New album, ‘A Mixed Bag Of Fleas’. Out 12 October 2023.

I do like the new album. A lot. 62 minutes, 18 songs, one co-written with Terry Lee Ransom, one with Fred Grittner, who is also responsible for the crystal-clear sound,and an ancient Carl Michael Bellman song I translated from Swedish into English.
Fred played lead mandola on our song, Claudia Wichmann sang on four tracks.

Folk, Folkrock, Bluesrock and Jazz.

Songs about good people, life, the world, toxic relationships, people who live(d) in the past, two or three quirky songs. And you will learn how to write a song. Max Walter asked me how I could write so many songs in so short a time, so I wrote one about just that. It’s easy…

Webmaster Daniel Tappe helped with the promo video.
A big thanks to Fred, Claudia, Terry and Daniel!

And thank you to all the many people who so busily stream my music!
You do not make me rich – but happy.

The album as well as individual songs can be downloaded via
janhauenstein.bandcamp.com
For physical cds, email janhauenstein@gmx.de

Hello Jan,

As promised, I scribbled down some impressions after having played the CD several times.

First of all: This is your angry record. This gruff citizen has had it with government cock-ups and the general stupidity of this world. The mood is bleak, and when the familiar Hauenstein humour pops up, it is generally in the form of exasperated outbursts or ironic observations. Quite fitting for these times I would say, and fortunately great musicianship, keen observations and a way with words makes the songs something more than angry rants, and listening carefully one also finds hope, and a determination to find joy and contentment in this world.

The theme of “joy versus gloom” runs through the album giving it both balance and edge – one finds both songs about the state of the world and the human condition, though this time the first kind dominates. I also notice that there is just one cover version.
Comments on the songs:

Footsteps – This folky shuffle sets the scene for the album – showing the melancholy, but also the acceptance and serenity of age … and I love the jazzy guitar interlude.

I Am the Blues – Perhaps the strongest track on the album lyrically. A Hauenstein classic! A chilling description of depression – Churchill’s Black dog. Something about the melody makes me think of the later demo recordings of Jackson C Frank. The violin gives the song character and colour. Great guitar at the end.

Climate Change -A funny up-tempo song providing a welcome relief from the darker moods set by the first two tracks. The ironic narrator listing up the “positive” effects of the climate change … A very catchy melody!

And Yet – This one re-states what I perceive to be the underlying theme of the album: Man’s ability to find scraps of happiness is what will get us through. Nice guitar work here as well – understated and just enough to catch one’s attention.

The Underdoc – Hard-rocking “surrealist garage rock” – You have invented a new genre

Every Road / Little Girl and Mongrel Dog – Two songs of hope – Every Road has a very catchy melody / Little girl gets its message across through acute observations – Strong melodies and guitar work on both.

What a Fool – The “angry rant” track – and a welcome one! I believe all intelligent people have been “fools” in this respect! We forgot the one indisputable truth: Shit floats to the top!

Black Magic #2 – Really nice acoustic guitar on this one and a cool groove. Don’t you ever invite me to dinner! Spooky electric guitar!

Lies Are Stronger Than The Ttruth – Sadly true. This one restates the darker themes of the album, and clears the stage for the next song:

Lion In Winter – Great opening lines! I am tempted to call this the theme song of the album …Sometimes we all feel like that. Hopefully this lion will go on writing songs!

This Great Generation – Once again some light relief. A caustic portrait. I love the barrelhouse piano and the rollicking guitar!

Miss Miss – A tongue in cheek love song where the wordplay carries the message across!

My Heart’s in the Wrong Place – once again the human condition is the theme – a short story by Fred set to music by you. A very strong, smooth melody and a really nice guitar interlude!

Long John, Long Gone – A hard rocking song with a groovy organ. Long John has found a solution to the world’s problems: Be sure to be long gone!

A Longing in My Heart – this I call the summing up song, as I felt it is gathering the various themes of the album and unifying them. Soft and comforting.

Little Victories – A homage to the sensible, courageous and decent people of the world. Reason will win, by small steps! Once again striking images and melody.

And So We Go – The only cover song on the album doesn’t feel out of place at all – On the contrary, it is the perfect ending – Bellman’s mix of “joie de vivre” and fatalism is the perfect conclusion to a strong, sometimes dark but always compelling album! (Have you considered doing more Bellman?)

Congratulations! Another excellent album!

All the best
Alf

Dangerous Days, the 2022 album. publication date 22 September.

Dangerous Days indeed, in many ways, it has been a crazy year.
The songs reflect some of that madness.

Eighteen songs, sixty-four and a half minutes.
Folk, Folkrock, Blues, Rock and Jazz.
One co-written with Fred Grittner, who also mastered the album,
one with Terry Lee Ransom – thank you, gentlemen! – and an old Swedish song
by Carl Michael Bellman that I translated into English.

Songs about these weird and dangerous days, lost love, infidelity, hope,
joy, politics, the power of the blues – and a few strange ones.

Come in, sit down, listen and find out.

Daniel Tappe helped with the promo video and he maintains this website.

Jan

P.S. If you want to download the album, please do it via janhauenstein.bandcamp.com
All the others are robbers.

P.S. II My friend Fred wrote:
I was proud to master an album of ALL your songs – no covers. I think it is your best album. Songs, singing, arrangements. You should feel very proud about your creation.
Fred

Our granddaughter Leevke asked a few times, ‘Did you write a new song for us?’
So I did – ‚Der Osterhasen-Wackelnasen Tanz – Neue Kinderlieder‘.
And here is the English version – ‘The Easter Bunny Dance’.
15 songs, for children and adults. Songs that are easy to understand and also a few
that require more concentration. No strings, no recorders, real music.
Children are often underestimated and parents unnecessarily tortured with lalala-drivel.
Strong fat fairies, information about dogs, bicorns (not the hat) and uniquehorns, wizards,
chubby princesses…
46 minutes, folk, blues, real rock.
Leevke and Tomke have already heard some of the songs and were happy.
The English version is available as downloads only:
https://janhauenstein.bandcamp.com/
But if you want to burn a cd, you’ll find the necessary files there.
Great Christmas gift for kids, parents and grandparents.

Unsere Enkelin Leevke hat ein paar Mal gefragt, ‚Hast Du ein neues Lied für uns geschrieben?‘
Gefragt, getan – Der Osterhasen-Wackelnasen Tanz – Neue Kinderlieder.
15 Lieder, für Kinder und Erwachsene. Leicht verständliche Lieder und auch solche,
die mehr Konzentration erfordern. Keine Streicher, keine Blockflöten, richtige Musik.
Kinder werden oft unterschätzt und Eltern unnötig mit Lalala-Gesülze gequält.
Starke dicke Feen, Informationen über Hunde, Zweihörner und Eishörner, Zauberer,
rundliche Prinzessinen…
46 Minuten, Folk, Blues, richtiger Rock. Und das Album gibt es auch auf Englisch.
Leevke und Tomke haben schon einige Lieder gehört und sich gefreut.
Die deutsche Version gibt es als CD und als Download bei
https://janhauenstein.bandcamp.com/
Die englische Version – The Easter Bunny Dance – wird es circa eine Woche später auf bandcamp geben.
Prima Weihnachtsgeschenk für Kinder, Eltern und Großeltern!

Alf Storrud is a senior consultant at Oslo University. With his wife, he has translated several books by Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature, into Norwegian.
He has co-curated a career overview double cd of Jackson C. Frank’s songs.
And he loves Fred Grittner’s music.
He is a master of funny and quirky drawings, the topics quite surprising, which can be found on Facebook. There is a new one every Friday.

Here his notes on the ‘Sunshine And The Shadows’ cd:

Hello Jan,

I’ve finally had time to give the new album a “deep listening” and I like it a lot! It is a collection of mature, touching and well-constructed songs – real pieces of art 😊

What follows is not a review, just some stray thoughts and impressions jotted down while listening. I do not comment on the cover songs – but I really enjoyed them as well and if I had not known some of them, I would have taken them for yours – They fit in perfectly.

Hey, Songwriter
This I perceive as the albums – and your – statement of intent. The lyrics are captivating, the melody is strong and I love the mandolin fills floating over the guitar. A strong opener.

You Have To Like Lonesome
A great Grittner/Beliveau lyric set to a slowly burning, evocative melody. Great vocals and arrangement – Powerful and reflective music and full of pictures that resonate in the listeners mind.
“You have to like lonesome if you’re just a one man show” Wow …

Zirbeldrüse und Blutgemüse (Sine Qua Non)
I did not know that ironic polkas existed as a genre – A great change of tempo just when the album needed an uptempo song – and great nose poking lyrics, as I gather from comparing it with “Pineal Gland Goulash And Young Blood Veggies (Sine Qua Non)” Great guitar – I love both versions – The second I call Rolling Stones meet Swift!

Memories
A great lilting tune and lyrics we all can relate to, about how the mind plays tricks on us.
The mix of melancholy and irony works very well. Great song, could easily be a “new jazz standard” if you pitch it to Harry Connick

The Talk (White Privilege)
Another song with a great, almost jazzy feel to it. Sadly this song is still necessary –
Powerful and angry “slice of life ” lyrics and music that supports the speak singing perfectly

The Sun Is Out Today
A strong, calypso like melody and beautiful acoustic strumming. Strong vocals and touching lyrics. And again those mandolin fills.

Less Is More
A sturdy rock groove carries some incisive Grittner lyrics and the guitar sounds great – Fuzzy simplicity! Great vocals!

Bible Belt Jesus
Don’t we all despise and pity these kind of people and their self-made bigot theology – And the Bible belt stretches all the way to Oslo, Norway!

Room 13
This is a fascinating, cleverly constructed short story, full of suspense, and put to a funky catchy Hauenstein groove. A very cinematic song! I suspected a murder and was happily surprised this was about something else. Lovely song and great guitar.

Makes As Much Sense
Absurd verses about our absurd existence, and a refrain that makes sense of it all – Great stomping melody – Loved the piano.

Two Old Men
A great portrait – a bit sad, but mostly filled with hope. The melody is effortlessly catchy

Just A Little Blue Touch
One of the most harrowing tunes on the album. Understated, atmospheric guitar picking – The lyrics are a strong and down to earth description of the dreadful human condition. A title to kill for and wonderful vocals! – This song  hit me hard.

A Malt, A Pipe, And An Old Guitar
Luckily the album ends on a more optimistic note – There is a cure (or three 😊) and there is still hope. This is the life philosophy this album’s journey has brought us to – Smoky and evocative – an instant classic!

So there you are – My stray thoughts! Thank you for a great and inspiring album.
I was sincerely moved by it – Keep them coming!

All the best
Alf