Over 20 years ago, I wrote the following, edited for relevancy:
Rockpommel's Land represents another major shift for Grobschnitt. Here they play a symphonic music in the Yes / Genesis tradition. Considered their masterpiece by many fans, I didn't find the album near as compelling as their earlier psychedelic Krautrock works. And while it's better than the predecessor Jumbo, it's still a bit of a disappointment compared to what it could have been. The problem is this kind of symphonic rock style is not Grobschnitt's forte I'm afraid. I also feel Wildschwein's heavily accented English vocals are not well suited for what the genre calls for. However, I still enjoy the complex instrumental breaks, so overall I can still recommend. But start with the first album or anything that has 'Solar Music' on it.
---
After all these years, Rockpommel's Land is beginning to resonate with me. The review above was altered slightly from the original after a +1 sitting. Last night's listen elevated it one more point. The problem for me had been expectation setting. I loved their debut and the Solar Music suite, not so much their vocal led songs, especially their goofier material. Rockpommel's Land is a serious symphonic work, with admittedly a silly story behind it. And it's really the only album like it in Grobschnitt's canon. I'm at a point now where this album is likely to have a spot in the collection for a long time.
Ownership: LP: 1977 Brain. Gatefold with insert. Original orange label. Mail order acquisition from long ago (1989). I also had the Repertoire CD that adds a nice history + one live 16 minute summary track of the album. Not distinctive enough for me to hold onto however.
1989; 1/17/01 (Gnosis); 2008; 2013; 8/3/23 (new entry)
No comments:
Post a Comment