RAMMSTEIN, KMFDM & CREAMVIII, Better than the Rest

 After putting out the "Touching Ground E.P." I was not sure where CREAMVIII should go. As indicated by the name changes, the solo project cream8 had become the band CREAMVIII after (!) the recording of THE EMERALD TOUCH. Demands were high to put together something for live performances, as Zillo Magazine had promised us to feature us on the next Zillo Festival. Which did not happen. Anyway. Sascha Lecher, who had helped me with his guitar, decided to leave his band and join me. We auditioned some bass players, out of which Jochen Autschbach was the one we personally liked the most and who was technically the best. We did some crazy shows in crazy clubs, and these are the things old men are reminiscent of quietly and joyfully.

To me, basically, gothic music was going nowhere, and cream8 had done it's duty. But being together with Sascha and Jochen was a joy, and they were very gifted musicians. Well. This is how we came up with the decidedly undecided "Touching Ground," with strong songs but no real vision of the sound. 

So at that stage we would hear all new and exciting stuff to figure out where to go with our sound, and one day Sascha came up with Rammstein. That was very early on, and although I had heard something, I had not heard them. When Sascha played early stuff from Herzelein, I was completely underwhelmed. This was territory I had seen and played on when I had tried to emulate "Die Krupps" with "Torpedo 22" already in 1992. But Rammstein became bigger and played in Düsseldorf, the famed Phillipshalle. We went there. And I did not like it. Stage presence was just posing; there was no real connection, and it was a circus event. This normally goes not down well with me. I am not stoic, and the idea of playing the same songs in the same way for years each night is a nightmare to me. But:

The opener KMFDM made a very, very good show that evening. And I felt inspired to write this song here. I never recorded it, so this is the first version. 

Better than the Rest

(When you have thought

Things are enough

And all your thoughts

Go to get rough)

This is no dream

As this is real

And it's a joke

A joke on me

Burn the brigde you crossed

Kill the things you love

Cause you're harder, 

Meaner,

And better than the rest.

You're harder,

Meaner,

Tougher than the test.

And better than the rest.

Can you defy

Defy the thought

Of leaving it

to burn down

Completely down

Cause you're harder, 

Meaner,

And better than the rest.

You're harder,

Meaner,

Tougher than the test.

And better than the rest.

Cause you're harder, 

Meaner,

And better than the rest.

You're harder,

Meaner,

Tougher than the test.

And better than the rest.

Cause you're harder, (harder)

Meaner, 

And better than the rest.

You're harder, (harder)

Meaner,

And better than the rest.

And better than the rest

Better than the rest

Harder

Meaner

Better

Than the rest

Harder

Meaner

Better

Than the rest

Harder

Meaner

Better

Than the rest

(c)&(p) 1997-2024 by Boris Brosowski