Show Date: Fri. June 2, 2000
Show #123
Germany 1970's - volume 16



Visit the ProgRealAudio HomePage


Playlist:
# Artist Song (click to play) Album Year CD label
1 Kraan Backs Wintrup 1973 Germanofon
Kraan's second album, recorded just a few months after their first. Kraan has the playful complexity of Italy's Area. One of the most appealing aspects of the Kraan sound to me is the (processed?) saxophone which often plays Arabian sounding scales like a snake-charmer. The excellent percussion, guitar work, and vocals of guitarist Peter Wolbrandt complete the unmistakable Kraan sound. New re-mastered versions of all Kraan albums should be available later this year!
Official Kraan Website
Kraan
 
2 Gaa Bossa Rustical Auf der Bahn zum Uranus 1974 Ohrwaschl
A very rare album, of approximately 300 copies, that was virtually unknown until Ohrwaschl released the CD a couple of years ago. When listening to this album, I can hear bits of Fleetwood Mac's _Then Play On_ album and 1960's Rolling Stones, but, the overriding influence sounds to me to be Quicksilver Messenger Service. A decent album.
 
3 Hoelderlin Waren Wir Hoelderlin's Traum 1972 Spalax
Much like Eela Craig, Hoelderlin released a single album in the early 1970's and then dis-appeared for several years before re-appearing with a new album and a completely new sound in the mid 1970's. This, their first album, is influenced by folk-rock groups like Fairport Convention. Perhaps comparable to Emtidi's _Saat_. The instrumentation includes lots of acoustic instruments, guitar, flue, violin, cello, viola, piano, as well as Mellotron. A very nice album for the mellower side of German progressive.
 
4 Ash Ra Tempel Bring Me Up Starring Rosi 1973 Purple Pyramid
Ash Ra Tempel's fifth album. A great rhythm section with the drummer from Wallenstein gives a framework for Manuel Gottsching's excellent guitar work. It's a little more song based than the earlier albums which tended to be side-long psychedelic excursions.
Manuel Göttsching - Ashra
 
5 Klaus Schulze Satz Gewitter Irrlicht 1972 Magnum
Well, having not completely absorbed this album that is considered a classic groundbreaking album of electronic progressive, I will copy here Matt Martens' review from the New Sonic Architecture website. "Aka Quadrophonische Symphonie Für Orchester Und E-Maschinen. A symphony orchestra plays on this record, but it sounds so distant, and is so totally swamped by organ and electronics, that it sounds almost as if it could be a Mellotron instead. Irrlicht was Klaus' first solo album after leaving Ash Ra Tempel, and along with Cyborg and TD's Zeit, is probably the ultimate document of abstruse Kraut-space levitation in recorded history. No sequencers, no drums or drum machines, almost nothing in the way of melody, Irrlicht could be the sound of a black hole contemplating itself. It's that big -- and that GONE! Three installments of deep-breathing Farfisa throb, plus sudden streakings from oscillators, generators, etc. Definitely hear it." -MM
Klaus Schulze Official Website
 
6 Think Variety Variety 1973 boot CDR
Three musicians on tour in Germany with the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra decide to stay in Germany instead of returning to Hungary. With the addition of two German musicians, they recorded this very nice progressive rarity. Instrumentation is guitar, bass, drums, flute, violin & keys. I can't put my finger on anything that it reminds me of. Quite original and very good. Sounds very British. Maybe a little like Curved Air.
 


Visit the ProgRealAudio HomePage