Here's one I haven't heard in 16+ years since I wrote the below review for Gnosis. I had just obtained the CD to supplement the LP, and took it on a road trip with me, so I had a chance to absorb it fully. I had this personally listed as +1 over the rating sites. Must have forgotten to adjust online. Solid Gnosis 11. Here's that review:
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Prosper were an obscure German band from the coal mining town of Bottrop. Like many private releases from the 1970’s, there is no sense of the audience, so there’s a lack of focus in the material. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The album’s opening is clearly operating in King Crimson's Starless and Bible Black territory, with long stretches of experimental sound offset by ultra tight guitar centered sequences. A very promising opening indeed except… that’s pretty much the end of that style. From here out there’s vocal centric acoustic balladry, Eloy styled hard/symphonic rock, a lengthy chops heavy fusion oriented piece with great guitar and electric piano, some southern fried Allman Brothers boogie via Cologne, atmospheric space rock with violin, a short drum solo, and an instrumental Novalis meets Return To Forever styled melancholic closer. It’s the 1970s smorgasbord, and much better than it might seem, as Prosper were able to execute on each style effortlessly and perhaps better than many of their counterparts. Guitarist Evert Brettschneider was a member of The Contact Trio while at the same time playing for Prosper. Other past and future members of Prosper were involved with bands as disparate as Wallenstein, Aera, and Chicken Bones. By 1980, Prosper were dead, gone and buried with only this 1975 album to show for their troubles (there was a second archival release from 2006).
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I slightly edited the above for relevancy and a couple of mild observation changes. Good stuff all around.
Ownership: LP: 1975 private. Single sleeve. Like I said recently about Dragon's Scented Gardens for the Blind, the early days of ebay had treasures like this for reasonable prices (less than $200). The heavy hitter collectors had yet to discover the medium. If I recall right, this came straight from Germany (2001). Perfect NM to Mint copy too. I decided to part with the supplemental CD as it offered nothing more than a history, and the music doesn't warrant owning both. A fantastic history though, as is usual for Garden of Delights. I've preserved the contents offline.
2001; 11/7/06 (Gnosis); 3/8/23 (new entry)
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