Rio Reiser (Solo Career)

Today we shall concentrate on Rio Reiser's solo career. Also we'll take a brief look at his personal life: Misha Schoeneberg was born in Berlin-Lichterfelde in a German-Jewish family in 1959; his father had survived the concentration camp in Auschwitz, his mother came from Pomerania. He majored in theater studies and German in the University of Köln.

After a period as a hippie in Goa, India, in 1981 he went to live in the Ton Steine Scherben music commune. In collaboration with today's Green Party politician Claudia Roth, he took over the tour management until the dissolution of the band. He also worked as a stage and lighting designer for Ton Steine Scherben's (and later for Rio Reiser's) concerts. Meanwhile, he and Rio fell in love and entered into a life partnership that went on until Rio's death.

Rio Reiser (l) - Misha Schoeneberg (r)

In 1984, while Rio Reiser was still technically a member of Ton Steine Scherben, he released his first ever solo single. It was produced by renowned German music producer Anette Humpe. At the time he was in need of cash and had asked her for support. It was called Dr. Sommer (Dr. Summer).

In 1985, Reiser and the band finally split, partly due to a feeling that it was time to move on, but to a large extent because of a disastrous financial situation. Reiser had a large debt with the group, but his early solo career went so well that he was free from debt in a short time. His first solo album called Rio I (1986), also produced by Anette Humpe included the popular song König Von Deutschland (King Of Germany). The song became one of the few real hits of Reiser, has been covered and cited by many artists ever since and is still known among most people in Germany.

If Rio's work with Ton Steine Scherben was more on the Punk side, his solo work had a New Wave sensibility. Another single from this excellent album was the love song Für Immer Und Dich (Forever And You):

The next single was the moody Junimond (June Moon):

Another single was Alles Lüge (Other Lies):

His second album Blinder Passagier (Stowaway) came out in 1987. It wasn't as commercially popular, but it was highly praised by the critics and the musical press. The title track was also the album's lead single:

Another single from this album was Ich Denk An Dich (I Am Thinking Of You):

Another good single from the same album was Manager:

Many of his fans from the Ton Steine Scherben days unjustly thought that he was selling out to mainstream, capitalist music business, and blamed him for becoming - at least for a period of time - a commercially successful musician. However, when listening closely to the lyrics, it can be noted that Reiser never abandoned his personal approach to music, politics, life and love, although the message was delivered in a more subtle way now. Reiser sometimes admitted that the objections to his solo music, even hatred by some old-time fans was a serious problem for him. Wandering on the edge of commercial adaptability, while trying to conform with the expectations of old friends, fans and political movements which he supported meant a difficult struggle for Reiser which sometimes drove him to despair and depression. At the same time, he continued to be a very creative, productive musician and song-writer who collaborated with other musicians and friends and underwent strenuous concert tours which often brought him close to physical exhaustion. One of the highlights of his career were two concerts performed in East Berlin in 1988 where he faced a sold out concert hall filled with young people on the verge of the revolution which one year later led to the collapse of the political system of the German Democratic Republic and the opening of the Berlin wall. Recordings of the concerts prove that the east German audience knew the lyrics of his solo songs, and in particular all of the Ton Steine Scherben songs which he performed, by heart, even though the albums were hard to come by in the GDR.

Über Nacht (Overnight) was a 1989 single that appeared in a TV series called Tatort (Crime):

His third solo album, simply called Rio, came out in 1990. The first single was a beautiful song called Zauberland (Land Of Magic). Here's a great live version:

Next single from this album was Geld (Money):

Reiser wrote and performed most of his songs entirely by himself, although he was often accompanied by his longtime friend R.P.S. Lanrue who continued to support him as lead guitar player and also delivered many musical ideas, while a few of his song lyrics were also written by or together with his long-term partner Misha Schoeneberg. His next album came in 1991 and was called Durch Die Wand (Through The Wall). Lead single was Jetzt Schlägt's Dreizehn (Now Beats Thirteen):

Next single from this album was Nur Dich (Only You):

His next album came out in 1993 and had the provocative title Über Alles (Above Everything Else). Lead single was Inazitti:

Reiser's sixth and last solo album, which was recorded in 1995, was called Himmel und Hölle (Heaven and Hell). The album was the last one which he was contractually obliged to deliver to his major music company, and both the musical approach as well as the lyrics imply that Reiser was about to return to a state of inner independence from the major business not only personally, but also in artistic terms, including a sound and concept which is often seen as more authentic than the previous studio albums.

Lead single from the album was Träume (Dreams):

Next single from this album was Straße (Street):

This version is geo-blocked, so it is possible you won't be able to get it to play (I couldn't). So, here's a cover version by Philipp feat. Logo-Christmas-All-Stars-Chor instead:

After the release of this last album, which was not strongly marketed by his company, even though it was praised by the critics, Reiser was preparing new songs which he would have produced independently again, the completion of which was interrupted by his sudden and unexpected death.

Rio Reiser died on August 20, 1996 from a circulatory collapse after internal bleeding, probably as a result of a hepatitis C infection, at his home in Fresenhagen, where he was buried on his own property, under an apple tree. His funeral was attended by a lot of friends and artists amongst whom his good friend Marianne Rosenberg who sang his song Junimond. His grave was moved to Berlin in March 2011, because Reiser's heirs sold the Fresenhagen property.

A number of records were released after his death. Some were compilations, some were live recordings and some contained unreleased tracks with just a piano accompaniment. From the first such record, released in 1998 and called Am Piano I, here's his cover of Spanish Bombs by the Clash:

Since this record was successful, his company released Am Piano II in 1999. From this record, here's his cover of Kajagoogoo's Too Shy:

These songs were not meant to be released, so there's a certain DIY quality about them. I would rather be able to play what Rio was planning to do next, but unfortunately that was not to be. Yet another vibrant artist who was gone too soon. There are so many of them...