Already the late Ton Steine shards of the early 80s made their flirtation with the "hit", not only as Rio Reiser (1950-96) for "evil" company Sony joined to humorous Capitalism parodies ("money", "manager" ) and deeply moving ballads ("Magic Land", "Stiller space") einzuspielen that were ruined not by cheesy keyboards or sterile drumbox. Rio Reiser had a profusion of creative gifts to deliver a range between radical agitation ("wrecking what destroys you") and power-giving poetry. Particularly impressive on his widely underestimated last album "Heaven & Hell", by far his most important work under his own name. Only the first piece "Irrlicht" hurls at us so feverish scraps that even future generations in German lessons have to gnaw at it. Who wants to know why Rio Reiser died at 46 years, all kinds of experiences in "danger", his sarcastic slap on the ideal relationship between two people. Deep under the skin is also the disturbing "hope": the exhausted "King of Germany" are there literally top it all off. The whole album is imbued with an urgency and authenticity that such explosive acts in the face of imminent death from Rio Reiser, imbued with damp tears. "Only those who heard the love with which he made politics understands how politically are his love songs" (Bänz Friedli).
