PICTURE MUSIC

One of the most confusing releases in KLAUS SCHULZE's gargantuan canon, PICTURE MUSIC very well be one of the most confusing releases of the entire 1970s and better known for the enduring snafus that ensued rather than the music itself. For years believed to be the third release and then the fourth release but recorded before "Blackdance," a proper forensic investigation proved it to be both recorded and released as the fourth album due to the fact SCHULZE employed the use of an EMS VCS 3 synthesizer. Add to that bewildering uncertainty, the album has been released over the years with four vastly different album covers along with additional variations on each theme making the history of this album quite fuzzy indeed.

The most percussion oriented of the early SCHULZE years, the album was the only one of his entire solo canon to feature KLAUS back in the drummer's seat as most of the percussive duties were either electronically engineered or later handled by Harald Grosskopf of the Krautrock band Wallenstein. Like many of his releases across the board, PICTURE MUSIC featured two sprawling electronic tracks that each swallowed up an original side of vinyl and eventually offered a different version of "Totem" as a bonus track once the album found its way onto CD. This is once again the KLAUS SCHULZE show who alone plays all synths, organs and reprising his role as drummer after serving in Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel before going solo.

Offering a heavier dose of space ambience, PICTURE MUSIC threatened to float off into the cosmos altogether only kept on a leash by an unusually robust percussive drive. "Totem" starts off as the usual Berlin School electronic swirly effect show but quickly adopts a jittery tribal percussive drive only synthesized but with a slow and darkened procession into a series of repetitive melodic motifs augmented only by the moodiness of a sole synth that offers the varying touches to keep the track from becoming monotonous. Kept Earthbound by the incessant sputtering effect of the percussion, the track unfortunately is never allowed to roam the realms of the space age effectively making it one of the most stilted sounding tracks of SCHULZE's early years. While meditatively compatible, the track lacks those extra touches that SCHULZE had become a master of crafting as if he fell into a cryogenic state and pushed the autopilot button before drifting off to meet Major Tom.

"Mental Door" is the more interesting of the two tracks with a proper space ambient effect and cool electronic sound effects sputtering in and out of the soundscape with an almost church organ cathedral vibe to the tones emerging from the main synth performance. The track is also more varied with more twists and turns and while starting out placid and serene becomes more agitated and aggressive as the keyboard stabs become more murderous in intent and the percussion bursts into rock and roll overdrive. This chaotic rumble ensues for a good second half of the track while the sputtering electronic effects join suit and crackle in the background like an ominous sign that someone dropped a torch in the fireworks factory. A bizarre track that seems to be self-defeating as the space ambience is extinguished by the persistent percussion racing pell mell to some unknown destination while the rock heft never reaches a satisfying conclusion due to the sparse accompaniments.

A noticeable departure from the more orchestrated and diverse nature of "Blackdance" or the more divine cosmos feel of what came before leaving PICTURE MUSIC one of my least favorite releases of the early KLAUS SCHULZE canon. Not unlistenable by any means but while SCHULZE's musical journeys into the koschmische unknown tended to bring enough elements to the table to keep your mind enthralled either actively or passively so, this one seems to drag on beyond what's offered actually delivers. A noble effort indeed but it would take SCHULZE a little more time to up his game to the refined perfection that he would soon deliver with "Timewind." All in all a decent release but just sounds stale compared to what else he had to offer in these early years. In short, too aggressive to succeed in being consistently meditative and too short of ideas to rock out.

3.5 rounded down