BANISHED BRIDGE

After listening to the magnificent remastered version of the Konzerte CD I decided to revise Novalis discography since their debut. Banished Bridge was released in 1973, and it is quite a good album for a unknown act. However, their music is far from being mature or unique: in fact they sound similar to a lot of early 70´s Krautrock bands and this is specially true with the title track: a 17 minute opus which is more or less like the remaining of the album: interesting, melodic, promising, but still leaving that kind of unfinished feeling on them, like missing something. Even some spoken words are featured on this first track, another Krautrock cliche of the time. It is also very short (37 minutes). You expect more from a new band.

The most revealing absence is some truly guitar parts. Singer Jürgen Wenze is a good vocalist and plays a little acoustic guitar on two tracks, but clearly the instrumental parts, as good as they are with Lutz Rahn´s soaring keyboards and a good rhythm section, and unlike a band like Triumvirat that did not have much guitar and could get away without it, are in dire need of something extra. Also the songs all seem to be half cooked: good ideas that were not fully explored both in terms of songwriting and in musical performances. That does not mean they are bad, not at all. They are nice, but far from the Novalis we all know and love. Besides they are all sung in english, something they were about to change, The band would get a lot better very soon.

Conclusion: a good starting point for this great band, but far from essential: 3 stars.