Reinhard Mey - Starportrait (1977)

The German liedermacher Reinhard Mey rose to prominence in France and Germany as one of the most well-known and beloved singer/songwriters of his generation. He was born in Berlin on December 21, 1942, and learned how to play the piano and guitar at an early age. His first foray onto the stage came when he joined a skiffle group, Les Trois Affamés. His group was invited to play a liedermacher festival at Burg Waldeck in 1965, and the gig eventually led to Les Trois Affamés' first record deal. Mey released his first solo album in 1967, and he dropped out of university in order to pursue music. It was a career that would span well over four decades; Mey released over 20 albums in the 40 years following his debut, gaining audiences throughout Germany, France, and Holland.

Mey writes both sensitive and humorous songs, with subject matter taken mostly from his everyday life and surroundings. His themes include life on the road, his hobbies (e.g., flying), childhood memories, his family life and surroundings, and occasionally politics. Many of his songs are humorous and demonstrate Mey's extraordinary linguistic versatility. Mey's songs are characterized most by their expressiveness of language and their penetrating melodies.
Mey's politics tend to be moderate to left-leaning. He speaks out in particular for freedom and non-violence, and not only in his songs (for example, he participated in a demonstration at the beginning of 2003 against the coming war in Iraq). Strongly influenced by the French chanson, Mey's political songs were relatively scarce among his works at the beginning, but they have increased in quantity over time, such that there is usually at least one song on each new album that concerns itself with politics. His 2004 album, Nanga Parbat, for example, includes "Alles OK in Guantanamo Bay", a song critical of the U.S. detention facility on the island of Cuba.

The compilation "Starportrait" was released in 1977 as a double album, featuring recordings from 1968 to 1975.

 Tracklist, LP 1:

1.	Ich wollte wie Orpheus singen	2:19
2.	Die drei Musketiere	2:15
3.	Rouge ou noir	2:55
4.	Das Lied von der Spieluhr	3:35
5.	Trilogie auf Frau Pohl	5:19
6.	Ich denk' es war ein gutes Jahr	3:46
7.	Irgendwann, irgendwo	2:19
8.	Aus meinem Tagebuch	3:00
9.	Du, meine Freundin	2:52
10.	Ich bin aus jenem Holze geschnitzt	3:10
11.	Der Mörder ist immer der Gärtner	4:49
12.	Komm, gieß' mein Glas noch einmal ein	4:10

Tracklist, LP 2:

1.	Annabelle, ach Annabelle	4:03
2.	Schade, daß Du gehen mußt	4:22
3.	Die heiße Schlacht am kalten Büffet	3:16
4.	Mann aus Alemannia	5:30
5.	Herbstgewitter über Dächern	3:13
6.	Gute Nacht, Freunde	2:51
7.	Über den Wolken	3:45
8.	Wie vor Jahr und Tag	4:36
9.	Ich bin Klempner von Beruf	3:25
10.	Es gibt keine Maikäfer mehr	4:12
11.	Wie ein Baum, den man fällt	3:43
12.	Es schneit in meinen Gedanken	3:33

Reinhard Mey - Starportrait (1977)
(256 kbps, cover art included)