Review: Hartmann – Get Over It

Sonic11/ Pride & Joy Music (September 16th, 2022)

Reviewer: David Pearce

The German rock legend Oliver Hartmann is back with his band Hartmann whose tenth album is called ‘Get Over It’. Hartmann himself plays guitar and is the lead singer, Mario Reck is his fellow guitarist, Armin Donderer is the bassist and Markus Kullmann is the drummer. For this album they are joined by keyboardist Jimmy Kresic and singer Ina Morgan.

‘Get Over It’ starts with the track ‘Remedy’ which kicks off the album with a great guitar solo that put me in mind of Whitesnake. It’s a really good opener, a rock track that doesn’t let up from first note to last. Oliver Hartmann shows his typical vocal power and Markus itrack straight out of the top drawer with a powerful vocal and a chorus that has more than a hint of Paint it Black, one of my favourite songs, in the guitar work. ‘In Another Life’ is a gorgeous ballad that is my favourite track on the album and a rock vocal that just shines with quality. The bass of Armin Donderer really pays off in this track as it gives the tune real depth. It is an absolute belter of a track. ‘What You Give is What You Get’ sees Hartmann move into the Southern Rock style of the 70s and 80s with great success. It’s an incredibly strong start to the album with four tracks in different styles delivered with aplomb.

‘The Movie’s End’ is a reflective track that has a very restrained and effective vocal performance. Hartmann has one of those voices that just gets better with age, keeping its power but adding the depth of experience. ‘Just Drive’ starts off with a superb guitar solo that sets up a song that appropriately enough would sound really good on a road trip. It has elements of the 80s style rock but never sounds anything other than fresh, and the guitar solo in the middle has a Pink Floyd quality to it. ‘The Gun’ is a no-nonsense bluesy track that just thumps out of the speaker and is a track that will sound outstanding live. It is definitely up there with ‘In Another Life’ as an absolute standout on a superb album.

The final quartet of songs commences with ‘Can’t Keep Away From You’ which is another top class ballad that sounds like Bryan Adams at his best. It is the quality of the vocals that once again lifts it to another level. The title track ‘Get Over It’ is a three-and-a-half-minute song that shows the strengths of the four members of the group, individually and as a really tight unit. It is short, sweet and superb. ‘Stay True to Me’ is a track that has a sound that reminds me of The Police from their early 80s period both vocally and instrumentally. The final track is the marvellous ‘When We Were The Young’ which reflects on the lessons learned over the course of life. It has an elegiac quality that befits the subject matter as these four veterans look back with a smile and a raised eyebrow at their younger selves. Well don’t we all?! It is the perfect song to end a terrific album and definitely a great candidate for a concert ending singalong. Hartmann may be ten albums into their career, but they are still at the top of their game in a way they would no doubt have hoped to be when they were the young.