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IM JAHR DES DRACHEN

Austro-Pop: Im Jahr des Drachen - Live

Stereoplay September 2013 | Text: RD

Goisern alone should win a heap of prizes for Im Jahr des Drachen. For the bluesy translation of Georgia On My Mind is a witty, heart-rending declaration of love to Hubert von Goisern's hometown - and one of 18 songs recorded on the 2012 tour. A perfectly attuned band documents the cross section of the concert journey, framing balanced, powerfully mixed and sparse to psychedelic arrangements from the master of alpine thoughtfulness. He himself comes across as present, charismatic: a rock folk poet with a twinkle in his eye and a touch of subversion.

Hubert von Goisern: Im Jahr des Drachen - Live

Folker September/October 2013 | Text: Harald Justin

The Austrian alpine rock folk musician's live double album begins with a stately ÜOUÖ (Über-unter-ober-Österreicher). Accordion and electric guitar, electric piano, very slowly and carefully it goes on, a little different from what one is used to with him. With Mercedes Benz come memories of Janis Joplin, a blues guitar draws the line to Hoagy Carmichael. Not until the second CD does it then get rockier with Jews' harp, drums and the familiar juchizers and a more than cosy atmosphere arises. Im Jahr des Drachen - Live is the essence of a good hundred concerts from 2012 and a wonderful souvenir for everyone who was there or not. Hubert von Goisern serves a large audience nowadays and can evidently allow himself everything, even singing about Indians, in which "Hoden" (balls) rhymes with (Bogen) (bow). The Austrian's humour will probably remain foreign to the Germans for a while yet.

Hubert von Goisern - best live

Express 1st September 2013 | Text: che

You can hardly believe it: Hubert von Goisern will soon be 61 years old! But there's no trace of early retirement on this impressive live album. The alpine rocker with the smart lyrics (as far as you can understand them) even makes a new, rousing blues from an worn out oldie like Mercedes Benz by Janis Joplin, or pulls you deep into a bitter, dramatic goodbye with Such dir einen andern. Goisern's band is fantastic, a better live production hasn't been heard in a long time.

Yodelling is gospel

Neue Presse Hannover 27th. July 2013 | Text: big

Hubert von Goisern's live album "Im Jahr des Drachen"

One, two, three, four! Aans, zwaa, draa, fiah! Counting in and throwing yourself into the first song, tearing the audience from their seats, letting them find the rock 'n' roll within them. Live is truth and nothing but the truth. For the world-travelling, music-absorbing Hubert von Goisern in any case. "At live concerts there's no net and no double floor", says the 60-year-old Upper Austrian and thus stands in the tradition created by great excessives like James Brown and Bruce Springsteen. Brenna tuats was the name of the last tour, Im Jahr des Drachen (Capriola), the corresponding live double disc contains "the essence of 101 concerts" - a mix of alpine folk music, world music, blues, funk, folk and rock.

Things kick off with an instrumental piece, a chill country dance, wherein the accordion seeps in slow motion into the listener's soul. Nit lang her follows, telling of the music that speaks to the musician everywhere: "Is it in me, or can everybody hear it, or is it from another star?", Goisern asks, who first blows Dylan-esque into the harmonica and then lets passionate, otherworldly yodelling sound, which is so wonderful and anti-Musikantenstadl - yodelling is gospel. And meanwhile Severin Trogbacher's guitar explores David Gilmour-esque landscapes.

In the 18 songs Goisern drills contemporaries (I kenn oan), sings about greed (Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz is long and excessive), the mystery of love (Neama bang), stupidity and racism (Indianer), love of home (Goisern) and wanderlust (Halt nit an). Most are quiet, intense, goosebump-inducing, but on Suach da an andern there's massive rock 'n' roll. Everything's good, sings Goisern in Oben und Unten, "as long as the music keeps playing". Quite right!

P.S.: This double disc is almost the best you can get from von Goisern. The absolute best is of course visiting his concert. Make sure you drop in on the next tour. One, two, three, four!

Im Jahr des Drachen

Drums & Percussion September 2013

This live album (double CD) was recorded on Hubert von Goisern's 2012 tour. Live in particular the multifaceted ambassador of Austrian folk's songs a distinctive charm between quiet melancholy, peaceful reflection, unvarnished lyrics and rousing groove (on the second disc in particular). Whether you like it or not, von Goisern has been proving for many, many years that folk music doesn't have to have anything to do with extreme stupidity and crossover can be quite different too. At the drums sits Alex Pohn, who plays with utmost service to the music and energy.

Hubert von Goisern "Im Jahr des Drachen - Live"

Folkworld #51 07/2013 | Text: Walkin' T:-)M

Critique can be spared. It's a Goisern album, it's live and it's good. Im Jahr des Drachen - Live is a selection of live recordings from the Brenna tuats tour 2012 (the Chinese year of the Dragon), the tour that accompanied the award-winning album Entwederundoder that thrilled both critics and fans alike, the tour that turned out to be the most successful of Hubert von Goisern's career: 101 concerts in front of more than 300,000 spectators! Disc 1 of the double CD is dedicated to the quieter sounds, ballads from earlier times, as well as classics like Mercedes Benz, Goisern and Wann i durchgeh durch's Tal from the Trad programme. Disc 2 - in unusual consequence - lets rip, Brenna tuats guat rocks and Indianer grooves with the cow bell solo. The grand finale ends with the old discord Hiatamadl. (Rather unusually for a live album, the lyrics are all printed in the booklet). The band is reduced to the minimum, but nonetheless creates a compact wall of sound. "At live concerts there's no net and no double floor," the Goiserer argues, "every note, every chord is truth." However there are no obvious mistakes to be found. Testament to art and competence in which for all perfection the joy in playing is not lost. Keep it up!

Hubert von Goisern: Quality and success

Ticket July 2013 | Text: ah | Photo: © Konrad Fersterer

The celebrated star from Upper Austria rounds off a long period of great success with a live CD.
In 18 tracks "Im Jahr des Drachen" captures HvG's unique talent
of being a pop star and yet producing art of the finest quality.

Hubert von GoisernIt all started barely three years ago, when after a long break the pleasant, now 60-year-old artist began to lay the groundwork for a new studio album. Previous productions had included his Danube project, in which he travelled the countries bordering the river on a concert ship and played with local musicians, as well as his tavern tour, on which Goisern and his band appeared in the intimate setting of guesthouse halls in front of unusual rock audiences. Despite having hits that have long since become both part of cultural common property and folk songs in the truest sense of the term, the exceptional artist had doubts at first, because some of the new songs came too easily. "Is the benchmark high enough, or am I making things too easy for myself? I can't cut myself off from before, the new song is the new song. Just because you've written a couple of cool songs, that doesn't mean that everything you do is good" he mused.

But the success of Entwederundoder and the huge Brenna tuats guat impressively underscored the charisma and broad appeal that makes the exceptionally skilled player perhaps the most important Austrian in pop music. Honoured with 3 "Amadeus Awards" - 2 in 2012 and an honorary prize in 2013 - and awarded gold and platinum for the studio album, von Goisern now presents his live album for listening after exactly 101 concerts in front of more than 300.000 people. While some will miss the atmospheric Heast as nit on the longplayer - instead there's the cover of Mercedes Benz -, you'll be delighted by the new, completely reworked version of the great HvG hit Koa Hiatamadl, of which Goisern himself had become weary. "We only played Hiatamadl one or twice on the tavern tour and I never liked it", he remembers. "Now we have killer new version! When something is as good in its arrangement as with Hiatamadl and then you change it, you improve it for the worse. And I didn't want to do that. We succeeded in developing an ever cooler version and we played it at every concert!

Keen viewers of the Salzburg TV station Servus won't have missed the fact that Hubert von Goisern has found another platform there for his multifaceted creativity. After the documentaries on the tavern and Brenna tuats guat tours, giving a rare, intimate look behind the scenes and at the every day life of being on tour, Goisern visited Greenland, to see for himself the radical change faced by society there in the face of global warming and cultural influences from the west. In the film Gegen die Stille the star - after trips to Tibet and Africa - once more ventures musically into unfamiliar terrain. To the great delight of the Inuits, he gives a one man acoustic concert for the villagers, who had until then never been faced with Goisern's songs, or an accordion. Amazingly - and underpinning the huge success in the German-speaking region: grandparents and grandchildren alike were thrilled by the unusual songs from the exotic guy from Austria, even if they didn't understand a word...

Im Jahr des Drachen

Im Jahr des Drachen contains 18 live songs that Hubert von Goisern has chosen from his tour. At the CD presentation he gave away a few secrets:

"We planned to play 100 concerts on our tour. I didn't think 100 was good though - nobody would have believed us! Either 99 or 101. In the end it was 101. As far as the feeling was concerned, it was the greatest tour I've ver played. There was something harmonious about it.
50 to 60 concerts were recorded. Then with about 10 of the shows it was the case that maybe somebody had forgotten to plug in a cable, or an ultra-motivated fan had been stood next to the microphone and had shouted loudly (laughs) - then we couldn't use those recordings. About 40 were left that were okay technically-speaking. Then we listened to those and I was completely done in. Right with the concerts where I'd thought they were super, I was disappointed. Subjective perception is always different. It was a challenge, but in the end we made a good selection for the CD!"

Without a net or double floor

Tips 16th July 2013 | Text: Josef Winklmayr

Hubert von Goisern - Im Jahr des Drachen Live

"At live concerts there's no net and no double floor, every note, every chord is truth", says Hubert von Goisern of the fascination of playing on stage in front of an audience. The Brenna tuats tour was the tour to accompany the multi award winning album Entwederundoder, and with 101 shows in front of more than 300,000 people, it was also the most successful in Hubert Achleitner's career.

The live double album Im Jahr des Drachen puts forward a total of eighteen songs with a running time of an hour and a half, in the very concise, dense Goisern live sound. HvG and his band consisting of Severin Trogbacher (guitar), Helmut Schartlmüller (bass) and Alex Pohn (drums) manage to captivate with the sound and one wishes only too much to have experienced the tour at first hand. Besides the hits Brenna tuats guat and Koa Hiatamadl, it is the pearls Halt nit an, Nit lang her and the Goiserned cover version of the blues classic Georgia that particularly impress. It's a wonderful idea to have the live music start with extracts of the Upper Austrian provincial anthem.

A dragon with a considerable wingspan

Schwäbische Zeitung 20th July 2013 | Text: Jürgen T. Widmer

Hubert von Goisern presents the double live CD "Im Jahr des Drachen"

No question, the previous year was an extremely successful one for Hubert von Goisern. More than 300,000 people thronged to his concerts. With Brenna tuats guat he landed a commercial blockbuster that has now found its way into all the beer tents and aprés ski parties of the republic. Where probably barely anyone has examined the lyrics. Now Hubert Achleitner, as the Goiserer is really called, is taking a look back at the tour of 2012. And since the Chinese were celebrating the year of the dragon then, that's what the live double CD is called too. The 60-year-old has packed 9 songs onto each of two discs, his repertoire could have easily yielded twice that amount. Now there are some contemporaries who only know one song by the talented and widely travelled musician: Koa Hiatamadl. They will be rubbing their eyes in wonder when they immerse themselves in Im Jahr des Drachen. "HvG" has long since casually leapt the bounds of alpine rock. It's much more the case that he has turned alpine folk music into world music. So he mixes musical ingredients from all corners of the world, poaching blues as happily as Balkan sound. Live his songs appear clearer and more direct than on his usually very perfectly mixed studio recordings. The double album also shows a great part of Hubert von Goisern's musical breadth. On CD one he surprises with, among others, Goisern soaked in homesickness, or a schunkel version of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz. On CD two we get down to business in a more lively fashion: of course including Brenna tuats guat and Hiatamadl, in which the audience turns into a large choir. A drawback: the songs were recorded at various different concerts, so there is no impression conveyed of the arc of suspense of a real concert.

Ringswandl/von Goisern: "Mehr Glanz" and "Im Jahr des Drachen"

Radio Bremen 19th July 2013 | Text: Dr. Wolfgang Rumpf

Double CD tip: weird to quirky pop mixes from the alpine region

Georg Ringsgwandl and Hubert von Goisern are considered to be masters of the original alpine beats and are both ready with new albums this summer. Former cardiologist Ringsgwandl demands Mehr Glanz (More Glamour) and former laboratory assistant Hubert von Goisern presents himself live Im Jahr des Drachen (In The Year Of The Dragon).

Both musicians, one from Upper Bavaria, the other from the Austrian Salzkammergut region, have had a stable fan base around them for many years. Even when they appear in the far north. With alpine charm and lots of frankness and joy in experimentation, they have acquired reputations that cross the boundaries of language and countries. Georg Ringsgwandl performs the satirical cabaret fictional character in extravagant clothes and with cheeky lyrics, von Goisern is the cosmopolitan and live maniac, who has brought musicians from across the world onto his stage. In the year of the dragon, 2012, there were 100 concerts in front of 300,000 people and time and again, as the live album shows, the air burned during many a punk polka. Right off the bat Brenna tuats guat is the title of one of the live tracks in which the rock band are at full throttle.

Hubert von Ringsgwandl meets Georg Goisern

With a big lineup - he once travelled half Europe with a ship on the Danube - Hubert von Goisern looks for contact with countries and cultures all over the world, Ringsgwandl, the lone wolf, is the Karl Valentin of Bavarian alpine pop and loves small stages. But now he has a funky young band and acts almost like a Bavarian rapper in Schmeiß den Typen raus. Partner counselling á la Ringsgwandl is an amusing highlight, cheeky and wicked, just like his approach to other subjects: fame and glamour, plastic surgery, show business and the forsakenness within. As biting as ever, the funny cardiologist wanders through the life of an artist and values attentive listening. He's happy when winter leaves, or when things stop hurting in an emotional heat death.

Poetry and party: new alpine folk music between blues and funk

Georg Ringsgwandl, the poet with a penchant for biting silence, Hubert von Goisern, the modern folk musician, for whom showtime represents an important live element: he helps himself to the stock of pop culture too, be it Mercedes Benz by Janis Joplin, or Ray Charles' Georgia. For Hubert Achleitner, as he is really called, Georgia is in the Austrian town of Bad Goisern. They both have the blues, but fine irony and coarse alpine fun are there too. Thus the two new albums, which were released almost at the same time, make you wish that the two heroes could by all means appear together on stage sometime: as modern alpinists with their fingers on the pulse. It would be worth a try. Hubert von Ringsgswandl meets Georg von Goisern. Why not?

Im Jahr des Drachen

Hooked on Music 14th July 2013 | Text: Epi Schmidt

"Sailor, take me far across the sea ...", you could mistakenly think when the first tunes spread familiar atmosphere from Hubert von Goisern's accordion and he begins his new live album. But at once light discordant notes mix into the scenery and you get the feeling that it won't stay this contemplative. It's not down to the rather alpine sounds that are joining in, but rather the artsy weird electric guitar sounds that would be hard for any beer tent regular to swallow.

The end of the Üouö overture - harmonious and somewhere between Ambros and Biermösl Blosn - can't quite displace an uneasy feeling. Even as someone from North Bavaria, it gets a bit difficult with the language here and there. It will probably be more problematic further north in the Federal Republic.

That can't be said of the music though, because it's been a long time since Hubert was the awkward alpine rebel and he now enjoys dreamy calm pieces like Nit Lang Her too - complete with Dylan harmonica - like you could imagine from his Rhenish singing colleague Niedecken too.

Things remain peaceful and the music gurgles along under the lyrics almost too uniformly, the music just offers the transport medium for the stories to which the audience - who often only bring attention to themselves with applause after the songs - listen spellbound. "I muaß eh nit all's verstehn, aber a wengal was wär schon schön", ("I don't need to understand everything, but a little would be great") sings Hubert von Goisern in Neama Bang, with which we're back on language: you need to be able to take a little alpine dialect.

The Styrian-Jamaican version of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz needs a little less linguistic expertise and more in the way of good nerves, as we see the other side to von Goisern and he lets the guitarists howl coarsely.

The Austrian version of Georgia On My Mind is called quite simply Goisern (It almost offers itself. Bochum would have worked phonetically too, but I think it already exists...) and its lyrics are a declaration of love to the singer's home region and musically - of course - come jazzed up blues that were also part of the original song.

Neama Viel Zeit is then the third cover version in a row and here it's Steve Winwood's (or Blind Faith's as far as I'm concerned) Can't Find My Way Home, here Neama Viel Zeit. Really beautifully performed on acoustic guitar.

On the second CD things get markedly louder and more raw. The high class musicians swirl, rock, rap and integrate elements of everything from polka to funk and even bring a cow bell solo to dusty desert rock, as in Indianer.

In I Versteh Di Nit the Austrians play a flawless Chicago blues, while in Heidi Halt Mi they take reggae to the waltz. Whatever they do, it always has great musical quality and is full of surprises. Boredom is guaranteed not to occur here. Instead you are overwhelmed with the many styles. But if you take in this pot pourri dispassionately and let yourself be carried by it, you are soon in the atmosphere of the audience, who accompany songs like Halt Nit An (a little reminiscent of Wild Thing) with their rhythmic clapping.

Goisern's figurehead, the accordion, is present often enough of course, even if not always as much in the foreground as in the tour de force piece Der Unterseer. Sparks are literally flying in the band.

Jo mei and towards the end there it is of course - Koa Hiatamadl, which has unfortunately been bawled to death in south German beer tents. Though here in a very fast, almost punk version that brings the "lassie" to life again in my ears. A refreshing performance with some virtuoso pieces.

That actually applies to the whole album, which ends in almost heavy metal style with Oben und Unten. A live album that doesn't just appeal to a regional audience and - no worries! - the lyrics are printed in the booklet.

Following detours

Oberpfalznetz.de 11th July 2013 | Text: Michael Fuchs-Gamböck | Photo: © Elli Christl

Im Jahr des Drachen: Hubert von Goisern with a new live CD

It took many musical detours before Hubert von Goisern was returned at the beginning of this millennium to where both he and his followers think he belongs - home.

Hubert von GoisernAnd for the sometimes outspoken, sometimes introverted Austrian home means the idyllic little spa town of Bad Goisern, nestled in the Salzkammergut at the foot of the Dachstein glacier and the source of the 60-year-old's stage name. It's logical that folk music is omnipotent in such a place. But since alternative thinkers like Konrad Deubler, or the author Franz Kain have come from Bad Goisern before him, for a guy who sees himself in their tradition, it was clear that he wouldn't be playing reactionary folk music, he would provide a new and innovative approach to it instead.

Hubert Achleitner, as von Goisern is called in civilian life, formed the Alpinkatzen group at the end of the 1980s after a number of journeys to exotic lands. Within six years the formation established itself as a legendary institution in broad realm of folk-ethno-schlager-pop music. Yodelling in a completely new form played a role, the use of unusual instruments like the Seitlpfeife flute, or Jew's harp, the insistence on lyrics in unwieldy Austrian dialect. Hubert von Goisern & the Alpinkatzen became a kind of legend - but when their success was at its peak, their leader disbanded the group in 1994.

In the rest of the previous century von Goisern worked as an actor, soundtrack composer and the artist behind two unconventional productions, which arose in Africa and Tibet. In 2000 the musician from the Salzkammergut returned to his folk roots with his much-celebrated masterpiece Fön. And even if the globetrotter continues to take a lot of inspiration from the most varied and sometimes exotic places on this planet - "for some time now I've artistically returned whence I came", the exceptional artist confirms succinctly and happily.

Anyone who takes a look at von Goisern's varied career can get the impression that the man is someone constantly searching, always on the road, who has in the end to himself, home. "That is absolutely the case," the Austrian confirms. "I'm looking for myself, for example in all my travels - to find myself again. I'm very familiar with myself, but I constantly need new influences that inspire me. And afterwards I must have the opportunity to come back and integrate this impressions into my very own little world."

The impressive new double live CD Im Jahr des Drachen (Capriola/Sony) is an inventory of Hubert von Goisern's artistic status quo: the essence of exactly 101 concerts plays last year to more than 300,000 spectators. 18 songs with a tremendous musical bandwidth, always full of energy, always based on the Austrian (folk) music roots. It was also the muscleman's hitherto most successful tour.

"It would be a complete lie to say that such a success isn't flattering," says von Goisern. "No, I'm happy that I've had a decent following behind me for a long time. There's no publishing artist who doesn't wish at least secretly to themselves that they will make it big. There's something in it, no question."

The fact that Hubert von Goisern has been able to rely on a true fan base for decades must also have something to do with his well-known stubbornness and great consistency. He has always insisted on playing "folk music", although this term generally has a miserable reputation among the young ones and the intellectuals. "Mind you," says the musician, "you have to decide between "folk music" and "folk music". An artist can consciously compose under folk music aspects. But it will remain to be seen, whether the majority of the population then takes it up. I've never done that. For me, it is and always has been the case that I write songs that have a great deal to do with my biography. Evidently, I touch a nerve with a lot of people with that, who pay money to come to my concerts and sing along line for line. In my eyes, that's folk music - because your work has been adopted by the people."

To be continued: a restless person like Hubert von Goisern already has a tonne of new plans, is following new activities to be close to the people like him. As always, we await a pleasant surprise ...

And now holiday from the year of the dragon

Abendzeitung 1st July 2013 | Text: Arno Frank Eser

Hubert von Goisern immortalises his successful tour on double CD

In these times of unlimited technical possibilities, barely any project seems more superfluous than a CD of live music. Technically speaking everything is possible - so why are there live CDs? Where you can no longer really know how "live" they really are? Hubert von Goisern proves on his recently released double CD Im Jahr des Drachen, that live is nonetheless life. Even when in the same song you perhaps take the intro from one performance and the refrain from another.

It's about the alpine rocker's previous year. A year with 101 shows. And a year with an important break: away from the multidimensional band, to the small group, a closely knitted team.

Hits like Mercedes Benz with greetings to Janis Joplin, Goisern dressed as Georgia, Brenna tuats guat, Koa Hirtamadl and finally Oben und unten are quite different here from the studio recordings. It's only logical that there's then cheering on the recording too - otherwise the listener would have to do it themselves.

For the Goisern team has managed to find the best takes from the desert of recordings. And anyone who was there live knows: brilliant, that's exactly how it was!

"Actually I was disappointed when I first listened to the live recordings, because I had much better memories of the concerts", confesses the king of alpine rock at a release party in the new MUH tent at Tollwood. A phenomenon, familiar to every artist that has their shows recorded in order to be able to review themselves. And Goisern is a perfectionist, at least on stage.

And not just as a musician, but as a speaker too. On the subject of a 25 year collaboration with the Munich impresario Hage Hein, his friend and manager, the two deliver a great talk show of private stories at the above-mentioned part. Both are clearly happy with the new work. The fans will be just the same.

Holiday is now on the cards for the busy world musician. The year of the dragon was full of work and a slipped disc is pinching. "But," says von Goisern, "I have a funny feeling that I have yet to learn how a holiday actually works."

Hubert von Goisern: Live album and precious metal

Musikmarkt 28th June 2013 | Text: Gideon Gottfried & Andy Zahradnik | Photo: Thomas Kamenar

Hubert von Goisern & BandVienna/Munich - The name of Hubert von Goisern's tour in 2012 was Brenna tuats and it stood above all under the banner of the successful album Entwederundoder. During a recent album presentation at the Viennese Theater am Spittelberg Hubert von Goisern and his band received a gold award for 100,000 copies of Entwederundoder sold in Germany. There was also gold for the concert documentary Wia die Zeit vergeht and IMPALA gold for 75,000 copies of Entwederundoder.

This was celebrated in connection with a rare "silver anniversary" in the music business, that is the 25 year collaboration between Hubert von Goisern and his manager and label boss from Blanko Musik, Hage Hein.

"Im Jahr des Drachen" in the year of the snake

Right at the start of summer, on the 21st June the new album from Hubert von Goisern was released, title: Im Jahr des Drachen. The album was made last year, in the Chinese "year of the dragon", during the tour and is now being released in the "year of the snake", which began on 10th February. It is the album that documents the most successful Hubert von Goisern tour of all times. "There's no net and no double floor at live concerts", says the artist, "every note, every chord is truth."

Second celebration in Munich

On 25th June there was also a gold celebration for the album Entwederundoder for the German media. The highlight: an interview between Hubert von Goisern and his manager of many years, Hage Hein. The two recalled the past 25 years that they have worked together. Appropriately the celebration took place in a tent in the Munich Tollwood site, a festival which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary.

In a refreshingly honest conversation Hubert von Goisern and Hage Hein joked about their incompatible views on most subjects in every day band life, as well as on tour. Nonetheless, says von Goisern, he can't imagine anyone else who could do this job anything like as well as Hage Hein.

Towards the end of the festivities Hein called on stage as special guest the director Joseph Vilsmaier, who has worked often in the past with Hubert von Goisern. He announced he was filming a documentary on Austria, for which he would very much like to win von Goisern. However the musician did not give a clear answer, so we remain curious.

Crackling and blazing

OÖN 28th June 2013 | Text: Bernhard Lichtenberger | Photo: © Volker Weihbold
Severin Trogbacher and Hubert von Goisern

18 memories of the "Brenna tuats" tour

Self-determined breaks are in his nature. In order to make the withdrawal symptoms bearable for his faithful followers Hubert von Goisern is leaving behind him a live double album with recordings from his Brenna tuats tour from the Chinese year of the dragon, the 101 concerts of which were heard by 300,000 people.

The memories in 18 songs are animated by the fire of passion that crackles tenderly or blazes wildly. One disc emphasises the peaceful, melancholy side of the 60-year-old. He listens inside (Nit lang her), indulges in devoted happiness (Neama bang) or longing (Goisern) and in just a few bars manages to get his fans fervently singing a traditional tune (Wann i durchgeh durch's Tal).

The nine songs of the second CD are driven by the groove that the Goiserer and his musicians Severin Trogbacher (guitar), Helmut Schartlmüller (bass) and Alexander Pohn (drums) have found in the course of their intensive teamwork. Brenna tuat's guat, the fiery commentary that became a hit in a time of financial crisis and takers is immortalised, the weirdly splendid Heidi halt mi, the refreshed 1992 Koa Hiatamadl and the stimulating with relaxed nonchalance Halt nit an. That something is missing will always be lamented with a selection, in this case it is atmosphere in particular.

What will happen next? "I dream - like everyone who was there - of meeting again", Hubert von Goisern writes in the booklet. We are dreaming of that too.

An emotional rollercoaster

DeutschlandRadio 26th June 2013 | Text: Thorsten Bednarz

Hubert von Goisern: Im Jahr des Drachen - Live

In recent years Hubert von Goisern has developed into one of Austria's most successful music exports. And although this dialect rock suggests a certain local limitation, the man from the Salzkammergut is also well-known in Germany.
Mind you, when his first albums were released in Germany many radio colleagues were baffled. What was to be done with this man who on the one hand plays a kind of music that was easiest to associate with Musikantenstadl and on the other hand rocks for all he's worth?! But the public loved him and Hubert von Goisern was to an extent as successful here as in his homeland.

Hubert von Goisern has always understood how to reinvent himself. In 2011 he presented a new band, radically reducing his lineup and released the album Entwederundoder. The songs on it are pared down to what is most necessary and that's exactly how the musicians played them at the conerts too. Great attention is demanded from the audience as well as from those listening to the live CD Im Jahr des Drachen. Time and again almost magical moments come up - so great is the intimacy between the protagonists on stage and the audience. Not until the second half of the concert does Hubert von Goisern let go of all the energy that distinguishes his new band and continually changes between grunge-like guitar, funk bass, blues and of course the accordion. An immensely compelling emotional rollercoaster!

Show and commotion

Süddeutsche Zeitung 27th June 2013 | Text: Stephan Handel | Photo: Florian Peljak

Hubert von Goisern presents a "supercoolgreat" live record from his last tour and considers
whether or not he will ever return to the stage

Hage Hein und Hubert von GoisernMunich – At the silver anniversary most couples have reached a state of equilibrium and exhaustion: most of the battles have been fought, you know the other person's quirks as well as their charms and take neither so seriously any more. Hubert von Goisern and Hage Hein may not be married, at least not to each other - but they have 25 years together under their belt, one as musician, the other as his manager. On Tuesday evening, in a Tollwood tent the day before the Tollwood festival began, they were a kind of Waldorf und Statler, the two old guys from The Muppet Show: they tease, but it's fine.

The reason for the little party in the much too big tent is the release of a live record that was made during the 101 concert tour. 50 concerts were recorded, 40 recordings were usable and from that Goisern, the perfectionist, put together 18 tracks - indeed with a bit of help from technology, which he quite forthrightly admits: When the intro in Stuttgart was super, but the verse was a bit over-motivated, then we simply used the one from Villach." Waldorf and Statler are agreed that the result was a "supercoolgreat record".

Goisern forgoes live music this time - the official line being because he hasn't rehearsed, but actually it's his slipped disc, which means an inability to lift the not exactly light Styrian accordion. Instead there are gold records for the band and their boss - as well as for the slightly tardy Josef Vilsmaier: the director filmed a concert of the Alpinkatzen at the Circus Krone in 1994, the DVD achieved gold status, but the award has been lying around somewhere in Hage Hein's office for nearly 5 years. Nonetheless Vilsmaier did a convincing job of looking pleased.

Then there's a Bavarian buffet while two new projects under Hage Hein's wing are presented on stage: the Austrian Julian le Play and Maria Moling, a third of Ganes. Meanwhile Veronika von Quast, Hage Hein's sister, has turned up too. Sabine Nallinger was there from the start, because Hein is helping her in the OB election campaign.

During the introductory conversation between manager and musician Hubert von Goisern had said that it could be that the previous tour would turn out to be the last, that perhaps he would never stand on stage again. Great commotion among the guests of course, but later Hage Hein reassures: "He's been saying that after every tour for the past 25 years." He knows him ... 

Burning better

Teleschau - der mediendienst 20th June 2013 | Text: Stefan Weber

Under fire: the live double CD "Im Jahr des Drachen" documents alpine rocker
Hubert von Goisern's successful 2012 tour.

2012 was - according to the Chinese calendar - a year of the dragon. Why has the cosmopolitan alpine rocker Hubert von Goisern named his double live album recorded last year after this? Well, the 60-year-old Austrian also came into this world as Hubert Achleitner "in the year of the dragon". People born in this cycle are said to be long-living, energetic and stubborn. But reliable, honest and courageous too. And you can barely describe the opinionated, obstinate guy of alpine folk music and his songs more aptly.

In a certain way Im Jahr des Drachen - Live actually documents the unusual longevity of his musical career: Goisern can now draw on songs from a career of more than 20 years. Among the chosen live recordings from his most successful tour with more than 100 concerts is of course Koa Hiatamadl, which made him - together with his then band, the Alpinkatzen - the pioneer of a new folk music at the beginning of the 90s. The fact that he has in the meantime dedicated himself to non-musical projects and less successful albums shaped by folk music from across the world did him no harm. In 2011 he made an impressive return at the top of the charts: with his cynical commentary on the financial crisis, the accordion rap rock anthem Brenna Tuats Guad, Goisern landed his hitherto biggest hit. This and more songs from the successful album EntwederUndOder make up the majority of the 18 songs of the live double CD.

Not just these two hits show that Goisern's energetic mix of traditional folk music and all kinds of guitar rock really sparks live. Hiatamadl is dressed as a rockabilly bride, Suach Da An Åndern thrills as a cracking funk jam, in Indianer Goisern and his band really get into their stride in ska rhythms.

But Im Jahr des Drachen - Live brings attention to another of the Austrian's qualities. Goisern is a bonafide singer-songwriter in the best sense, a melancholic type, a philanthropist. So you hear on CD 1 - probably deliberately - only his calmer side: he considers his fellow human beings (I Kenn Oan), remembers one beautiful moment (Nit Lång Her), feels homesickness (Goisern) and entreats God (Mercedes Benz, a Janis Joplin cover translated by Goisern into his dialect).

Whether this split is the reason why more songs did not find their way onto Im Jahr des Drachen - Live remains open. Because without question there would have been room on two CDs for beautifully sentimental ballads like Heast As Nit or Weit, Weit Weg. The fact that Im Jahr des Drachens (so far?) has not been released as a live DVD is also a bit of a shame. But even in "just" 90 minutes: the fire of Goisern's music is burning better than ever.