Ever been confronted by music that you just can't put your finger on? Music that confounds as often as it impresses? That my take on these releases by German artist Wenzel. And as many times as I've played this live, double disc set Grünes Licht, or the promo for his upcoming Woody Guthrie album, I just can't make head or tails of this fellow's music. Picture a mix of a cabaret crooner, a soft rock/pop singer, a folkie trying to make sense of the modern world, and Tom Waits, especially his more cryptic side. Thus is Wenzel. A former clown and stage entertainer, this multi-instrumentalist and singer presents such a very broad selection of musical styles -- some insightfully original and startlingly weird, others mainstream and hackneyed -- that I'm still not sure how to take his work.

Much of the live set is made of light Germanic pop, like the title track, sounding rather like mid-period James Taylor with an accordion pumping in the background. Or straight cabaret numbers, like "Abends, wenn ich noch nicht schlafen kann," replete with clarinet. Add to this some songs that mix the two genres, like "Schüner Lügen," which are much more interesting than the more straightforward songs.

There are also harder tracks, like "Sauflied," with distorted guitar and a raucous vocal. "Die Kaputten" borders on punk, with horns borrowed from a ska band. And then come these bizarre pieces, like "Hot Line/Nach durchzechter Nacht," which begins with a Waits-like poem delivered in guttural tones backed by a repeating bassline, and ends in a coarse song that melds 1920's music with the most experimental of the '80's. Frankly, the disc is all over the place, and yet oddly it is incredibly cohesive. Wenzel is a fair singer, although his voice sounds pinched at times, with a broad range and a broader musical vision. And sometimes I can see what he's shooting for: at other times, all he presents is material I've heard before. It's hard to explain; you really have to hear it to understand it.

Now, the band is simply amazing, comfortably following Wenzel down his many paths with nary a waver. (And I have a real fondness for any band with a tuba.) The recording is quite good too, with an appreciative audience often joining in the performance. Although the cover, featuring an arm against a shot of the sea, doesn't seem too enticing, the inner booklet is a beautiful collage of performance photos, liner notes, paintings, lyrics, and stock shots. It almost stands on its own, and is almost as confusing as the music.

The Guthrie disc is an interesting teaser for an album due for release next year. Nora Guthrie invited Wenzel to look in the infamous Archive, and this disc gives us three songs from what he found. Interestingly, what's presented is as broad as the rest of his material: Wenzel obvious hasn't changed his sound to interpret the great American writer. "Erst in 100 Jahrn" is a great example: a simple piano arrangement that mixes Germanic folk music with what sounds like Joni Mitchell's mid-70's playing, a spare touch of horn, and Wenzel changing the dynamics of his singing with each line. "I Like To Stay Home With Daddy" sounds like a cross between the Black Crowes attempting Reggae with a sped up oommpa band dropping in and out of the structure (and Wenzel singing in English, sounding like Jim Dandy from Black Oak Arkansas!).

Man, I've listened to these discs more times than I can count and I still can't make up my mind on this Wenzel character. Either he's some startling musical genius stuck in a pop rut, or he's just fooling around and having a big laugh about it. Sometimes a good listening challenge helps the old ears out, but Wenzel just confuses mine. For those with eclectic tastes, und eine FShigkeit, raspy germanm zu verstehen.

[Big Earl Sellar]