First of all, I rarely receive such a diverse album as this record about "helicopters & dinosaurs", although the mentioned helicopters & dinosaurs are not even mentioned in a single lyric.
Speaking of lyrics, they are indeed present in the high-quality 8-page (!) digipack (thus a booklet is no longer necessary), but they are printed sooooo small (font size 2 ??) that I need a magnifying glass, and even that doesn't help when there's a white cloud under the white text.
But I've already complained enough about the first solo album of Alex Schwers aka SWAG BOY ALEX.
Most people should know Alex Schwers, as he sits behind the drum kit of SLIME (if they still exist), often appears with other bands like EISENPIMMEL, DIE MIMMIS, WIZO, etc., and most importantly, he organizes the RUHRPOTT RODEO.
But what do you do in a Corona year? When everything is canceled and nothing works? You gather half a dozen friends (BELA B., Claus Luer, ELF, and many more) and record your own album, at least that's what SWAG BOY ALEX did, and not too badly at that.
For: it didn't quite reach from 0 to 100 with these 12 songs, but at least to 90.... So, a two....
However, "helicopters & dinosaurs" leans more towards rock than punk rock, which is evident from the first song, the instrumental piece "Back from the Migraine", featuring synths and a SCORPIONS guitar solo. The SCORPIONS are not the only ones that SWAG BOY ALEX has drawn inspiration from. You can also hear his favorite artist UDO LINDENBERG quite often, in terms of vocal style and his musical approach to rock music, for example in the second track "Uh, Champs Elysees" with a fitting female vocal part, à la rock diva DORO.
Track three "No Power Breaks What Breaks You For No One", if you're thinking of TON STEINE SCHERBEN, you're right. However, the song has nothing to do with TSS and TSS were never important to Alex; he always found UDO cooler. Personally, I can't understand that, but.... let's move on....
With "Indie Pear" we come to the demanding lyrics in the style of EISENPIMMEL / DIE KASSIERER ("in a fully crapped well, I peed in it twice, and I start to pick, because I am a composer...").
Next up are the LOKALMATADORE, at least at the beginning of the song "Never True". This vocal similarity... "Fascinating", if I may quote Mr. Spock....
Next is reggae vs. hard rock on "Benny's Couch", as mentioned at the beginning, musically a highly diverse album.....
"FürBitte" speaks for itself; otherwise, check out one of the many videos, some more elaborate than others....
The first real punk rock song (both musically and lyrically) is "We Understood the Tank" (... just like with fuel in the tank, it’s the same with beer and punk, it should last a long time, but here it’s worth comparing prices, quality is not that relevant, lukewarm is fine by me and preferably no can deposit....). Moment OBJECTION !!!! (or does it show that I'm not a punk?) A bit of quality has to be there; I can't get that disgusting stuff from Paderborn down.... not even chilled...!
And somehow the melody of "Walther" reminds me of a ÄRZTE song.... Listen to the song on YouTube.... (and it confirms me).
What else is missing for a diverse album? Right, a ballad, which is thus fulfilled and checked off with "Cold Love Doesn't Rust".
And now off to the 80s with "Late Presenter" (the lyrics are, like all the others, in German) NDW with synthie tinkling, just a bit rockier (the rock parts remind me of the STRASSENJUNGS) and in the end, it picks up speed again (isn't that a melody from the ÄRZTE?).
And even with the last song "Heartless Welcome", the melody sounds so familiar to me.... Some pop band... (or do I just not want to admit that I listen to pop music?)
The 12 SWAG BOY ALEX songs or 38 "helicopters & dinosaurs" minutes are quite catchy, as the melodies simply sound familiar and familiar. Successful! Oh yes, I wanted to mention QUEEN, I forgot where, so it’s here now ;-).
