Ocean (1977)
As noted in the Planets review, Eloy had adopted a sound in the mid 70s and continued to progress upon it. Ocean is the second (or really third if we count Power & The Passion) that played in this style. Wish You Were Here-era Pink Floyd was certainly an album that had impact upon the German band, and some of the more spacey progressive bits owe to that album's atmosphere and mystique. It's very different from the dynamic Inside and Floating albums of yore. The album is a type of "easy listening" prog. It's not overly challenging but the tones and rhythms are pleasing to the ear. Klaus-Peter Matziol provides some memorable bass riffs, not an instrument we often hear take the lead, other than perhaps within the Zeuhl world.
Ocean is Eloy's most known work, and both RYM and ProgArchives proves this theorem. The latter takes it one step further and states it's their best album too, whereas RYM crowns Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes. For me personally, I find Ocean to fit perfectly in their late 70s repertoire, though it was never my favorite era of the band. My review of Inside lays out why.
Ownership:
1977 Harvest / Electrola (LP). Top loaded gatefold with lyrics and recording details in the center. Acquired in 2015.
First copy: 1989 EMI Electrola (CD). Acquired in 1989.
1989; 2/12/07; 3/24/26 (review)
By 1981, Eloy's sound could be only be considered BIG. Wide open expansive music with fantastic bass and synthesizer chords. They'd been more or less working towards this album since 1976's Dawn, and had perfected the formula by the time of Planets. While the earlier Eloy albums such as Inside possessed both tricky time shifts and long solos, Planets is none of those things. But it's not plodding like Pink Floyd either. Overall a very pleasing music, strong on melody, and has a good groove. The type of sounds that you could draw new fans in given its lack of dissonance or avant garde techniques.
For whatever reason, even though I owned most of the Eloy albums by the time I left college in 1987, I never picked up Planets. In fact, I don't recall seeing it. I had the others on the label by then: Time To Turn, Performance, and Metromania. It wasn't until 2014 that I finally purchased the LP and heard for the first time.
Ownership: 1982 Heavy Metal Worldwide (LP). Textured single sleeve with lyric inner. Acquired in 2014.2/27/14; 9/10/22 (review)
Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes (1979)
Eloy was one of Germany's most famous symphonic rock groups. They had a few phases, but their most popular was the era Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes was released in, when they were in full blown Pink Floyd mode. What I like about Eloy is their ability to provide space. This leads to the appreciation of the big, fat riffs that cascade throughout. The guitar and keyboard leads are profound, if not necessarily complicated or overly inspired. An easy band to enjoy on initial impact, I highly recommend Eloy to progressive rock fans who are looking for something new beyond the well-known bands. For old hands, as cynical as they may be, Eloy always manage to deliver as well. A very good album.
Ownership: 1979 Harvest (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1991.
11/11/91; 1996; 3/18/10 (review); 12/23/24
Inside (1973)
---8/19/06
More overtly complex than most albums from Germany, and not really Krautrock in the traditional sense of the word. Blindfolded, and not knowing any better, I’d say Eloy - on Inside anyway - sounds more like an early 70s group from England. While vocal / guitarist Frank Bornemann is the clear leader of the band, the musical focus on Inside is squarely on the shoulders of organist Manfred Wieczorke. He carries most of the solos, as well as many of the melody lines. In fact, the organ virtuosity displayed here is some of the finest to ever be committed to a rock album (and that’s quite a statement!). In some ways, it almost seems they’re hiding Bornemann’s guitar playing. Without question he’s competent, especially during the composed melody runs, but does seem uneasy in the improvisational solo sections. Bornemann’s accented vocal style heavily resembles Ian Anderson, which I think leads to the frequent Jethro Tull comparisons Eloy gets tagged with (during this stage of their career at least). Also of note is the rhythm section of Fritz Randow and Wolfgang Stöcker, which is strikingly crisp and fiercely driving.
Side long opener ‘Land of No Body’ contains Manfred’s jaw dropping organ performance (both the atmospheric sections and in the ripping solos). Following this, the title track demonstrates the group’s complex compositional side. ‘Future City’ is Eloy at their most creative, with the musical emulation of a wind-up toy gone mad. ‘Up and Down’ is more in line with what other Germanic groups were doing at the time, recalling the haunting work of Paternoster or the more inward looking songs by Twenty Sixty Six and Then, My Solid Ground, or Murphy Blend. Interesting to note that Wieczorke took on the vocal duties here, and his heavy German accent gives it a completely different feel than Bornemann’s more refined (yet still accented) English. Without a doubt, this is a Hall of Fame album, and one of the finest German symphonic rock albums ever made.
---7/21/24
Interesting to research my notes and journals to realize I haven't heard this album since my Gnosis review in 2006, nearly a full 18 years ago. I entered this early on into the UMR because I had a full review, but didn't hear it then either. My tastes have not changed at all regarding this album, and my perspective remains as above. Other than a few word and grammar changes, the review below continues to hold court for me
Ownership: 1973 Harvest / Electrola (LP). Uni-pak gatefold. First pressing. Acquired in 1986.
1/6/86; 8/19/06 (review); 7/21/24 (update)
Other albums I own and need to review: Eloy (1971); Floating; Power and the Passion; Dawn; Colours; Time to Turn; Performance
Formerly owned: Metromania (which I wouldn't mind hearing again, it's been many years); Live
6/21/09 (new entry)
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