This thread was inspired by the similarly titled Metal thread and recent posts.

As the Prog-idiot in residence, I'll be posting one obscure artist and album per week (( at least I'll try )), with review, that I think deserve to be heard by more people than I realize to be listening. Of course, anyone else is welcome to submit their own picks.

This week's artist / album of choice is German band Wallenstein, and their only truly notable release, 1971's "Blitzkrieg".

Wallenstein, as of their initial inception, were an early German group playing in the symphonic vein of showcasing ornate instrumental passages padded with brief moments of rock energy. Their sound on this record is dominated by keyboardist Jurgen Dollase, whose elegant simplicity of sound contrasts nicely with the rough psychedelic rhythms of drummer Harald Groskopf, and bassist Jerry Berkers, not forgetting the sharp playing of guitarist Bill Barone. Their sound is very melodic, and deeply rooted in rock tradition, while still aligning itself with the work of other adventuresome Prog groups of their day. Obviously, they can't be compared to the likes of "big name" Kraut bands like Can or Ash Ra Tempel, given the very nature of their sound, but they certainly hold up to their English counterparts quite well.

For those put off by the overly grandiose keyboard workouts of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman, Dollase will be something of a relief. He keeps his playing relatively simplistic, but still maintains the variety and emotion, never forgetting that it is rock music that he is playing. That said, some experienced Prog listeners may find their sound at this point to be overly simplistic and maybe a bit underdeveloped, but I think their minimal approach works well for them, as they work a variety of mood changes within this simple framework, and make sure that every bit of what is played counts. The occasional vocals aren’t terrible, but aren’t that notable either, and tend to distract from the great deal of instrumental material found on the recording, but this is a minor point. Overall, it’s a fine recording from a band that is fairly unknown outside of hardcore Prog circles, and while I wouldn’t consider them “top tier� material at all, they don’t deserve outright obscurity either, as there’s plenty of material on this recording worth hearing, particularly for the crowd that dislikes overly complex, arty, or experimental Prog rock. This is, for the most part, simple, emotional rock and roll that happens to have that exploratory symphonic element to it.

Album Rating:

3/5
Track highlight: “Lunetic�

Low-fidelity sound samples and further information can be found here:
http://www.krautrockgroup.com/Wallenstein.html

I’ll post another next week.

Well, I see this is a hot thread. Time for another, in any case:



AKSAK MABOUL
Primarily a project of keyboardist Marc Hollander, Aksak Maboul was an incredibly creative, if short-lived, Belgien group active during the late '70s and early '80s, crafting some of the most diverse, experimental albums ever to be grouped under the prog label. Equal parts electronic music, avant-garde jazz, and 20th century classical and even folk in their influence, the album Onze Danses Pour Combattre La Migraine is a flat-out masterpiece of creative music without boundaries. While some might consider it to be a little bit uneven and disorienting due to the sheer diversity of style covered, this works as an overall thematic device -- unity in variety. From the kraut-rock influenced openers to to the operatic middle sections, everything comes together with an overarching theme of creativity. Honestly, this album defies all efforts at effective categorization beyond simply placing it firmly in the realm of Avant-Garde progressive rock. If you're at all interested in creative music, pick this up immediately!

Overall rating:
4.5/5
Track highlight: all

Keep it going man! I'm reading. I have been having a small prog revival in recent months myself. Right now I am stuck on Gong and all their offshoots. So, many great players have been through that band. Allan Holdsworth, Hansford Rowe, Bon Lazaga. . .

Good stuff.

Next in line is Ozric Tentacles.

for both, but particularly the Gong. Hopefully you're listening to Daevid Allen's version, though...

Oh what the hell, I've neglected this thread for so long that I may as well do another.

Next on the menu, something a little less on the experimental, a bit more on the accessible:

Birth Control


Backdoor Possibilities

Birth Control were a late '60s German band that survived until the early '80s playing what was largely mediocre, derivative hard rock material for the majority of their career. In general, they are not worth bothering with, and wouldn't be at all except for their one big achievement, and one truly progressive album, 1976's unnervingly titled "Backdoor Possibilities". Now, this is hardly revolutionary prog, but a very good example of a combination of symphonic prog influences, coming across as a fusion of big-name prog acts such as ELP, Genesis, and Yes, but with a stronger hard rock energy. They have very tight rhythms on this record and excellent interlocking orchestration as well as the obligatory exploratory keyboard passages, solo guitar workouts, and strong melodic vocals. Note -- to anyone opposed to heavy use of keyboards, this is not your album, but there are also very strong contributions from the guitarist and bassist for the more conventional rock fans.

All the players are really top-notch all the way through, playing off of one another well and keeping the music flowing. All of the songs function well as a larger whole (( particularly as this was intended as a concept album, a concept I won't bother getting into here)), and the songs are generally very well executed and conceived. There are also the occasional surprises, such as the nice latin flavor and sax work on Cha Cha D'Amour, the Gentle Giant-style madrigal vocals on Legal Labyrinth, and the delicate acoustic guitar/keyboard duet of Futile Prayer, but in general the music is very upbeat and rhythmic with layered instrumental passages.

In general, I would recommend this album to fans of the aforementioned groups, or anyone interested in hearing some fine melodic, symphonic prog-rock. Keep in mind that there's really only one or two other records worth hearing by this band, so unless you're really in love with this record, I wouldn't suggest going any further, but with this one record they really got it right. Not revolutionary or very experimental, but definitely a good record for what it is.

3.8/5
Track highlight: Subterranean Escape

Since when? Anyway, I thought you were going on a visiting visa status?


Never noticed this thread before, which is why I never posted anything.

Birth Control wasn't my thing. Considering the Satchmo horde, I now await all the obvious jokes, which should follow.


You want obscure and needing attention? How about Atomic Rooster? Carl Palmer was the drummer.

Of special consideration would be

Death Walks Behind You

Castle reissued an expanded edition with 6 extra tracks.

AR were alright -- a little too heavy on the hard-rock and not enough prog for me, but I do enjoy them now and again.

Nice having someone else in here, though!

I don't think anyone has to, since you seem to have taken care of it yourself.

As far as the band goes, I agree, although I do enjoy that one album.

Siddhartha - Weltschmerz (I have one of the original 400-500 lps of this one.) I am pretty sure, it's been released on CD.


You get Kraut and prog in one, with some proto punk thrown in.

Perfect! Something incredibly obscure that I haven't heard. Most of my usual reference sites don't even have any info on that band. And you're correct about the CD:

http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/siddhartha.html