99 Luftballons
Gabriela "Nena" Kerner's American debut combines tracks from her first two European releases, including everyone's favorite antinuclear dance-pop single in both English and German. Likable as "99 Red Balloons" and "99 Luftballons" were, their international success was not to be repeated, even though tracks like "Kino" and "Just a Dream" have a similar just-this-side-of-kitsch appeal. "Leuchtturm" and "Uner Kannt Durch's Marchenland" are also strong, but the clumsy "Let Me Be Your Pirate" makes you wish Nena had stuck to her native tongue. Then again, it was that bilingual approach that allowed her to transcend her stateside status as a one-hit wonder--if only through a technicality.--Bill Forman