VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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With their second (and unfortunately last) album, Parzival is scoring a perfect pair that not even countrywoman Claudia's would never even reach to that level. The group has expanded to a quintet and even a sextet by now and this clearly let more freedom to Walter Quintus to switch from strings to keys. Again this album is produced by professional giant Conny Plank.

Again oddly enough, the CD album starts with a bonus track (the B-side from same single as on the first album CD version) but clearly the track is not quite as superb even if it has choir in it. The overall feeling of the album is clearly more towards a rockier sound, as experienced on the short Celtic track stories. Lenghty track Black Train reaches more in psych and prog moods and it has some astounding moments reminding you of a cross of ELO and The Trees (yes, that good;-) and finding its end only in chaos. Following Mrs Virgin has singing between family's Chapman and VDGG's Hammill. The album's title is an apt one because the mood is definitely more baroque in here as can be seen by the strange (and slightly gothic but orgiastic) Frank Supper, but another peak is reached with the uncanny Scarlet Horses which contrast starkly with the previous two tracks yet has you begging for it not to end. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, the very aptly-titled It's A Pity, is just that (well not that bad, either but the pun was worth it;-), quickly offset with another superb track Thought, built in its start a bit like Eleanor Rigby, but quickly building into a wild flute jam before suddenly jumping into a slow but delightful Ritournelle and off to a devilishly fast ending: flabbergasting!!!! The lenghty Paradise is yet another outstanding moment and would be THE highlight on almost any other album from some other group, but here it is just another track. When abundance is a problem.. lol

The two bonus demo tracks (this time from 70) compared to the first album's bonus tracks are much more in phase with the album they are included in, and are of great added value and do almost not have that demo edge.

Overall this second album is not quite as perfect as the debut, but maybe more inventive and certainly just as essential. In its craziness, this might only be topped by Comus, Jan Dukes De Grey and the superb debut of Tea & Symphony's Asylum For The Musically Insane. Another must in the realm of Folk Prog.

Sean Trane, ProgArchives.com

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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Fourth album by British/German MESSAGE, it took me quite some time to get this one. It's a bit surprising since I think this was still in their best period, actually this one was supposed to be last album worth seeking out, didn't think it was gonna be so rare with reviews.

Just seeing the nice cover art itself raised my expectations, and hoping that music would reflect that surreal image. The opener "Fred The Head" opens with very spacey or etheral sounds on guitar (reminding of the intro of "And You And I" by YES) but soon saxes kick in to give it a more original atmosphere. This theme of sorts is so good it actually repeats itself in another song later on "To Live Again". The album is basically further exploration of jazzy influences on the previous album, but still retaining some commercial side to the whole thing. I'm not an expert on JFR genre but I think some of it, like the song "Triangle" might be close to fusion, and especially the 7 minute long "The Sailor And The Flyer". Of other tracks, "To Live Again" is a good vocal oriented song with the similar sax theme from "Fred The Head", and I think "Chessmen" and "Destruction" is loudest they get but nothing like hard rock of previous albums. Personally, the tracks I could do without is "Volcanoes Under The Sun" as well as the closing instrumental number "Pharaoh's Leg" which is a very dull and repetitive guitar and sax interplay stretched to 3 minutes. Pretty dark as well and not as upbeat as the rest of the album.

This is the album that distanced them the most from their beginnings as a NEKTAR sounding band, and it would have been great if they continued to explore this new direction, because I think as a transitional album it would lead to great things. Personally I don't think it's the best album they did , but excellent record nonetheless.

historian9, ProgArchives.com

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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It's hard to tell exactly what happened between this album from German proggers Satin Whale and their knockout first LP `Desert Places' only a year before in 1974. Their powerful Brain label debut was always very accessible but had a tough and constantly heavy bluesy guitar sound to its lengthy jazz-rock compositions, but here, whilst still delivering a very strong album (one that is often considered their best, in fact), `Lost Mankind' mostly sounds like a completely different band altogether. Satin Whale perform in a prouder symphonic style on this one with a streamlined melodic approach and polished production to its more varied, sophisticated and ambitious material, as well as offering much tidier vocals from an American singer no doubt brought in at the time to make the group more appealing to international audiences.

Right from the energetic and groovy opener `Six O'Clock', the change in sound from the debut is instantly noticeable. The pumping sax and trickles of Hammond organ that darted around `Desert Places' are still there, but the piece is far more compact and instantly tuneful backed up by a chorus of female chorus singers, and the lead vocals of Ken Traylor offer crisp English in stark contrast to guitarist/saxophonist/flautist Dieter Roesberg's heavily accented rasp on the debut. The title track `Lost Mankind' is a lightly playful symphonic piece with serene Mellotron, whimsical flute and humming organ that reminds a little in moments of a track like `In the Mountains' from Earth and Fire's second album `Song of the Marching Children', and `Reverie' is a pretty piano and organ interlude. Then it's all guns blazing for the eleven minute tour-de-force `Go Ahead', jammed with honking infectious sax blasts, jazzy darting flute, red-hot blazing guitar wailing and the Hammond organ out in full-blast, all woven to clever reprising themes. There's so much variety delivered with exemplary skill throughout this one, and it also serves as a fine showcase for new drummer Wolfgang Hieronymi.

The flip side's `Trace Of Sadness' is a relentless and boisterous Hammond-drenched rocker, `Midnight Stone' perhaps resembles a swooning E.L.P-like ballad where Ken's vocals almost remind of John Wetton of King Crimson, and breezy flute flits in and out of soft rocker `Song For 'Thesy' with jazz overtones and organ-driven regal bombast that echoes Focus, M. Efekt and Jethro Tull. Closer `Beyond The Horizon' again comes close to the first album with its extended instrumental stretches of snappy drumming, waves of break-neck frantic Hammond organ runs, joyous flute and bluesy swagger-drenched electric guitar wrangling, and the subtle and skilfully executed tempo-change sprints reveal again what a talented bunch of musicians these guys were.

`Lost Mankind would prove to be a real one-off from the group, with both the heavy Hammond-dominated rocking of the debut and grander symphonic fancy of this one largely removed by their more straight-forward and frequently AOR next album `As a Keepsake' in 1976, and so too singer Traylor as the proper band themselves resumed the vocals from then on (it would actually be very interesting to learn the circumstances as to how he came to be involved with the band in the first place!). The punchy debut might be their real special one, but `Lost Mankind' has stronger playing, ardent ambition and energy to spare, and if you're new to this superb German band, this would be a fine place to start.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother, ProgArchives.com

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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KIN PING MEH are not your typical Kraut Rock band. Although they're quite frequently labelled as such, theor sound is more akin to Art Rock, or "hard Prog," like in the case of BIRTH CONTROL. KIN PING MEH, whose name was of Chinese origin, was founded in 1970 in Mannheim as a quintet featuring Joachim Schaffer, Werner Stephan, Torsten Herzog, Kalle Weber, and Joachim Schafer. In their early years, KIN PING MEH performed many covers by bands like BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS, DEEP PURPLE, THE STEVE WINWOOD GROUP, etc… Soon, they were discovered by Polydor records, who signed them immediately. Schaffer left before the first album was recorded, but was replaced by Willie Wagner, who wrote perhaps their most famous track, "Fairy Tales." It is definitely a highlight of their recording career. Achim Reichel, Frank Dostal, and the great Konrad Plank worked with KIN PING MEH, engineering and producing some of their work. After the first album, Wagner and Herzog left, and other members were added off and on throughout the rest of their career (including some members of 2066-AND THEN-e.g. Geoff Harrison). As with many Prog bands, KIN PING MEH became much more commercial (and even more British or American sounding) as each year went on, but they still retained their fan base, at least in Germany.

KIN PING MEH's strongest efforts were those of their early years. The first and second albums are of definite interest for any fan of BIRTH CONTROL, URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, SPOOKY TOOTH and the like. KIN PING MEH's blending of Prog and hard rock was very effective, and that definitely shows on their albums. They were also a stunning live act, so much of the live stuff is also worth investigating. I highly recommend this wonderful German band, they are certainly one of my favorites!

ProgArchives.com

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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German act GIFT started out as a school band back in 1969, initially under the moniker Phallus Dei, with an initial line-up consisting of Rainer Baur (guitar), Hermann Lange (drums), Uwe Patzke (bass), Helmut Treichel (vocal) and Nick Woodland (guitar).

By 1972 Woodland had left to join Subject Esq., while the rest of the band hit the studio to record their first album, and in 1973 their self-titled debut Gift was issued. On this production the band was pretty much cemented in a heavy rock sound typical of this day and age; with plain, hard guitar riffs served aplenty.

One year later their sophomore effort Blue Apple surfaced. By now Treichel had also said his goodbyes to the band, while Dieter Frei (keyboards, moog, mellotron, vocals) and Dieter Atterer (guitars, vocals) had joined the outfit. For this second creation the band's musical explorations took on freakier and more elaborate movements, to the extent that this venture is regarded as belonging to the rooster of albums deemed interesting for followers of the Krautrock scene.

This sophomore effort turned out to be the last by this German act though, and it is thought that Gift dissolved soon after the release of Blue Apple.

ProgArchives.com

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VA - Original Album Series: Krautrock 2 (2016) 5CD Box Set

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