netzgut_show.php?id=4]Komm Schön[/URL]
3)Ein Kompliment
The intro riff is rolling bass and leads into a four note guitar riff that repeats and reverberates throughott the intro and chorus, the lyrics during the verses are spoken again, and the chorus is again catchy. Like the last song few electronic samples are used. In fact this is my favourite song on the album and what pop-rock should sound like. 5/5
And another link to the video for this song: [URL=http://www.sportfreunde-stiller.de/netzgut_show.php?id=5]Ein Kompliment[/URL]
PS. The other people singing badly in the video are from other German bands that you see on the checklist during the first and second verses, and they're singing badly on purpose!
4)Sportbeat
This song contrasts greatly to the last two songs as the background music consists mainly of samples with lyrics put over the top, thus a very unoriginal song and probably the worst on the album. 2/5
5)Auf der guten seite
This song adds some much needed variety to the electro pop-rock sound thus far, a ballad. Some samples and effects are used but they fit the song well to create a solid if unspectacular ballad. 4/5
6)Independent
Independent was on the soundtrack to the FIFA 2003 football/soccer game and therefore is probably the most listened to song on this album, it again adds variety as it would be worthy of a loud punk band, fast, furious and the lyrics critisising society and in particular the level of advertising in the world. This is a great song, well written from first to last. 5/5
7)International
Bass line intro continues during the verses and into the chorus with trumpets playing over the lyrics, again mostly spoken. Overall creates a good song and fits the album well. 4/5
8)7 Tage 7 Nächte
Keyboard and guitar intro, rolls into the verses (again!) and continues before distortion and chorus kick in, quieter than the other similar songs on the album and this suits the song. Special mention goes to the drum solo at the end of the bridge. 4.5/5
9)Tage wie Dieser
Another quieter song this time with more electro elements than previous song, otherwise quite similar. 4.5/5
Here is a link to the video for this song: [URL=http://www.sportfreunde-stiller.de/netzgut_show.php?id=3]Tage wie Dieser[/URL]
10)Der Fortschritt
45 seconds of weird intro that ruins the song before the fast guitars kick in, shame, becaus the rest of the song is great. 3.5/5
11)10:1
Another strange intro kills off this song before it gets started really, very similar to the previous song in most ways. 3.5/5
12)Hurra, Wir Fliegen
This song was always intended only to fill time on the album and this is shown at the tnd with two and a half minutes of silence before a 1 minute long sample that sounds straight from a seaside resort. 3/5
Overall
This could have been a great album if some of their samples hadn't ruined so many of their songs (4 out of 12) but as it is, it remains a good album with the standout tracks being all those that aren't ruined by the sampling and the fact that 4 songs are rubbish and the other 8 are great means that overall I have to give the album 3.5/5 which is a shame as I think some of the songs on here deserve more than that. Perhaps could have done with more variety during verses as mostly rolling bass/guitar is used.
