Track 1- Les Nouveaux Riches (Falco Symphonic)

Artist: Falco

Album: Falco Symphonic

Genre: Neue Deutsche Welle

     
       To paraphrase the Bloodhound Gang, this first review goes out to a money making playa' that ain't with us no mo'- Falco. Falco's is not something that is often considered by most here in the U.S.A., and when it is, it's usually a punchline. Falco is most often viewed as a one hit wonder, known only for a somewhat kitschy and definitely 80s pop hit. Still, a closer look at his work can unveil a surprising amount of depth, as well as a lot of enjoyment on its own merit.

       Johann Hötzel, more commonly known by his stage name Falco, was not a man with little musical talent. He even attended the prestigious Vienna Conservatoire for a short while when he was sixteen. Comparisons to a certain other Austrian musician followed him through out his life, though he continously chafed under authority and structure. As such, it was no surprise that the man called 'a new Mozart' took to the nightclub scene and became enamored with the post punk and new wave scene. The post punk era was in full swing as Falco gained prominence, and the style known as Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave, often abbreviated to NDW) quickly proliferated through Austria. Falco embraced this sound as he began his solo career, and quickly achieved fame through Austria and neighboring countries.

       Now, any discussion of Falco would be remiss to not mention his biggest international hit "Rock Me Amadeus." The only of Falco's songs to hit number one on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, the song fills a certain niche in the western zeitgeist. Again, while it is mostly listened today by the public out of either nostalgia or irony (or some combination of the two), "Rock Me Amadeus" is a far more important song than it seems. While for most it seems to only work on its premise of asking a long dead composer to 'rock' the narrator, as well as the catchy yet incomprehensible German lyrics, it actually succeeds in three distinct ways.

       First and foremost is the underlying beat. While simple, it has all the watermarks of the New Wave and by extension, the NDW style. The darker rhythms of the German and Austrian nightlife joined the New Wave movement in Britain to bring an innovate feel to dance floors all over the world. Compare the legendary New Order song "Bizarre Love Triangle," released the same year. When you listen to both closely, they actually have a very similar feel. "Rock Me Amadeus" is punchier, due to the lyrics and interworked scratching providing harder beats than the smoother mix of New Order, but both have the same composition at the core. Both "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "Rock Me Amadeus"are built around the same snare beat that so defines the New Wave sound, they both are composed of layers of synthesizer assisted vocal layers that build to the overall structures, and they both are happy sounding overlays over a darker subject matter. The similarities only become more apparent when listening to the Falco Symphonic mix of "Rock Me Amadeus," as the orchestra calls to mind New Order's own flowing sound. In a way, the the similar yet markedly different execution of similar building blocks could be said to be indicative to the paths that either nations' music scene would take- English New Wave more heavily leaning towards somewhat smoother dance styles such as dance punk, Synthpop, and new rave while Germany (and by extension Austria) would endure as a hotbed of Industrial and hardcore electronic music. Still, no matter the origin or later fate of the style, one cannot deny the success of Falco's approach. "Bizarre Love Triangle" charted at number 4 in America, and failed to break the top 40 in the United Kingdom, yet "Rock Me Amadeus" stayed at number one for three weeks in America and one in Britain.

        This added success may be contributed to something that Falco had that New Order did not- the aforementioned punch of "Rock Me Amadeus." The added power of Falco's music came from two main sources. The first is the prodigious use of scratching and sampling to empower the chorus and to provide a solid break in the rhythm. This shows a heavier draw from the American innovations of electronic music, as DJ culture was growing across the nation and spreading overseas. Falco's second advantage also came from overseas- rapping. One of the cruxes of the NDW movement was the unique sound of the German language and the manipulation of that into distinct musical style. Falco was one of the first to incorporate the American vocal style of rapping into German lyricism. The blend works stunningly, not only carrying "Rock Me Amadeus," but setting the stage for the German rap movement.

       This success comes from the very nature of the German language. Many of the composite sounds in German are guttural, with a large amount of words being formed at the back of the throat. This, paired with the abrupt stops also present in spoken German mesh intuitively with the cadence of rap, as Falco demonstrates in his work. This effect is especially noticeable to English speakers in the English portion of the chorus, as Falco cuts the tail of each word off in the back of his throat in order to carry the staccato theme of the verses into the chorus. The cumulative effects of the above can truly be seen in the context of the Falco Biography mix of "Rock Me Amadeus." This mix adds extra narration, and seeks to increase the impact of the song through an increased reliance on drums and volume. This only has the effects of minimizing the effects of the scratching and sampling, as well as drowning out Falco's older vocals, making the only added impact purely emotional.

       While "Rock Me Amadeus" is still mostly remembered as a novelty song here in the states, Falco was actually a deep lyricist. This can be seen in much of his other work, but today's randomly selected track especially demonstrates Falco's post punk roots. Les Nouveauc Riches is a song condemning the self serving lifestyles of the "New Rich." He identifies himself as a stereotype of one of these people, and claims to be in the group, while similarly damning their shallow ambitions. Falco's self identification most likely stems from the fact that even when he was embroiled int the club scene, he was always famous for his clean shaven, well dressed look. As he ascended into national stardom, it follows, that everyone was quick to label him as a sellout, much like the rich he used to rail against. In this way, Falco could acknowledge his appearance, while still demonstrating that his ideals had not changed. And indeed they hadn't. Drug use, nationalism, economic distress- Falco's punk roots never disappeared, as these themes continuously recurred through his music- and he was never free of his demons.

        Falco had always chafed under authority, and ultimately, he never truly settled down. He was plagued by a broken family life, alcoholism, drug abuse, and self doubt until he eventually died in 1998, in a tragic automobile accident. In an interview given shortly before his death, Falco stated that he 'envied the sculptors, painters, and writers whose works you can look at. When the last note has faded away at a concert, people can go away and that's it." With that being said, there is something tragically ironic that even as a one hit wonder, Falco's work endures to this day, providing insight and enjoyment.long beyond its time in the spotlight.