The Alpine Bunch is a group of older men supposedly from Germany and Austria, hence their moniker. We have some doubts about the truth of that, as if they really are natives of those countries, their command of English is really good. And their demeanor on stage just doesn't look right, like it's all an act. But music wise, they are good musicians. We've heard them play traditional European music, and they play it very well. The original songs they write are pretty good. This song is about skiing, mostly a list of the hazards of the sport. They continue to tour in the U.S. with no immediate plans to return to Europe.
So despite our misgivings, really more of just curiosity as to their origins, we like their music and hope they continue to play and record for Big And Tall Records.
We welcome a new group to Big And Tall Records,The Alpine Bunch. They're a European group, most of the members from Germany. They're in this country to check out venues and any interest in their music. They play traditional music heard in Switzerland, Germany, and other areas where The Alps are located. They have recently begun to write some of their own material.
Their spokesman and lead singer Emil Zimmerman speaks 4 languages, with English being among them. He had this to say about their song Booze It Up! :
We come from a part of the world where alcohol and beer in particular has been a way of life for centuries. Some have said this came about so many years ago because the brewing and distilling techniques renders water of questionable safety into a safe beverage to drink. That may be true to a limited extent, but we cannot overlook the intoxicating effects these beverages had, and how enjoyable these effects have been to mankind over the centuries.
There has been a heightened regard for the damage alcohol can do to the human body. Not just in extreme quantities, but that the ingesting of alcohol at all is unsafe. For many years, there has been spread around that a glass or tow of beer or wine a day is not only safe, but good for you. This is being disputed by recent findings.
Considering how so many cultures are alcohol consuming cultures, and so many industries make a profit from it, there may be many years before there's agreement about the dangers of alcohol consumption, if there ever is an agreement among all parties. We wrote the song Booze It Up! to help bring the public's attention to recent developments and many people's response to them. The backlash to the song has been swift and strong, and we have no doubt that it will be so in The United States as it has been in Europe. Indeed, members of our own group have differing opinions. So we perform this song, for whatever it may be worth.
We got the recording of this song form our associate before Mr. Zimmerman's comments, so we didn't know what to make of it. Is it making fun of the allegations, or making an ironic point about their validity? We were close to refusing to publish it when our associate sent us Mr. Zimmerman's comments.
The band is a large ensemble with strings, and the best elements of a German Oompah-pah band. They have a good reputation in Europe, and as also perform in English, we decided to give them a shot! (No pun intended!)
They say drinking alcohol is bad for you
Who is they? (Doctors say!)
That alcohol no good for you!
What do they know any way!
A little glass of vine is good for you!
Helps you relax, and digest!
If one is good, two is better!
A snort once in a vile is best!
They say alcohol pickles your liver
Who is they? (The Gastro Doctors say!)
Alcohol pickles your liver
What do they know any way?
A glass of beer is good for you
Helps you unwind after a busy day!
If one is good, two is even best!
Couple beers pickle nothing any way!
They say alcohol can cause cancer too.
Who is they? (Oncologist say!)
That booze cause cancer for you
What do they know any way?
A snort of schnapps is real good, ya!
It gives you cleaner breath, taste like candy cane,
