Way back in my earliest used record collecting days, around 1984 or so, I had the opportunity to buy an original of this for a few bucks. Instincts told me to avoid (similar to Saga - Behaviour and many others), and so I preserved that precious cash for something better. When the internet boom happened in the mid 90s, no one talked this up and it remains to this day generally considered much lesser of an album than its predecessors. So I never bothered to pursue. Now that I'm out there crate digging, I turn up this version of the album, and pulled the trigger. My interest in the hard rock element of Birth Control has gone considerably up over the years. In essence they were always this way, not really Krautrock or prog, though they possessed elements of both. After nearly 40 years since that event above, this is the first time for me to hear Increase.
In reflection, both my instincts and the general internet perception were correct for my tastes... ...at the time. As I was digging deeper into the European underground, an album as straightforward as Increase would not have made the cut. And it certainly wasn't anything I needed to pursue for mail order.
Today I have a different perspective. First off, I really appreciate the production that brings out the fantastic bass work. Keyboards and guitar are still front and center and are well played here. The songwriting is very good, and is inclusive of various outside influences like funk and disco, while not entirely letting go of progressive rock. As noted, those funk / disco influences are "outside" not "inside". Even if they were, I probably would enjoy the album with my current mindset. I found myself enjoying Increase as much as other Birth Control albums (not the best though), and it's better than at least a couple of their earlier works for my tastes.
Ownership: LP: 1979 Brain. Single sleeve with alternate cover. From my local friends at Tiger Records. This is the Rock On Brain issue. I was first introduced to this series via the Scorpions Action LP way back in 1980. I was completely fascinated by the album itself, but I was also drawn to the other acts listed at the bottom. Who were these groups anyway? It would be a few years later that I would learn the music of Embryo, Jane, Satin Whale, and Guru Guru. For Increase, Guru Guru fell off and was replaced by Thirsty Moon (and Action replaced Increase). What a killer roster of albums the Brain label had in its heyday.
6/22/23 (first listen / review / new entry)
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