J.B.O. – Planet Pink

J.B.O.
Planet Pink
AFM Records
April 15^th, 2022
Playing time: 43:36

For over 30 years now, J.B.O. are recognised specialists for vociferous escapism at the highest stage.

And they do it in their very own way. By covering big hits from pretty much all musical genres. And by enriching these songs with their idiocies. Lately, they have also been writing more of their own compositions. Among other things, because they were often not given permission to cover such hits and “mess them up with their own lyrics” (quote from “Alles nur geklaut” (Everything just stolen). Cover of the Prinzen’s song of the same name on the album “Deutsche Vita“, 2018). Actually, “Planet Pink” was supposed to be released in March already. But delays in the production of the vinyl discs and the fan boxes caused a delay.

The album starts with the cover of a platinum seller. OK, I can’t do anything with the original “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 69. But luckily you can raise almost anything to Metal level. This is how “Planet Pink” sounds so much better. “Everything is pink”, so without any further ado we move to the newly discovered planet. And yes, this is also taken from life: “Rockmusik Hat Mich Versaut” (Rock Music Has Screwed Me Up). And not only the musicians of J.B.O. This song is an original composition, just like the ambiguous “Einhorn” (Unicorn) that can be heard later. But come on, first there is a second mega hit to listen to. Who doesn’t know it, the world hit “Music” by John Miles? In the J.B.O. version, however, it’s called “Metal Was My First Love”. After an initially almost original start, the band later unpacks the metal mace. And this is one of the few songs that is sung in English. And then the musicians themselves seem surprised that they are “Immer Noch Am Leben“ (Still Alive) after more than thirty years. And they list who and what they have already survived. They have “driven the cart out of the mud again and again”. And even the turn of the millennium could not stop the musical course of the band. After the already mentioned “Einhorn”, there is a sketch between the two singers Hannes and Vito (“Expedition ins Geistreich” / Expedition into the Spiritual Realm) that reminds me immensely of the two GDR comedians Rolf Herricht and Hans-Joachim Preil. Really great. And in “Klassiker” (Classics) J.B.O. put their foot in their mouths in every conceivable way. Bad corny jokes, cheap bar jokes shine in a completely new light here. The whole thing opens with a heavy metal version of the opening motif of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (C minor, Opus 67). In “MiMaMetal”, a children’s song that cannot be taken entirely seriously is used to tell the clichéd story of a metal musician. It could have happened in real life in this or a similar way. At the very end, things get really chaotic in “Volks-Prog” (People’s Prog). Progressive metal is taken to the extreme here. It’s all in there, Bavarian (and other) folk music (in proper style with accordion), thrash and death metal passages.  Self-promotion (in Swabian dialect). So just book J.B.O. for private parties.

“Planet Pink” is exactly the right album for gloomy hours. The lyrics can bring a smile to your face. Despite all the silliness, one must not forget that there are great musicians at work here who do not take themselves and their music so seriously. But in my opinion, they have nevertheless produced a musically high-quality album. You can see and hear yourself on the pink planet!

J.B.O. – Metal Was My First Love: https://youtu.be/Ly9q31JprPM

Lineup:

Vito C. – Vocals, Guitar
Hannes “G.Laber” Holzmann – Vocals,Guitar
Ralph Bach – Bass
Wolfram Kellner – Drums

Track list:

• Planet Pink
• Rockmusik Hat Mich Versaut
• Metal Was My First Love
• Immer Noch Am Leben
• Einhorn
• Expeditionen Ins Geistreich
• Klassiker!
• Nicht Doof
• Mi-Ma-Metal
• Glaub Mir Lieber Nicht
• Wir Kommen Alle In Die Hölle
• Volks-Prog