From the very first notes, I knew this was going to be a special session. 'Mean Time' opens with an aggressive type of jazz fusion, of the kind one usually reserves for Mahavishnu Orchestra. And when guitarist Karl Ratzer enters in and lays down some raw licks, it just takes the whole thing to the next level. 'Side to Side' is the requisite mellow number, but highly enjoyable with some fine melodic lines. Then we enter into that special zone that we sometimes talk about. That X Factor sound that transcends the great from the norm. And with that, the title track starts off similar to the Joe Henderson live album we recently talked about, with a killer rhythmic line, and some fine underground sax from Deszo Lakatos. When Ratzer enters this go round, he isn't foolin' around. His rough and tumble soloing reminds one of the Krautrock masters circa 1971. What a monster of a track! Flipping over to side 2, we start with some massive fuzz bass from none other than Jeff Berlin (how is this album so unknown?) and yet another killer jazz rock track with great solos. 'Mother Song' calms the proceedings down and adds some fine flute, almost bossa nova-ish. And the album closes with its longest cut, the eight and a half minute 'In the World' which takes us back to the opener's heavy fusion antics, like Weather Report on steroids.
In doing some research, perhaps the biggest surprise is Ratzer was the guitarist for Gipsy Love. This band from Austria is often times lumped in with Krautrock, yet it's far removed from that. More like boogie rock. So even more strange that Street Talk is more aligned with his homeland's historic sound - but not his.
The parallels with Gary Saracho here are immense. Not in sound - that one is even more freaky - but considering they are out-of-nowhere major label US releases that no one talks or knows about. You won't find this in Kozmigroov. Or Gnosis. There are a whopping three whole ratings on RYM. It exchanges some coin on Discogs, but what you would expect to pay for a new LP. Street Talk should command way more. Why? Because this brings the good goods, and I can assure you it is not a common record, and no reissues exist. It's time for this album to be recognized. So let's get started here. Second best new discovery of the year for me, after Saracho.
After hearing this, I bought two more albums online immediately. These two seemed like they would be similar to Street Talk in outlook. I held off on this review until I could absorb them. So let's see how they compare (see below).
Ownership: 1979 Vanguard (LP)5/20/21 (review)
After hearing Street Talk and doing some follow-up research, In Search of the Ghost looked like the best bet. In fact, given that it basically takes Jeremy Steig's band along for the ride, I figured this might even better than Street Talk especially given that it was one year earlier. Well... it didn't surpass, but as a whole, it definitely falls into the great category. In Search of the Ghost takes a lot longer to get going. Eight plus minute opener 'Israela' is primarily acoustic. Which is fine, but that's not what I was looking for. The 9+ minute title track begins to hint at the Street Talk sound. There are periods here where it seems Ratzer is ready to take off. But he pulls back. It seems he's shy, or feels the rest of the band should have a chance to shine. It takes a couple of listens, but it does transcend the genre norm. Excellent track. The flip side starts with two shorter numbers 'Jump Street' and 'Prime Mate', both of which are pretty standard late 70s jazz fusion fare. I was losing faith that In Search of the Ghost was going to be anything special. Until the closing 7:40 minute 'Asteroids'. If presuming this was recorded chronologically, then one could see Ratzer's anger building up throughout. Holy Moly, does he let loose here! It has the intensity of classic Mahavishnu Orchestra, but it's unhinged and unfocused. A big sloppy mess - just the way I like it! An unknown classic of the genre, one that awaits discovery. Special mention must go to the rhythm section of Joe Chambers (drums), Eddie Gomez (bass), and Ray Mantilla (congas, percussion) as these guys are on fire throughout the entire album, even if Ratzer is half asleep for most of it. Steig of course provides some fine flute, similar to his own solo albums. Only saxophonist Bill McPhearson seems to be largely absent from the entire album (not always a bad thing when it comes to the instrument...). In conclusion, after having a scare that this would fall into the "nothing special" category, it was saved by the intense closer, which also put the excellent title track into perspective. So about 17 minutes of killer music and another 17 minutes of typical jazz fusion fare (though still well done). Very pleased.
From the LP we learn that Ratzer had been living in New York City for 5 years by the time of this album.
Ownership: 1978 Vanguard (LP)
Ownership: 1978 Vanguard (LP)
5/20/21 (review)
So we get to the 3rd and final Ratzer pickup, after being stunned by Street Talk. From the beginning, Fingerprints sounds more professional than its predecessors. Too bad. 'New Walz' defines the newer sound, that of a slicker jazz fusion, though still very satisfying. The highlight is served early this time and it comes in the package known as 'Between the Lines', where Ratzer goes nuts on the guitar straight from the get. The sound isn't as raw as prior, and it has more of a phased sound, one that was more in vogue by the late 70s (Ratzer's former tone was born from the early 70s style). After which, the proceedings become more typical, with special note to the fine organ work on the title track, easily the next best song on here. Had I heard Fingerprints first, I would have been happy enough with it, but probably wouldn't have investigated his back catalog further. As a conclusion to Street Talk, it doesn't hold a candle. All the same, I'm keeping it.
Ratzer moved to CMP for this release. I associate the label more with the 80s, and they have many fine edgy fusion works on the imprint. Ratzer is a perfect fit for the label.
Ownership: 1979 CMP (LP)
5/20/21 (review)
No reissues exist for any of these albums as of 3/29/25.
5/20/21 (new entry)
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