Grobschnitt were a zany theatrical bunch almost to the point of being a comedy troupe using the German language. They showed elements of this kind of drama on the debut - as in the opening sequence which features a mock choir. But, for the most part, the humor was subdued and not a large part of their repertoire. But by the second album, they began to incorporate more humor and zaniness into their compositions. Ballermann is the result of these conscious efforts. Personally, I feel the music can sometimes play second banana to their almost goofy approach and they begin to lose focus on the things that made the first album so great. As well vocalist Wildschwein starts to affect his voice in an annoying, silly way. However, Ballermann is a double album and each disc represents a new style for the group. The second LP shows another, yet unrevealed, side of the band. Grobschnitt introduces their space rock sound which they tag as 'Solar Music'. As a pure play space rock band, Grobschnitt is almost unmatched. Much different from the more atmospheric German acts like Ash Ra Tempel or Gila, Grobschnitt take on a more direct approach to jamming space music. The guitar roars, the keyboards soar and, as a bonus, it's almost entirely instrumental. Eroc's drumming propels the band to great heights. A classic of it's kind. As a whole Ballermann is a very good album though somewhat marred by their craziness. I should add that many listeners consider their humor a plus.
Ownership: LP: 1975 Brain. 2xLP Gatefold. Second press with green label but no Metronome. Recent online acquisition (2022). This copy doesn't have the price sticker or Made In Germany like the Discogs' stock photos posted here. My first copy was the black label 80s press, purchased at the Virgin Megastore in London in 1987.
1/17/01 (Gnosis); 4/25/22 (new entry); 1/20/23
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