The Lennerockers are a popular and versatile German band.
1.It could be worse 2.Pin up girl 3.I've got you on my mind again 4.Book with seven seals 5.Barrelhouse 'n' boogie 6.The unknown picture 7.Mercy 8.The girl in my dreams 9.Mississippi delta blues 10.Hometown heartbreak 11.The way I feel tonight 12.Rock bottom blues 13.Bouncing Betty 14.Simply beautiful
The Lennerockers
Maggie's Blue Suede News - from issue 70 - April 2003 Wunderbar!! Lennerockers!! Woughton Centre, Milton Keynes Saturday, 22nd February 2003 An outstanding night. The Lennerockers gave an evening of first class entertainment - Wunderbar! I was glad we'd checked it out and brought tickets previously as people were soon being turned away. Fortunately for us, 'me mate' Jane had saved seats, but it was still a bit of a squeeze. The disco sound was very good and DJ Tartan Ted played some great stuff. There were numerous Teds milling about and a strong Rockabilly contingent. I also saw lots of other familiar faces including various club organisers. The new issue of the magazine went like 'hot cakes' and of the 160 mags we took with us, we took only 9 home! An air of expectancy prevailed and a friendly party atmosphere developed as friends spotted friends and animated greetings were exchanged. It was lively, it was buzzing and most of all, it rocked! A smoke machine belched a greeting to the band; an old and battered upright piano belted out a brilliant honky-tonk start with 'Barrel House Boogie'. In fact many song intros had that terrific, strong honky-tonk piano start; very polished. But they did more than just play their instruments! They pounded them, cavorted with them and rode them; fun, frolics and musical showmanship gripped the groupies, old and young alike. Upside down pianist, up-ended piano, horizontal double bass player with a guitarist perched on top and the beat went on!! These guys didn't just 'put on the style', they exuded it, extruded it. They did more than just play 'Wabash Cannonball', they became it, they banjo-rocked it, whistled and rolled that express until it reached its destination. Although The Lennerockers are billed as 'a German Rockabilly band' they are far more than this. All very experienced musicians with a long and varied list of CDs to their credit, they played a selection of blues, country,rockabilly, skiffle and fast jivers. Wunderbar-wunderparty!!
The Lennerockers, eine Formations aus Hohenlimburg (Westfalen), deren Vorliebe beim Rock'Roll aber genau so bei der Countrymusik liegt. Auf ihrer neusten CD zeigen sie so richtig, was in ihnen steckt. Vorwiegend ist guter handgemachter Rock'n'Roll aus eigener Feder zu hören. Die Stilelemente des Country sind aber fast auf jedem Song zu erkennen. Hier zeigt sich dann auch, wie nah diese beiden Musikrichtungen aneinanderliegen. Auch ein Blues darf hier nicht fehlen (Mississippi Delta Blues). Doch dem nicht genug, selbst Dixieklänge sind zu finden (Mercy). Viele Instrumente sind auf diesem Album zu hörenund zeugen von einer phantastischen Vielseitigkeit der 5 Lennerockers. Washboard, Mandoline, Banjo, Ukulele, Hammond B3 und die Blues Harp sind nur einige neben den Standadinstrumenten, die zum Einsatz kommen. Neben einem guten Satzgesang kommt aber auch noch eine Brass-Gruppe zum Einsatz. Die 'Horns Unlimited' sind auf 'Mercy' zu hören. Das die Lennerockers Country-Fans sind zeigt sich nicht nur an ihrem Outfit, wie man es dem Booklet entnehmen kann, oder den Instrumenten, die zum Einsatz kommen. Hier sei der Track 6 nur kurz als Anspieltipp erwähnt (The unknown picture). Wer sich in der Scene auskennt wird die Lennerockers sicherlich auch schon mal in dem einen oder anderen Countrysaloon gesehen haben. Die CD ist für deutsche Verhältnisse übermässig gut produziert und hervorragen abgemischt. Klar und kraftvoll kommt der Sound rüber und es ist ein Leichtes, in die Stimmung einzutauchen. Wer bisher keine Berührung zu Rock'n'Roll hatte wird seine Begeisterung bei dieser CD sicher nicht unterdrücken können. Die 14 Tracks gehen alle gut ins Ohr und der Fuss steht nicht still. Wer seinen Ohren mal etwas anderes als reine Countrymusik gönnen möchte, ohne ganz darauf verzichten, sollte sein Geld bei den Lennerockers anlegen. 14 Tracks und fast 50 Minuten Spielzeit Spielzeit. Eine gute Investition.
"Yes, this is the new Lennerockers CD. No doubt about that. You can distinguish the Lennerockers' sound from a thousand bands by their first notes. This new album is no surprise at all. It is again the same old top quality western rockabilly boogie. Don't you guys ever fuck up? Just kidding of course. Fourteen tracks, and all of them Lennerockers originals. Most of them written by the Koch Brothers (I like the sound of that). Stefan Koch is a multi-instrumental wizard, playing piano, guitars, harp, mandolin, pedal steel, accordeon, ukelele and banjo. And he can sing too, although the voice that sets the Lennerockers apart from all the rest is Stefan's brother Michael Ele Koch. The band has been together for over fifteen years and it's obvious that these guys have a lot of experience, although their music still sounds as young and fresh as on their first issue, 'Keep Cool'. The mixture of rock'n'roll, rockabilly, western swing and boogie-woogie has proven to be a successful one. This shows again on the warm opener, 'It Could Be Worse', a great rocker, influenced by the great Eddie Bush (Carl Mann's guitarist) and with beautiful piano intros. Boogie woogie Freddie Fingers Lee style we find in 'Pin Up Girl', with fabulous fifties style lyrics. 'I've Got You On My Mind Again' is kind of a ballad, the slower pace brings out the vocal capabilities of Michael Ele Koch, a very sensitive slow rocker, again with impeccable piano intro. Some teddy boy rock'n'roll is presented with 'Book With Seven Seals', maybe you will understand women better after listening to this, or maybe you never will... 'Barrelhouse Boogie', with its pounding rhythm, is a kind of boogie woogie song European style. Wild Bob Burgos comes to mind, but it's difficult to compare the Lennerockers' music to others, because they have their very own specific style. Their many combined styles come out very nice in the skiffle song, 'The Unknown Picture'. 'Mercy' is something totally different again, this time with brass accompaniment by Horns Unlimited, somewhat jazzy with lotsa New Orleans swing. 'The Girl In My dreams', with chorus and doo-wop, raves about the girl with the teddy bear brown eyes (I love her already) and 'Mississippi Delta Blues' goes way back to the roots of modern music. Country music in 'Hometown Heartbreak' and vivid hillbilly rock pops up in 'The Way I Feel Tonight'. Some Chicago blues, harmonica and all, in 'Rock Bottom Blues'. Aaaaah, rockabilly, 'Bouncing Betty' just gave me shivers down my spine, greasy bass and driving rhythm combined with sneering guitars. The last track on the album is the title song, 'Simply Beautiful', and it takes you back to where we started off 45 minutes ago, a beautiful country rockabilly song in the unsurpassed Carl Mann style. Did you keep count of the styles I mentioned? Rockabilly, rock'n'roll, western boogie, blues, boogie woogie, skiffle, the list is endless. This band can put any music style to rock and roll. Rocking from A to Z with great variety. Another masterpiece delivered. Do you want me to pick a favourite from this release? Well, let me tell you, I could easily name fifteen! And that's including the illustrated booklet with all the lyrics to every song on the disc." The BlackCat, 2000
The Lennerockers are a popular and versatile German band.