| # | 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. | |||||