Nena - 26 years I missed out on.

So chances are, if you're not from Germany, the only song you know from Nena is 99 Red Balloons. Little did I know that Nena was this huge star in her own country that has been cranking out fabulous music since 1983. Not that that was a great surprise - I just never gave it much thought.

For years I loved 99 Red Balloons (99 Luft Balloons to you die-hards) but never ventured further than that due to the fact that nothing else was made available state side or in the UK. Sad. She's fabulous. As a musician, myself, this is the sort of music I envisioned myself playing, writing and singing. Except I'd be singing it in English, of course.

2 things happened recently. First one - an old Nena song, from 1984, was rearranged, updated and made into a duet in the year 2004. The song 'Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime' (or Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann as it was originally titled) was brand new to me, even though it was 20 years old, but the catch (for me) was that it featured Kim Wilde singing her part of the song in English. This meant I'd get to hear it. Woah! Great song. Fell in love within the first few notes. I immediately burned a 'Kim Wilde' mix CD with that song on it.

Next thing that happens is I reconnect with my best friend from high school after 17 long years. She lived in Germany for a while, got married there, then brought her German husband back to the states with her. He introduced me to Nena's back catalogue and, as much as I enjoyed the music (and didn't give a shit that I had no idea what she was singing about,) I felt a little left out. All these songs were clearly revered classics in Germany much like 'Karma Chameleon' and 'Hungry Like The Wolf' are classics here. Germans had a lifetime with these songs. I only just discovered them. Very 'glass is half empty' of me, yes, I know, but I am Capricorn moon and rising. Can't be helped. This is also where I found out the kick ass Kim Wilde duet was originally a Nena classic re-worked and re-vamped for a modern German Nu-wave scene. A scene that was nutured and allowed to grow in Germany, unlike the States, where the shit-bag Nirvana thing killed everything melodic, creative and inspiring in its path.

When I left my friend's house that day I had a burned Nena CD (with other various German Nu-Wave related geniuses) and I listened to it a handful of times. My high school friend's husband made me a fabulous CD.

So on Saturday, I took my mother into the city and we caught a street fair. I made a bee-line to the nearest CD seller and, as I looked through the classic New-Wave/1980s collections, I got the shock of my life and found a CD entitled 'Nena: Definitive Collection.' Only $5. Sold. So mine. So glad I bought it too. More songs I've never heard before and an extended version of Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann. Pure German Nu-Wave Heaven. Listening to it now. The Malibu, Heartbeat, Paris, 007 and Spize were good, but they were never this good!

I<3 Nena!
3Ds
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