Scorpions ~ Germany

Savage Amusement (1988) 

To my ears not really any better or worse than its predecessor Love at First Sting. Pop metal with a handful of big riffs trying to capture the radio market. Good for what it is. But not necessary at this stage for me. I had long given up on the Scorpions by this point.

Source: 1988 Harvest Germany (LP)

7/28/24 (review)

Lonesome Crow (1972)

For Tangerine Dream's Electronic Meditation review I wrote: "As noted here many times I became something of a fanatic for Tangerine Dream starting in 1982, and began to track down any album I could. One of the albums that had proven elusive was their debut, Electronic Meditation. Finally I secured a copy at the tail end of 1983. Got home, undid the shrink, and put the LP on the turntable. I most certainly wasn't expecting this. I didn't even know where to turn. I had no reference points for what I was hearing. But I was completely captivated by it. It took me months to even hear it properly, parsed to where I could even understand it. Like trying to master a foreign language in that way. "

Exact same situation here, even the same record store! Replace Tangerine Dream with Scorpions - and go back in time three years earlier. Scorpions debut was an elusive title for me until I got my driver's license in 1980 - and you can read more about that whole scenario in the Electric Sun - Earthquake review (they were purchased together).

Clearly we are talking two entirely different expectations though. With Tangerine Dream I was expecting an electronic album. With the Scorpions, I was expecting hard rock going into metal. I did own Fly to the Rainbow, so there was some idea at least of what I was getting into.

I was careful on the Electronic Meditation review to not say that was my first Krautrock album, which would have otherwise fit the narrative perfectly. Nope - in fact Lonesome Crow was. I would not have known what the term Krautrock meant if you hit me over the head with it. And I did not have any idea that's what Lonesome Crow was either. Not for many years actually. It was, in fact, Electronic Meditation that introduced me to the idea of what the Krautrock music genre meant. It was then that I learned that Lonesome Crow was the first album on the legendary Brain label. And it all came together for me.

I had one likeminded friend in high school who I borrowed this album to. He said to me "I don't about you, but I'm really curious about the other albums on the back cover." Me too! This was the Rock On Brain issue, and per their protocol, they would advertise five other records from the series. Those monikers sure do sound intriguing: Embryo, Birth Control, Jane (is it a lady singer?), Guru Guru, Satin Whale. Of course it would be only a few short years later while in college I begin to find albums by these groups, with Satin Whale coming last (after college) in 1989 (fortunately it was the original Desert Places too).

As for the album Lonesome Crow, as noted in the opening, it really took me some time to get into this album. But I most certainly did enjoy it, just not at the level I eventually would. Today I consider it a masterpiece, a band clearly operating at another level than their peers even at this early stage. It has all the Krautrock elements of psych, jazz, hard rock, and general freakishness. The title track was my favorite upon first listen, and remains that way today. It's really a pity they couldn't keep going in this direction for longer, though Fly to the Rainbow introduced Uli Roth to the band, so at least they maintained a psychedelic disposition for much longer than they needed to (commercially speaking). From an economic perspective, Scorpions did absolutely the right thing and used their talent to rise to the top of the charts. But artistically they were never as good as their debut. Not even close.

Ownership: 1972 Brain (LP). Gatefold. Green Metronome label; 1980 Brain (LP). Titled: Action. Rock On Brain series. Orange/blue label (my first copy); 1982 Heavy Metal Worldwide (LP) picture disc; 2005 Brain Japan (CD). Papersleeve. Includes the Repertoire booklet with liner notes in English; 1989 Rampage (MC).

Might seem obsessive but each of the above have a different and unique purpose and I have no intention of selling any of them.

9//80 (acquired); 6//05; 11/18/14; 1/9/24 (review)

Blackout (1982)

---10/14/15 

The Scorpions' last stand before completely selling out. You get some empty calories with the title track, 'Now!', and 'Dynamite', which like Big Mac's are great on initial impact, but maybe not so much later. 'Can't Live Without You' has a decent melodic line, and we enter song title hell with 'No One Like You', 'You Give Me All I Need', and 'When the Smoke is Going Down', all about as deep as their namesakes. 'Arizona' is the only true skip over here and a harbinger of things to come. 'China White' is the one composition with heft, and the only decent legacy the album really has. I bought the LP new when it came out, and I was finishing up my junior year in high school - certainly the best of times. This was one of many soundtracks of a great era in life.

---12/3/22

Funny enough, I hear this album better today than the above review implies, but my rating stays the same. You have to hand it to the Scorpions - they were able to make heavy metal mainstream. That is to say, more popular with the general populace than the usual down-market angry white male audience (you know... like me). Def Leppard also accomplished similar. And whereas I recently noted that the Scorpions seemed to miss their chance on Animal Magnetism, they caught themselves here. So the metal tracks pack more wallop and the commercial oriented songs have more hooks. Other than 'China White' it becomes clear that the Scorpions were no longer interested in artistic legacy, but rather cashing in at the local bank. Can you blame them? They were in the right-time, right-place. They were to take this philosophy even further on their next opus Love at First Sting. An album I bought real time but never really liked. I'm sure I'll find one eventually and we'll see if that remains true or not. And then the Scorpions were no longer relevant after that - desperately trying to make hits when no one was interested in an old grizzled German band (or so it seemed to the new incoming youth). Today, the Scorpions don't have the same historical admiration that bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden enjoy.  And any new product is met with skepticism, fair or not. That's the price you pay when you make a deal with the corporate devil.

Ownership: 1982 Mercury (LP). Lyric inner bag; Mercury (CD). 90s press; 1982 Mercury (MC)

1982 (acquired); 6//05; 10/14/15; 12/3/22 (review)

Lovedrive (1979)

Picking up the story where I left off with the bookends to Lovedrive: Tokyo Tapes and Animal Magnetism. As stated there, Lovedrive was my introduction to the band. Now that they got Uli Roth out of the way, it was time to focus on adding some muscle, and to be a pioneer in the upcoming heavy metal movement. But they're still not all in, and so this could also be looked at as a transitional album, though the psychedelic aspects are now long in the rearview mirror. And Brother Michael Schenker is on board to assist with a three guitar attack, mostly on the heaviest numbers. The album opens somewhere in the middle of their heavy sound at the time with 'Loving You Sunday Morning'. 'Another Piece of Meat' is really where they threw the gauntlet down that they are to be taken seriously as a metal band. 'Always Somewhere' introduces us to what would ultimately make the Scorpions rich: the power ballad. Though, in this case, it's an obscure song in their canon. 'Coast to Coast' is a killer instrumental that best utilizes the three guitars on hand. 'Can't Get Enough' is another true metal piece. And I certainly had to agree with the title at the time - I wanted more metal like this! The title track is the other heavy song here with its galloping rhythm. That leaves the two oddball tunes. 'Is There Anybody There?' is like a weird metal reggae mutant, and quite unique I must say. 'Holiday' is almost, dare I say, proggy. There's something the (modern era) Scorpions won't ever be accused of. It's sort of an acoustic moody folk number before it breaks into a cool metal riff with a haunting chorus and closes with mourning distant electric guitars. One-of-a-kind in their catalog that's for sure, and one of my all-time favorite Scorps tracks.

I purchased my first copy upon release in 1979 at a department store - Best if I recall right (not Best Buy, different store). It was - of course - the censored cover with the scorpion on the cover (long sold off). There was no chance the original cover would have passed the censors in those days. Especially in Texas. So it comes as a big surprise to learn that there are indeed original US pressings with the cover as shown here (fairly scarce). Europe, of course, had no such issues with bare female breasts. In a way, though, I'm glad they censored it. Because I was only 14 when this came out, which means I relied on my Mom (usually) to get me to a store that would have records (not a record store either). And there's no way I would have been able to purchase this. Blue Oyster Cult were hard enough to get past the parental censors lol. In any case, the original cover is pretty stupid, like most of their covers save Fly to the Rainbow and the Japanese releases of Taken By Force and Tokyo Tapes. But I wouldn't want it any other way. I mean - it's the Scorpions!

Ownership: 1983 Fame (LP); 1979 Mercury (MC)

1979 (acquired); 12/18/12; 10/20/20; 1/1/22 (reviewed)

Tokyo Tapes (1978)

Tokyo Tapes represents the swan song for Uli Roth as a member of the Scorpions. He was always a square peg in a proverbial round hole anyway, but for my tastes, he was the most creative member of the band. He was also the final link to their psychedelic past. Not surprisingly, the majority of the material comes from their RCA years, most notably Taken By Force, Virgin Killer, and In Trance, with a nod to Fly to the Rainbow and one track from Lonesome Crow (the least representative unfortunately). The album opens with the unreleased 'All Night Long' which is in the now-patented straightforward hard rock sound that Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker had adopted by then. Then a couple of Virgin Killer run-throughs gets us to one of the highlights of Tokyo Tapes: 'Polar Nights'. As I've said many times before, live albums are pretty useless if you play the studio versions verbatim. This is the one place that Roth gets in some improvisation - especially the opening. One wishes for it to go another ten more minutes, it's so awesome. And he really lets loose on the solos later on in the piece. The other Roth great moment is the stinging intro (see what I did there...) to 'Dark Lady'. Other highlights includes the psychedelic oriented 'Fly to the Rainbow' and 'We'll Burn the Sky", the B-sider 'Suspender Love', and the hard rocking 'Speedy's Coming'. All one can do is imagine how awesome this live set would have been if it included other Roth penned tunes like 'Drifting Sun', 'Hell Cat', and 'Sails of Charon', with the latter omission being almost criminal since it was on the preceding Taken By Force.  Honestly though, take Roth out of the mix, and this album becomes unnecessary. For their part, the Scorpions were ready for the next chapter, when they hired on guitarist Matthias Jabs to replace Roth, changed labels to Mercury, and muscled up for the oncoming heavy metal onslaught. Uli Roth went on to form the also excellent Electric Sun.

Ownership: 1978 RCA Japan (2xLP). Gatefold.

1980 (acquired); 6//05; 11/5/11; 12/26/21 (review)

Animal Magnetism (1980)

I bought this album when it first came out. I was already an established Scorpions fan, having seen them live, and was most excited about their new album. It didn't disappoint. Nor did it enthrall. I wanted more from the Scorpions by this point (1980). Now I appreciate more the music on hand. 

In retrospect, the Scorps really missed an opportunity here from an underground perspective. They were adored by hardcore metal fans, even though they really weren't such a beast. If they were going to lay down the gauntlet, Animal Magnetism should have been that album. Established band with street cred, and a heavy sound, this was their time. But instead they had other ambitions, which did pay off for them in the end. But with a different crowd. You're not going to get too far into a discussion about 80s power ballads without mention of the Scorpions. But Animal Magnetism doesn't really have power ballads either. Their one attempt 'Lady Starlight' doesn't suck, so you know they hadn't mastered it yet lol. Mostly this is dog and butterfly, with an emphasis on the dog. And that's why the album works. And the final two tracks give the album its quality reputation in the underground. Or I should say, allowed them to keep their reputation. 'The Zoo' and the title track are heavy dirges that just pulverize the listener. It was the opposite of the fast pace I was looking for at the time, but both have proven to transcend time, and provides a fascinating 11 minute close to an otherwise normal metal album. And besides, 'The Zoo' has the most talk box outside of Frampton Comes Alive... 

Ownership: 1985 Mercury (LP); Mercury (CD). 90s press; 1980 Mercury (MC)

1980 (first acquired); 2005; 11/20/15; 8/4/21 (review)

World Wide Live (1985)

Post Uli Roth / Tokyo Tapes live album, where each track was culled from Lovedrive or later. Basically this album comprises of the studio versions plus much crowd noise. And lots of "ebebybody habing a goode tiimm-eh?" "YEAAAA - Weeeee" chants the crowd. Proving we were all pretty much dumb in 1985. Sure, I went to concerts then too, and went "YEAAAA - Weeeee". All the same, one does wonder what the point of such an album like this is? The performances are quite spirited, though the improvisations (scant as they may be) are pretty much worthless ('Dynamite' ending and 'Six String Sting', par example). Oh, and they butchered 'Holiday', one of the great tracks from Lovedrive.

11/07/15 (review)

Source: 1985 Mercury (2xLP). Gatefold

Also own and need to review: Fly to the Rainbow; In Trance; Virgin Killer; Taken By Force

11/07/15 (new entry)

Gabor Szabo ~ Hungary ~ USA

Mizrab (1973)

  

Rambler (1974)

Standard issue Szabo album with lightly amplified acoustic guitar strummed over instrumental jazz rock. Bassist Wolfgang Melz is the centerpiece of the album, having written five of the six songs. His playing is also very noticeable. The title is a good description of Szabo's style. Not one of my favorites from him but good enough to keep for now.

Ownership: 1974 CTI (LP). Gatefold.

7/23/24 (acquired / review)  

Bacchanal (1968)

Bacchanal isn't quite as hypnotic as the albums I know from him during the same period which include the aforementioned Dreams as well as High Contrast and Gypsy '66, two albums I skipped over for documentation but do own. That said, it's still highly enjoyable. It's his usual mix of covers and original compositions, though in this case it's 75% of the former. Lays down a groove and Szabo picks away on his lightly amplified electric guitar. A timeless formula.

Ownership: 2006 Skye / Muzak (CD). Papersleeve. 

12/18/23 (LP acquired / review); 8/4/24 (CD acquired / update)

Dreams (1969)

My big score from the Denver Record show. Five bucks (yep) and a very nice copy at that. I beat the Rocky Mountain showrunner to it (the other Denver show), who subsequently shook his head wildly and went "DAMN!". It was from a wacky old lady who almost refused to sell it to me. She yelled "You're just going to resell it!!". I promised her I would not, that I really wanted it for my collection (all true). It took about five minutes of prostrating myself before the court before she relented. Jeesh. This is proof positive the best stuff goes when the dealers set up. Even the early entry fee guys missed out. We'd already set up and JL took the tables while I wandered around (as per protocol). 

OK, lots of talk about how I obtained it, but what about the music? It's classic 60s Gabor Szabo for sure. I love his guitar style and the groove of the jazzy backdrop. It's light but intoxicating. And how about that cover? I need to find a place on the wall for it. But I would have to remove the price tag. Can't do that.

Ownership: 1969 Skye (LP). Gatefold. 

10/28/23 (acquired / review)

Macho (1975)

As noted on one of the other Szabo reviews, I'll buy any of his albums, no questions asked. And to date I've kept them all, this one no exception. 

My notes from the next album Nightflight stated: "...Everything about it screams the era from which it came...Enter in Gabor Szabo, who then proceeds to jam over what appears to be backing tracks. His tone is that of a lightly amplified electric guitar, and sporadic acoustic guitar. Some of his solos are sublime, while others don't belong at all, adding to the strange vibe." 

That could work here, though it must be said that Macho seems more put together. Macho is a very soothing album, and the funk and disco elements are mostly muted. This was a known jazz guitarist beginning to branch out into new mediums. Full eight piece band with lots of invention.

---11/17/25

I've moved back to one of my older philosophies of collecting, that of selling commodity LPs and bringing in more scarce CD reissues. Szabo sells well at the shows, and I have no nostalgia here. Besides I appreciate his sound in clear digital form. Some of his LPs, however, are going nowhere. And you can guess at least one. :-) Using history as my guide, these Japanese CDs will likely skyrocket. You can get them dirt cheap now, for those of you so inclined.

Ownership: 2025 CTI / Salvation / King (CD). Booklet with notes all in Japanese.

12/16/22 (LP acquired / review); 11/17/25 (CD acquired / update)

Gabor Szabo Live with Charles Lloyd (1974)

This is a strange little title. If you've been keeping up with this blog you'll have noted I've become something of a Szabo nut. So I'm buying everything I see - and once again this one was languishing in a thrift shop. Not sure how any album with a cover like this goes unnoticed, maybe I got there right after they put it out? Well it's not rare or anything.... The weird part of this is the title itself. Charles Lloyd is on about half of one of the four songs - it's the one he composed ('Sombrero Sam'). Guess Szabo needed his name to sell the album? I didn't realize one was more known than the other. It's a nice track with some fine flute from Lloyd. The selling point for me is 'Stormy' and here the flute is more fiery - this time from woodwinds specialist Tony Ortega. Meanwhile Szabo does what he does - finger pick his lightly amplified guitar. If there was ever a time for him to plug in and wail, it would have been this album. Guess that wasn't to his taste. Pity. 

Ownership: 1974 Blue Thumb (LP)

11/6/20 (acquired / review)

Nightflight (1976)

I don't know a lot about Szabo's discography, but I found Nightflight to be very engaging. Everything about it screams the era from which it came. Had I not known better, I would have presumed the album to have come from France, as the sound here isn't that far removed from some of the artists you'd find on the Cobra label for example. In some ways, it's a bit too pre-packaged. The occasional strings and disco beat only underscore this point. On other tracks, one will hear a heavy funky racket in the background, with wah-wah guitars and tribal rhythms. Enter in Gabor Szabo, who then proceeds to jam over what appears to be backing tracks. His tone is that of a lightly amplified electric guitar, and sporadic acoustic guitar. Some of his solos are sublime, while others don't belong at all, adding to the strange vibe. And Szabo sings too - at least I think it's him - in the grand ill advised tradition of other jazz fusion artists like Tony Williams and Al Di Meola. Still, the compositions are well written, and the melodies stick out in a good way. I can live without 'Funny Face' and 'Theme for Gabor', but the other five tracks are super.

Overall the album captures the optimism of mid to late 70s Paris. Richard Pinhas would later also celebrate jet-setting across the pond, except his vision turned Szabo's upside down into a nightmarish fiery inferno.

Ownership: 1976 Mercury (LP). Single sleeve. The inner sleeve has an advert for the Mercury stock of artists, in addition to a rant on the "dangers of home taping". 

12/22/19 (acquired / review) 

Other albums I own and still need to review: Gypsy '66; High Contrast

Other albums I once owned: Magical Connection

12/22/19 (new entry)

Emerge ~ USA ~ Oakland, California

Now! (2006)

Emerge's debut CD is exactly the type of album I look for while haunting the thrift shops. It was over two years ago when I found this with some other intriguing jazz rock / fusion CDs. Some I kept, others I sold. But this one had no provenance so I stuck it in a pile of unknowns that I planned to review. I do this a lot - have projects ready to go - and yet never actually get around to doing them. Finally I'm plowing through a large pile of CDs just sitting here from buys going as far back as 2016.

Oakland's Emerge is unknown - but not really. This is one of the most hidden-in-plain-sight albums that I've run into in a long time. It's not in Discogs, nor RYM. But the label website is still going strong, some 18 years after this release. As well as a Facebook page that is active. Supposedly the label "reissued" this album in 2015. Hard to imagine there was that much demand in the first place. Where are all the existing original copies?

I could tell the tale above for many albums I find, but the music doesn't warrant the prelude. Now! obviously does. On the surface Emerge are nothing more than your garden variety guitar fronted jazz rock trio with competent lightly amplified six strings and funky rhythms. All well and good, but not enough to find room in my collection. That space is long occupied. You have to bring something else to get my attention.

And that's where this review has been going. The tone that Peter Jong Chang obtains here is absolutely delicious. We're talking heavy fuzz tone right out of the 1971 cookbook. He doesn't wail everywhere, but when he plugs in and gets the effects going - look out! A very unusual sound for the middle 2000's. This isn't the overamplified stoner sound of modern metal, no no, this is something from the 70s analog past. On most tracks, Chang savors the moment and unleashes his fury in the middle or end of the song. But if you want a stiff drink up front, go for 'Pipeline' which will get your attention quickly.

Ownership: 2006 Station of Dreams (CD)

7/18/24 (review / new entry)

P.L.J. Band ~ Greece

Armageddon (1982)

For the Tin Pan Alley review I wrote: "Context matters. Especially in those crucial years from the late 60s to the middle 80s... ...We have to remember that the 80s were considered anathema to the collectors of the day. If it wasn't from the 60s or 70s, then it wasn't very desirable. Might seem a silly notion now that it's been 33 years since we left that decade, but in the 90s it was still very fresh on the minds of the true believers."

With that in mind, I can remember very well the discussion around P.L.J. Band's Armageddon. Dealers went to great lengths to explain the album didn't sound anything like an 80's album. Mostly to keep the dollar value high. However, in this case, they were absolutely right. Armageddon is completely out of time. Sounding every bit like a 1974 album, the music is both doomy and psychedelic with a folk undertone. The lyric content and theme also draws heavily from one of Greece's most popular albums: Aphrodite's Child - 666. An obsession with the end of times it would seem. The music here reflects that, and is more focused than Vangelis' group. The two narration tracks are particularly chilling. Seen a lot of naysayers over the years regarding this album, mostly coming from the traditional progressive rock camp. They decry its simplicity and song structure. One should view Armageddon in the same way you would hear a Krautrock album - it's about the atmosphere and stark reactionism to the status quo.

Context matters.

Ownership: 1982 Vertigo (LP). Gatefold; 1994 Vertigo (CD)

1992 (acquired); 2/5/95; 1/22/23; 7/15/24 (review / new entry)

Missus Beastly ~ Germany

Minden 1976 (2023)

You would be hard pressed to find a more ardent fan of Missus Beastly than myself. Especially their jazz rock era starting in 1974 and concluding in the early 80s with Dr. Aftershave. This would include their festival recordings as well. However when it comes to archival releases, their two prior could only be considered disappointments. The SWF Session is largely a live radio alternate take of their 1974 self-titled album and is debatable that it should have been released in the first place. The Bremen 1974 performance with Dzyan guitarist Eddy Marron sounded like a home run on paper, yet it was mostly a free jazz exercise, noisy and tuneless.

With that backdrop I reluctantly plucked down for Minden 1976 with obvious trepidation. And the good news is I was rewarded with a unique recording that sounds like an improvised 75 minute concert based on familiar Missus Beastly themes. Garden of Delights went to great lengths to point this out, seemingly addressing my concerns personally, and they were right to do so. The sound is fantastic, and they point out it wasn't from the soundboard but rather two professional microphone recordings mixed together. They stated they didn't want the soundboard (which I guess exists too) because it would have been a different mix than intended. Never thought about that before. So the feeling you get is that you're actually there listening to a concert played 48 years ago. The instrumental music is very good with some long solo opportunities, to be expected on a lengthy concert. Perhaps best of all is Norbert Domling's use of the Framus Triumph bass. Essentially it was an electric upright bass, but much thinner and lighter more ideal for travel. Has a cool sound, and one wonders why it wasn't more popular in its day. Though I'm sure it wasn't cheap. Keyboards, flute, sax, and drums round out the sound. Guitar wasn't part of their usual lineup during this era.

Ownership: CD: 2023 Garden of Delights. Jewel case. Full historical liners and photos.

7/15/24 (review)

Dr. Aftershave - In the Diving Bell (1980 / 2017)

In The Diving Bell is essentially Missus Beastly's final album. Dr. Aftershave was a moniker they'd used in the past, as the album known as Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles was actually the name of the band and For Missus Beastly the title. But of course no one sees it that way, it was just a legal matter.

Musically it's easy to consider In the Diving Bell as a continuation of where the band was at with Space Guerrilla. They're only a trio here, so the music is not quite as diverse as before. Especially notable is the absence of woodwinds. Mostly it's Burkard Schmidl's keyboards that lead the way, with a superb rhythm section driving the music forward. He plays a mixture of piano, period synths, and analog electric keyboards. At the beginning of the album I wasn't convinced the band had much left in the creativity tank, sounding like any number of 1980 fusion bands out there. But once the lengthy 'Resurrection Agents' gets going, the magic of Missus Beastly steps up with it, and the perception changes. The album was intended to be released real time, so the sound quality is that of a final product. Overall a very fine effort straddling the border of very good to excellent. Knowing how Missus Beastly has grown on me in the past, I figure this album will also grow in stature with time.

Ownership: 2017 Garden of Delights (CD). Historical liner notes, excellent sound, and plenty of photos.

9/21/22 (review)

Space Guerilla (1978)

Missus Beastly's final album sees the legendary band going out in style. The constant line-up changes had taken their toll on the group, and though they continued on with different line-ups as late as 1982, the band finally collapsed with the advent of punk and heavy metal.

Flute and Clavinet are but two instruments that define this mature work by these veterans of Germany's jazz rock circuit. A mixture of high energy fusion and spaced out cosmic jazz with long flights of organ jamming define the lengthy title track, arguably the album's finest moment. Some beautiful piano can be found on 'Guitar for Sale'. 'Rahsaan Roland Kirk' is a 3 minute echoed flute solo, which is quite cool. 'Fuzzy, Don't Go to the Disco' brings in the expected funk bits, typical of the era, but features some fine shredding violin. 'Hoffmannstropfen' seems to be headed in a similar direction, before taking a distinct turn towards their classic 1974 Nova album, which is always a welcome sound. 'For Flü' demonstrates Missus Beastly at their most technical and progressive, with some superb flute and piano playing. 'King Garlic' continues with the piano driven sound, this time in a highly melodic composition, and a great way to close the album. For my tastes, Space Guerilla is second only to the monstrous 1974 self-titled album in their discography. I do hope a tape surfaces of one of their mid to late 70s performances. For example, 'Porta Erotica' that has been added as a bonus track to the Garden of Delights CD, from one of the famous Umsonst und Draussen festivals that we covered years ago.

Ownership: 1978 Schneeball (LP). Gatefold; 2015 Garden of Delights (CD). Two bonus tracks and liner notes.

2000 (acquired); 7/10/16 (review)

Dr. Aftershave and the Mixed Pickles (1976)

Dr. Aftershave and The Mixed-Pickles sees Missus Beastly moving onto the more-in-fashion funky sounds of the era, while still building on the jazz rock of the 1974 album. Anyone who is familiar with Embryo's Bad Heads and Bad Cats will immediately recognize the sounds here (and they share many members between the groups). Worth noting this is the first album on the April label, later renamed Schneeball for legal reasons.

Ownership: 1976 April (LP) FOC; 2011 Garden of Delights (CD). Two bonus tracks, history, and photos.

2002 (acquired); 2010; 11/17/11; 3/18/13 (review)

Missus Beastly (1974)

The evolution to a Masterpiece status is a strange phenomenon. Like many albums at first glance, Missus Beastly's second album struck me simply as better than average. As the years went by, something about the album kept drawing me to it. Not all masterpiece albums take this long of course, but this is one of those albums that gets into your skin and just won't let go. It's now to the point where the measuring stick for all things jazz rock must go up against it. Cosmic Dreams At Play says of this album "uninspired slick fusion", which could not be further from the truth. The rhythm section here is amazing, jet propelled, sporadic, and energetic. The piano playing is divine, frequently compared to McCoy Tyner's best work. The dual sax/flute combination drives the melody and solo lines and they're always in control. And the tunes are memorable long after the music has stopped as perhaps best exemplified by '20th Century Break'. A brilliant album.

The CD adds four bonus tracks that demonstrate a much rawer and looser Missus Beastly, but still very engaging.

Personally I find the LP cover absolutely hideous, and downright offensive. According to the CD liner notes, the band had no artistic control of this situation, and it appears to be the poor judgment of the label themselves. The cover doesn't represent the style of music at all.  

Ownership: 1974 Nova (LP); 2005 Garden of Delights (CD). Bonus tracks and liner notes.

1996 (first acquired); 3/16/13 (review)

SWF Session 1974 (2012)

Hmm! So we have an interesting one here. The question is: Are you willing to buy an alternate version of the 1974 Missus Beastly album? If the answer is yes, then definitely get this. If not, read on. I'm disappointed in Long Hair for not mentioning the similarities between the two. And the lackluster liner notes make no explanation as to why some of the tracks have different names than on their vinyl counterpart. It's worth noting that these recordings (two different sessions) were recorded near the dates of the studio release, so the similarities with the actual album are certainly understandable from the band's perspective.

The album begins with 'Fly Away', which is track 6 on the Nova album. It's a great example of why the original album is so brilliant in my eyes (the album itself is a 5 star masterpiece as far as I'm concerned - see above).

But now the problems start. The second track would appear to be unique, if titles are what we go on here: 'Simsalabim'. But the melody is instantly recognizable and, sure enough, it's the 'Paranoidl' track from the LP.

Now things really get weird. Track 3 is 'Talle', which turns out to be '20th Century Break' on the original, and happens to be one of my favorite tracks of all-time. No mention, as I stated earlier, as to why the difference in track titles. To make matters worse, 'Talle' from the LP is the ONLY track not on the SWF Session. Good grief - what a mess.

'Free Clinic' is a unique track, though there is a longer improvised live version on the GoD reissue (as a bonus track).

'Geisha' is a pretty faithful representative of the LP version. 'Space in the Place' is the first truly new piece (I think) represented here. But at just two minutes, there's not much to grab onto.

'Song For Ann' is a beautiful Dieter Miekautsch piano piece - except it too was released on the (get ready) Missing Link album from 1972 (Missing Link... Missus Beastly. Ay-yi-yi. Keeping up with me here?). It's slightly different than the LP version, but not by much.

'Dauerwurst', like 'Simsalabim', is not new. It's a renamed version of 'Vacuum Cleaner Dance' from the Nova LP. It's driving me nuts why none of this has been mentioned before!

'Julia' is a lively rendition of the Nova album opener. Different enough to be exciting, and perhaps what this SWF could have been about. But no.

And we get to the last two tracks - which are finally unique. 'Serenade to a Soul Sister' is no doubt an embryonic version of 'Vloflutho' which shows up as a bonus track on GoD's CD of the '74 album.

Former ownership: 2012 Long Hair (CD)

3/17/13 (review)

Missus Beastly (1970)

Missus Beastly's debut is squarely in the psychedelic blues rock camp, and is significantly different than their later (and brilliant IMO) jazz rock albums. Highlights here are the gloomy organ, Mississippi Delta blues guitar, and downer vocals. Definitely strives for a down and out American alley sound. And succeeds for the most part.

Missus Beastly's debut album is one of the earliest examples of a studio album being pirated and resold (Nara Asst Incense version). While this has sadly become common practice in the CD era, it was very rare in the early 70s when the industry was more tightly controlled. 

Ownership: 2012 Garden of Delights (LP). Gatefold. Liner notes.

3/9/13 (review)

3/9/13 (new entry)

Saqqara Dogs ~ USA ~ New York

Thirst (1987)

Thirst is one of those albums you would discover through Option magazine where they couldn't figure what the hell it was and they'd compare it to a band it had nothing in common with. But this listen pointed me to the possible source: David Torn. Cloud About Mercury was one of those revelations for anyone that scanned every single record in the 1980s mall record store hoping for just one new album that looked interesting. Saqqara Dogs takes Torn's loud guitar ethic and throws a little Middle Eastern mysticism into the mix. And you're not too far from Black Sun Ensemble either - another Option treasure find. In the end, Saqqara Dogs belongs to neo psych, though maybe not obvious at first. This has aged beautifully.

Ownership: 1987 Pathfinder (CD)

1988 (first acquired); 2/10/07 (review); 7/11/24 (new entry / update)

Dhope ~ Germany

Musical Exhibitions (1978)

---9/16/13

Musically, this one takes a bit to get going. The opening track, while a finely crafted piece, is somewhat straightforward, but with some fine Moog, and features that unique lower register German voice singing English. Perhaps not quite as dour as Paternoster (what is?), but that's too far off. Later on he sings in a higher register, which I found a bit more appealing. Now I'll be honest here, this album didn't floor me on the whole. Or maybe I should say it didn't really match the reviews I've read. There's no mellotron (as confirmed by a band member), and the time changes are more like theme shifts rather than metric gymnastics embedded within each measure. The compositions sort of bounce along harmlessly, with plenty of fat bass and 4/4 drumming, sometimes in a pseudo disco beat. There's some fine, though not exceptional, guitar soloing, and most of the keyboards are organ and Moog. And all of the above is fine for me honestly, as the music definitely fits the time and place. But... you will not be thinking this is the German album from 1973 Italy as perhaps the Tonic album does in places. However, if you like the late 70s German symphonic sound, and get a bit tired of all the Kraut Fusion from this era. 

Comparisons? Perhaps an amalgamation of all 3 Indigo albums, Fly, Novalis, Gloria's Children, Minotaurus, Shaa Khan, Anyone's Daughter, Waniyetula (Galaxy), and others of its ilk. Or a male vocal equivalent to Werwolf, Rebekka, and Eden. 

---7/11/24

OK. That was a pretty thorough examination with lots of name dropping. As I heard the album twice last night for the first time since I penned those notes (+1 rating), the sound of the late 70s German progressive rock most certainly rose to the top. In North America, or even England, this would have been a proggy AOR album. But in Germany the commercial aspirations aren't as apparent. Perhaps even a bit incompetent in their attempt, which makes the music all that much more alluring. It's just this amateur status that allows the music to breathe and be more true to the artist. I also really appreciate Dhope's melodic style, a sound that with the right producer and publicist, could have broken the group to a larger audience. A common tale.

From the liner notes of the CD we learn the name of the band was originally called Deutsche Hoffnung which means "German Hope". They later abbreviated that to D. Hope and stylized to Dhope. So not a drug nor a "what a dope" reference. Though today, dope is a positive word ("It's Dope!"), so they were ahead of their time inadvertently.

The date of the original release still remains a mystery, that GoD tried to clear up, but left doubt with the following phrase: "In truth, the LP was recorded and released at the end of 1978, as far as the band members can remember". Not exactly hard data. That's the Freeman's style of choice too - hearsay evidence. Band memories have proven to be unreliable since the beginning of time.

On the CDRWL, a reliable contributor from Germany commented (in 2013): "Could find some info from the bands bass player and one of the guitarists. Band was formed by students of the Paderborn University after lose sessions in 78/79. The album was recorded in 5 days in 1980 and 500 LP where pressed."

Forgiving the grammar, we already display an internecine discrepancy that wasn't cleared up by the liner notes. I'll leave 1978 for my own records, but it's subject to change.

Ownership: 2021 Garden of Delights (CD). Historical liner notes and multiple photos. After the history section, the liner notes are becoming too contemporary, with references to Discogs, RYM, and other media sites. Those statistics won't be relevant in the future. They're barely relevant now...

9/16/13 (review); 7/10/24 (new entry / update)

Gabrielle Roth and The Mirrors ~ USA ~ New Jersey

Dancing Toward the One / Sacred Rock (1982)

Dancing Toward the One is exactly the kind of tape I seek in the wilds. There was a lot of very interesting music released in the world during the 1980s that never saw a vinyl pressing, nor a CD later in the decade. Both were too expensive to produce whereas the lonely tape was much cheaper to get out to the masses.

Based on what I've read, Roth was a key mover and shaker in the health and body dance movement, something she invented to overcome a skiing accident. This kind of thinking was coming to prominence in the 80s. There are many tapes in the new age genre, the key is finding the ones that are musically interesting. It appears to me that most of Roth's output is electronic / trance dance oriented, and that started with her creating the Raven label (I'm sure Discogs has the wrong appellation for the label here). I did buy one of her other later tapes so we'll see how it compares.

In any case Dancing Toward the One / Sacred Rock represents her debut, and I would submit this is one of those "accidental" cool albums we often find here in America. Her sound hasn't been shaped yet, and there are at least 15 musicians on the album. It's more tribal than dance, and best of all for us, it can get very psychedelic! The overall sound isn't that far removed from what was happening in England during time with the UK festival psych scene. I really don't think that was her intent, and yet the end result is very satisfying, and comes from a completely different perspective.

There are only two side long tracks here and neither are named 'Dancing Toward the One' or 'Sacred Rock'. Rather side one is 'Sing the Body' described as thus by Roth: "Is the first power chant I received from the spirit..." Wellll....good. I almost put the tape back after reading that. I thought to myself "here we go...". But I also thought "it's only 69 cents..." lol. The second side longer is titled 'Can You See Me' and this has the following description: "Was created in a healing circle as a dance meditation to be done in pairs." Nothing beats a healing circle... as long as it has loud psych guitars! Honestly the trance like rhythms aren't that far removed from what Can had created only a decade earlier. And while the vocals are not near as psychotic as Damo, they aren't too bad on the whole.

The world is an interesting place. Worth grabbing this one.

Ownership: 1982 The Moving Center (MC). 

7/6/24 (review / new entry)