1982 was a very good year for Spliff. They had not only with their album "85555" and the singles "Déjà Vu" and "carbonara" a huge success, they were beyond even incredibly productive. She also produced namely other musicians like Nena or Maurenbrecher and wrote film music (among others for the film "Baby" by Uwe Friesner). Only in this way can it be explained that the follow-up album "Congratulations" only just over 10 months after "85555" appeared. Here perfected Spliff their principle of lack of principle, that their concept of combining musical elements and styles that are actually incompatible: on the one hand, excessive use of "cold" equipment (synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, effects), on the other side is brick hard played guitar, bass and (Simmons) Drums. Spliff could at that time everything - from reggae to funk to hard rock - play: It always sounded official. Lyrically had Spliff - just as it did on "85555" - a lot to say: It's about the dreams of stardom of a young musician in the rehearsal room ("Congratulations"), the life from the perspective of the common man ("The time has come "" The Mason "), happiness in love (" every day ") and an ironic political song (" Mr. Kennedy "). The highlight of the album is certainly Herwig Mitter Eggers grandiose sombre song "Glass Palace" with the local pr he divorced his wife. Theme and mood of the song, he will continue on his great first solo album "No guts no girls" that appeared a year later. "Congratulations" and the Super-radio play "The Tin" were big hits again. Should not go unmentioned ingenious cover the Ampelmännchen for which - just as it did with "85555" - Spliffs manager at the time and genius photographer Jim Rakete was responsible. The magazine "journal" designated Spliff at that time as the best band in Germany - she was right!
