GOETZ KÜHNEMUND – A Dive…
- Posted on 07-10-2011
Diving in the record collection to people is something many have done before us, but we want to give it a try anyway. We’ve picked a nice collection of well known actors within what we may call the metal press, and we took a second look at their favorite bands and discs. We have already been messing up a little in the collections of Gunnar Sauermann, Jonathan Selzer and Bjørn Nørsterud and the end of this series is approaching fast. But, there are still a few of those journalists left and here is GOETZ KÜHNEMUND from Germanys Rock Hard.
Are you a vinyl freak or more of the modern CD type?
Vinyl, of course! But I buy and collect CD’s as well.
Do you have a record player? If so – do you use it?
I have two: one at home and one in my office.
Do you remember the very first record you bought?
Rainbow´s "Long Live Rock´n´roll" in 1978.
What is the rarest album you’ve got?
Maybe Savatage "Sirens" in blue vinyl. The rarest RECORD I´ve got is Avatar´s 7′ vinyl single "City Beneath the Surface" in yellow vinyl. Criss Oliva (R.I.P.) told me there are only 18 copies worldwide (originally 25, but 7 never made it out of the pressing plant).
Does Goetz’s record collection consist of metal only? What else can one find that Goetz highly appreciates?
80 % metal. The rest is classic rock. Oh, and I own about 50 classical records as well!
How do you preserve your collection? Is it categorized or is it just helter skelter?
Categorized – in several ways.
You told me that your all-time favorite band is Iron Maiden. When started this love affair between the two of you? How did it start?
I saw them supporting Kiss in 1980 (being dressed and made up as a 14-year-old Paul Stanley). "Running Free" had just come out as a 7" single and was played on a radio rock show. I was hooked for life!
What is it with Iron Maiden that makes you hold on to them as your favorite band? What do they have that no other band has?
Without Iron Maiden none of us would be here today. Not you, not me. The nwobhm started the metal scene, as we know it today, and it wouldn´t have happened without Iron Maiden. Everybody wanted to be an active part of the scene – and we all started bands, fanzines, fan clubs, radio programs or record companies. We have to thank Steve Harris for this! Sure, Black Sabbath had been there before, as well as Judas Priest, AC/DC and Motörhead – but they belonged to the old "hard rock" scene and didn´t start a new, worldwide movement.
Iron Maiden has released tons of records during the years. Is it hard to stay in touch and make sure you get every release? Is it important for you to that you have everything?
Sure! I buy anything that carries the name Maiden on it – especially vinyl.
What is your relationship with the band members of Iron Maiden?
Friendly. But I´m still a fan, not a "business partner" – and that´s the way I want it to be.
Do you have a favorite Iron Maiden album? (If you do, why that album?)
Yes, "The Number of the Beast" – because the scene EXPLODED in Germany in 1982 after the release (and success) of this album.
Your favorite album is not an Iron Maiden album, but a Black Sabbath album: "Heaven and Hell". What is it with this album that makes it number one, when were you first introduced to this masterpiece and how many versions of it do you have in your collection?
I bought "Heaven and Hell" in 1980 – shortly before the first Iron Maiden album. I had never heard such mighty guitar riffs and such majestic vocals before in my life. To this day Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.) is the best rock vocalist of all time in my book.
I´ve bought "Heaven and Hell" about 20 times so far – in different formats and pressings. Some Maiden albums I have bought more than 50 times (different vinyl pressings, different colors, bootleg versions, picture discs, etc.)
"Heaven and Hell" was the first of two Black Sabbath albums producer Martin Birch produced. He is a well-known and very well used producer in the UK. For instance, he has produced 11 albums for Deep Purple and 9 for your favorite band Iron Maiden. Is it just a coincidence that the same person has produced both your favorite album and the first 9 album of your favorite band?
No. Martin Birch is the best rock producer of all time. No doubt about that. He also produced my favorite albums of Whitesnake, MSG and Blue Öyster Cult, among others.
Do you have a favorite song on "Heaven and Hell"?
Yes: "Children of the Sea". Second-best song of all time ("Stargazer" being number one).
Lemmy, Goetz & Danko Jones
You are home after a long day’s work and want to relax with some music. What do you, most likely, want to listen to?
Some old nwobhm vinyl. I like to discover obscure bands of that era – and I always return to my favorites (Angel Witch, Raven, Tygers, More, Venom, Tytan, Diamond Head, Holocaust, Demon, Fist, Witchfinder General, Saxon, Girlschool, etc.), too.
Where do you stand when it comes to original albums? Do you want a first press or are you pleased with re-mastered re-publications?
I want both if I really love an album. My favorite 200 albums I have bought in different formats each…
There are split opinions about live albums. Where do you stand and what’s your ultimate live album? What’s so special about this record?
I like "Live albums" – as long as they sound authentic. Therefore I consider "Unleashed in the East", "No sleep ´til Hammersmith" or "The Eagle has Landed" studio albums. My favorite live album – although it´s hard to pick only one – is Ozzy Osbourne´s "Speak of the Devil" because it sounds so heavy and raw. The best TITLE of any live album is "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" by Venom (a famous Mozart piece which translates to "A Little Light Night-Time Music"): Pure genius!
What about the gender distribution in your collection; how is that coming along?
Yes, Y have quite a lot of stuff by female musicians. Y always liked "girl singers" – but not the Nightwish/Within Temptation kind! I love heavy female voices (Lee Aaron, Leather Leone, Doro, Crucified Barbara, Sister Sin…) and also some female classic rock (Fiona, Melissa Etheridge, Kate Bush, Joss Stone…). The wet dream of my youth was a girl named Helen Schneider. Does anybody remember her?
The vinyl tax collector is standing at your doorstep and demanding one – 1 – vinyl record as an instant charge. What record do you choose to give away?
Oh, that´s easy: He can have ALL my Poison, Winger and Warrant albums! I HATE them, always have. For some stupid reason I bought them in the eighties, just because I collected ANY hard rock/metal vinyl I could find. Poison I have even seen live once in the USA in the eighties, supporting David Lee Roth. They were worse than ANYTHING I have ever witnessed. How can anyone seriously like such garbage?
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