The Conny Plank re-Work sessions

2013, Grönland Records, 12GRON123

A1: Eurythmics - Take Me To Your Heart (Popnoname Remix)
A2: Moebius & Plank - Infiltration (Walls Remix)
B1: NEU! - Für Immer (Eye/Boredoms Remix)
B2: Eurythmics - Le Sinistre (Kreidler Remix)

This was a Record Store Day purchase. It's a 12" EP featuring four tracks that have been reworked by the late legendary German record producer and audio engineer, Conny Plank. This was on my list of records to look out for on Record Store Day last month. I was referring to my list whilst asking the proprietor of Tangled Parrot in Carmarthen, Wales, which titles he had in stock. Seeing the list in my hand he commented that he had the Conny Plank record in stock and did I want it. "Oh yes please," I answered and grabbed the record as he passed it over and added it to my growing pile of purchases without actually looking at it.

When I got home, I saw that the Conny Plank record contained two songs by The Eurythmics. Had I seen this in the shop I probably wouldn't have bought it as I am no particular fan of The Eurythmics, not being overly fond of Annie Lennox's voice (and if you ask why, just listen to "There Must Be An Angel". I really can't be dealing with that kind of over-the-top singing with too many notes crammed in to each syllable).

However, on playing the record and listening to it several times over, it soon became the favourite of all my Record Store Day purchases. The Eurythmics tracks are both excellent, Lennox's voice is nicely understated and they fit in nicely with the two more "krautrock" style pieces. The version of "Für Immer" by NEU! (one of my very favourite acts) feels as if it has been broken down into its component parts and then re-built in an enirely new shape. And why not? If I want to listen to the original version, I can always play "NEU! 2". "Infiltration", the Moebius and Plank piece (Conny Plank himself along with Dieter Moebius, best known for his work with Cluster and Harmonia) feels like it's going to be a weird ambient instrumental piece to start with but soon develops into the most incredibly hypnotic "kraut" vibe.

So yeah, it's a great record and one which I'm so pleased that I bought. It's just as well I didn't see the tracklisting when I was in the shop as my Eurythmics prejudices would have gotten the better of me. I now think that perhaps I've judged them too harshly and that I should discover more of their non-hit single work.