GOLDBALL

Though started by Detroit-born German-based American soldier Fred Braceful, this German trio really packs a punch-- and displays some very adventurous, experimental, and progressive writing and recording techniques.

1. "Marilyn F. Kennedy" (2:30) an awesome super-funky bass and clavinet-heavy high energy weave of organ, bass and drums that sound as if they're right in your lap (or brain)! (9.25/10)

2. "Dada" (3:36) slowing it down with space and multiple tracks dedicated to each musician for two electric pianos, bass and two guitars and lots of drum and percussive sounds, this three-part song definitely succeeds in rendering Dadism unto music. The final section has some awesome searing soloing from a heavily-treated electric guitar. (9/10)

3. "Adventures With Long S.tea" (2:53) again multiple instrumental tracks given to each performer, the slow, heavy, almost plodding weave has quite the math rock sound and formula--almost in the realm of KCRIMSON Red or "Discipline." Nice display of skills. (8.875/10)

4. "25 Two Seconds Before Sunrise" (4:53) spacey/psychedelic blues-rock on display here with some very interesting special effects and excellent superfluous percussion work. The first couple minutes feel as if the band is just showing off its sounds without every really congealing into a song with purpose, but then it never does meld into anything other than a plodding display of effects. (8.66667/10)

5. "Groove Tango Wolperaiso" (2:35) an étude of fusing blues with rock using all kinds of riffs pasted together with a glue of electronic/engineering effects. Very weird and, I have to say it: very German. (4.375/5)

6. "Jam Factory For People Insane" (4:04) with its Iggy Pop-like Beat era or punk rock vocal performance, this one comes in with quite a little surprise. After the vocal intro section, the song contains quite a display of drum and percussion acumen while rhythm guitar, bass, and organ play mathematically-conjured chords in support like robots, then it devolves into a TODD RUNDGREN-like A Wizard, A True Star-like party. (8.75/10)

7. "Habits" (5:57) like something off of Miles' Bitches Brew or Herbie's Mwandishi albums, this is bass and guitar-driven song is very spacious allowing it to contain lots of layers of busy-ness. (8.75/10)

8. "Dance Of The Crabs" (0:53) another little étude based on a circular chord sequence. (4.375/5)

9. "Greetings To The Maroccan Farmers" (6:36) opening with noises as if from a kitchen or workshop, the clearing of one's nasal passages signals the introduction of some actual musical instruments: piano with drum preparation sounds and percussion and, later, strums and hits on the frames and strings of various stringed instruments (including a snare drums' steel coils, a zither, and some unplugged electric guitars), breathy horn blows, shakers, nose flutes, goats bleats, more clanging of kitchen and workshop utensils and containers, all the while the piano playing a kind of soundtrack to rodent activity. All in all, a very interesting attempt at rendering a soundtrack to a real world situation (a Moroccan farm). Interesting but was this really necessary? Especially as the album's longest song? (8.5/10)

10. "Last But One Train To Amsterdam" (0:56) another brief whole-band dive into a mathematically-constructed chord sequence. (4.375/5)

Total Time: 34:53

Overall, I appreciate the talents and skills of the musicians but more I find myself enjoying and awed by the visionary recording and engineering techniques on display here: these guys are very uniquely focused, adventurous and gutsy!

B-/3.5 stars; despite the engineering prowess and obvious instrumental talent on display here, the album is not a very successful display of rock, jazz, jazz-rock, Jazz-Rock Fusion, or progressive rock; this is more the type of songs collected by Krautrock bands like Neu, Faust, or perhaps Can. The two best songs, the album's openers, are the only things worth repeating.