TODAY'S ALBUM: No.23 (17th November 2011)

'Ballermann'

by

Grobschnitt

(1974)

Alongside such Teutonic luminaries as Jane, Eloy and Birth Control, Grobschnitt(loosely translated as 'Rough Cut') are one of Germany's premier progressive rock acts, having enjoyed a decade-spanning career that began sometime in the late-sixties and continues to this very day. 
One of the country's most popular live draws, the group built their colourful existence on a quintet of excellent English-language albums from the 1970's, all of which blended a rich, symphonic style with top-notch musicianship and the group's own, rather surreal brand of slapstick humour. Suffice to say, there have been very few rock groups like Grobschnitt.

The story of this most singular of progressive acts begins during the heady days of the late-sixties and in the German town of Hagen, an undistinguished place located not too far from the Western city of Dortmund. The group's original guise was The Crew, an outfit whose members absorbed a number of disparate influences during their formative years, from English psychedelic rock, classical music and even theatrical elements, which later on would come to play a big part in the group's make-up. After the usual frenetic bout of gigging and line-up shuffles, Grobschnitt was officially born in early 1970, with each member taking on a 'comic' nickname of his own choosing. Signed to the burgeoning underground label Brain Records, Grobschnitt's first, self-titled album would appear in 1972 and feature a six-man line-up comprising of Joachim Ehrig a.k.a. 'Eroc'(drums), Axel Harlos a.k.a. 'Felix'(percussion), Stefan Danielak a.k.a. 'Wildschwein'(vocals, guitar), Bernhard Uhlemann a.k.a. 'Bar'(bass, flute), Gerd-Otto Kuhn a.k.a. 'Lupo'(guitar) and Herman Quetting a.k.a. 'Quecksilber'(piano, organ, keyboards). Mixing elements of psychedelia, classical-inflected progressive rock grooves, a Wishbone Ash-style twin guitar attack and made up of four, mainly rather complex and lengthy pieces, 'Grobschnitt' was a bold debut release that made impressive use of studio gadgetry and sound effects whilst also featuring the opus 'Sun Trip', an intriguing composition that the group would notably develop over the coming years.  Though by no means a commercial hit 'Grobschnitt' managed to perform reasonably well, with the group cultivating a loyal live following thanks to their epic gigs, which were notable for featuring trippy lighting effects, a strong theatrical element(manifested by costumes, make-up etc) and the first signs of what would come to be the group's trademark loopy humour. However, whilst the songs were sung in English, the comedy was delivered strictly in German.

After the group went through yet another bout of line-up changes, which saw Herman Quetting and Axel Harlos leave to be replaced by classically-trained keyboardist Volker Kahrs(a.k.a. 'Mist'), the group released 'Ballermann' in 1974. A monumental double-album named after a particularly-popular roadie, 'Ballermann' would see a marked improvement in almost every area, with a fuller, slicker sound and less reliance on the guitars. The album would also see Grobschnitt starting to develop their lush symphonic sound of later albums, a move which came about thanks mainly to the presence of Kahrs, whose luminous keyboards dominate the album. However, the most impressive aspect of 'Ballermann' would be the thirty-three-minute-long composition 'Solar Music', namely a beefed-up version of 'Sun Trip', that took up the entire third-and-fourth sides of the original vinyl release. Perhaps the ultimate space-rock anthem, this epic, multi-layered progressive symphony would quickly become the group's crowning glory, with the piece played at the end of virtually every live performance from 1974 onwards in versions that could  last longer than an hour. Ultimately, 'Solar Music' would expand so much over the oncoming years that it would be given it's own double-album, helpfully titled 'Solar Music Live' and showcasing Grobschnitt at their imperious live peak.

The album version of 'Solar Music', however, is also itself a fascinating piece of music, one that builds effortlessly through various sections encompassing ethereal psychelic soundscapes, heavy rock assults, pulsating bass-lines, breathy vocals and yet more sparkling keyboards from Kahrs, before finally reaching it's explosive, guitar-blazed apex in a whirlwind of multi-coloured riffs and mystical melodies. Those who stay the course will be richly rewarded.

Although undoubtedly the album's thrilling highlight, 'Ballermann' does also feature a selection of excellent shorter tracks on it's opening half that tend to be overshadowed by 'Solar Music's glorious space-age excess. Namely, these take the form of the crunchy opener 'Sahara', which introduces the album with a series of 'funny' barked German voices, the delightfully symphonic, thirteen-minute rock-ballad 'Magic Train' which features another rich dose of Kahrs glistening keyboards and a decidedly anthemic finale, and last but by no means least, the percussive, pop-edged medley 'Drummer's Dream', a quirky piece that incorporates an almost jazzy feel into the album's powerful symphonic design. Elsewhere, 'Nickolodeon' provides more comedy, as well as lashings of thickly-layered keyboards and guitars.

Seen by many as the album where Grobschnitt's 'classic', late-seventies symphonic sound really came into being, 'Ballermann' would see Grobschnitt strike a rich vein of form precipitated by the group's decision to venture away from their psychedelic origins and into more symphonic territory. No doubt inspired by the albums of British symphonic outfits Yes and Genesis, 'Ballermann' is the album that confirmed Grobschnitt's status as a fully-fledged progressive rock outfit, and one of the finest in Central Europe. Sometimes bracketed within the paradigms of Krautrock but actually nothing of the sort, Grobschnitt are purveyors of the some of the richest, most symphonic progressive music of the mid-to-late-seventies, with 'Ballermann' their key album. Although later albums such as 'Jumbo'(1976) and the fairy-tale concept piece 'Rockpommel's Land'(1978) would see a much more refined symphonic sound produced without the psychedelic or space-rock touches, 'Ballerman's diverse mixture finds the group at their transitional point, borrowing liberally from their old psych-rock guise and blending carefully with their new progressive form. The sometimes rather strange comedy moments certainly aren't to every listener's taste, yet they don't intrude on the actual music, and the overall results of the group's playful melding make for a big, dense sound and a wonderfully diverse progressive rock album from an outfit who, for once, don't take themselves too seriously.

One things for sure: If you think Yes take themselves far too seriously, you'll simply love Grobschnitt.

Key songs: Magic Train, Solar Music Parts I & 11