The Guru Guru appreciation thread
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=64551
Printed Date: February 11 2025 at 02:40
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: The Guru Guru appreciation thread
Posted By: BaldJean
Subject: The Guru Guru appreciation thread
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 06:06
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Guru Guru have been around for over 40 years now and are one of the most important German bands. they changed their style with almost every album; the only constant is drummer Mani Neumeier. he is as good as they come (he has a jazz background. he used to play with the Irene Schweizer Trio before he founded Guru Guru). their shows are full of action; a lot of surprising things will happen on stage. their classic is "Der Elektrolurch" ("The Electric Amphibian"), for which Neumeier puts on a self-designed mask and pretends to be responsible for the electricity in our households. he used to wear a tail too, but it turned out to be too difficult to move around on stage with it, so he gave that up. on their first live album from 1978 you can hear him say "Mein Schwanz schlägt heute wieder alles um" ("My tail is knocking everything over again today"). here a photo of Mani in his mask:  -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Replies:
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 06:51
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now there's a thread worth logging in for first thing in the morning hahah... have really got into the group over the last couple of months. Great stuff... have been working chronologically... and loved everything so far. Kanguru is simply killer.. and has become one of my most listened to albums.. especially when I need a sonic shot of adrenaliin on the drive in to work in the morning haha. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 16:09
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Nice thread Baldjean!2 or 3 hours ago I was playing Dance of the Flames:I love its fusion side and Houschang Nejadpour's guitar playing(by the way what has come of him after Eiliff and Guru Guru?).As Micky said,Kanguru is great:for me a very heavy space/psychedelic affair.Moreover Mani has a great sense of humour(Dagobert Duck's funny intro),is defintely in my top 5 of drummers(Vander,Cobham,Williams,DE Johnette and Mani)and UFO and Hinten kick asses!Is Wah Wah a good album? ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 16:29
yes it is. different, as all Guru Guru albums are, but very well worth listening to. by the way: there is a brand new release which was added to their homepage today: 
Mani-San in Japan (2009) mit Uchihashi Kazuhisa [ guru_09_discography_07_tour_2008.htm - more ][ http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/guru_10_shop.htm - Mail-Order ] ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
fusionfreak wrote:Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 17:06
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Mani has also worked with Acid Mothers Temple as Acid Mothers Guru, including some performances with Ruins powerhouse Yoshida Tatsuya. I find he works best in the classic power trio format of the early Guru Guru albums, but I would recommend Zero Set, an interesting album with Moebius and Conny Plank from the 80s; Neumaier leads from the front and the other two wrap strands of electronica around his mighty percussion, with some guest African vocals on one track. If techno had used live drums instead of machines, it would have sounded like this. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 17:16
Only heard one album - Psy from 2008 but I loved it (gave it 4 stars)  Unfortunately I suspect I would probably loathe their earlier 'kosmisch hippy ding' as a live version of Elektrolurch Mutation is the bonus track on Psy. (and frankly, I've heard better from air conditioning units - but it's my loss) ------------- 
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 17:17
yes, we have that "Zero Set" album with the African vocals. "a-hup dala" or whatever she sings ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 17:42
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Are you familiar with his Terra Amphibia albums? I've recently heard a few samples and they sound interesting, but more like world music than I was expecting. I realise that this is meant to be the Guru Guru thread, but it's more or less on topic... ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 18:41
we don't have them ourselves, but I heard one of them once. from what I recall it was a mix of world music and experimental sounds. some weird stuff, even for Mani. he played dozens of percussion instruments from all around the world on it ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 18:52
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I've been wanting to get some Guru Guru for a while. What would you consider to be the best starting point? Also, I've watched a couple videos on Youtube of the sort of material on Manitatsu (Mani and Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins/Koenjihyakkei) and they were pretty interesting. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 19:25
it is pretty difficult with Guru Guru because almost every album is in a differnt style. "Känguru" is an excellent starting point into them though ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 19:44
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Alright, I'll add that one to my wishlist. Dance of the Flames is on the list already, so I'll probably go for those two at once.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 19:52
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definitely get their live album from 1978 too. mostly previously unreleased tracks, and you can hear that playing live is where Guru Guru really scores ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 20:05
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I'm going to have to find somewhere that sells that live album, it's not available on my usual shops.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 20:43
Order it from their homepage: http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/index_lurch.htm - http://mani-neumeier.de/guruguru/index_lurch.htm ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 20:49
Thanks for the link, I didn't realize they sold some releases from their site.  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 21:10
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I just read that Guru Guru will play in Cologne on March 25th, at the Blue Shell. a very small venue; actually it is just a pub, though they have a small stage. of course Friede and I will be there
------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 23 2010 at 21:26
If I lived in Germany not too far away from Cologne I would be too, but it'd be a bit of a trip from Pennsylvania to Germany just to hear a band play. 
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: whydontyoueatcarrots
Date Posted: January 24 2010 at 15:27
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Super hit or miss for me, Kanguru and UFO are pretty much flawless, but a lot of the other stuff is a mixed bag. Frankly I thought "Moshi Moshi" was embarrassing, and recent footage of Guru Guru live was less than impressive, IMO. That's why I was so shocked when I heard Acid Mothers Guru, it's just like the old days with sort of a noise rock twist. Mani's still got it, that's for sure, that's why I'm shocked that recent output from Guru Guru is weak.
------------- Mom, I tore a big hole in the convertible |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: January 24 2010 at 15:34
It isn't weak in my opinion, it is simply different. Mani likes to experiment. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: January 24 2010 at 15:49
nice thread  here two pics I took some weeks ago  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: January 25 2010 at 22:54
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I've enjoyed the two tracks available on last.fm from Känguru so far, I think I'll check it out first.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 13:01
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The band that got me into freaky music. After Kanguru I never looked back. Didn't listen to the mainstream at all. Then came Grobschnitt, Amon Duul II, Jane, Kin Ping Meh, Pell Mell, Jane, Ash Ra Tempel,Geronimo, Birth Control, Frumpy etc. etc. I would buy anything from Germany that looked weird. But Guru Guru blew me away completely with UFO. I remember calling my friend over to listen to it with after it arrived from a second hand dealer who had conections in Europe. No internet back then! All my friend said was " That's f**ked up sh*t man!". Nothing will ever come close to UFO. Completely "out there". ------------- |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 13:25
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Great band, my favourites are the first four -------------  |
Posted By: Clijsters
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 18:37
| I Love guru guru, they ar so cool! |
Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 06:46
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One of my all time favorites. Guru, Guru live in 1978 is just an amazing cd. I bought it back in 2001 and it might be out of print I'm not sure. But anyone who is fond of the band and has not heard this concert is re, truly missing something great. Some of the instrumental tracks with Sax, guitar, bass, and drums are in the Passport vain. I don't even like to compare but, it's vital to bring out the diversity of this band in that fashion. My God! They are such a tight unit on live 78'. They do an excellent job performing the early material.
Dance of the Flames, where they had a guitarist on board that was influenced by McLaughlin. Early Mahavishnu style. But the album itself shines through with Guru, Guru sensibilities. Guru, Guru, Mani and some Friends is a classic for me. Kanguru is my favorite from the early period. I have a double disc on the Purple Pyramid label titled "The Very Best Of Guru, Guru. It's a great collection for a person who wants to hear the band for the first time. The Mask is a strange collection of odds and ends. I paid about 50 dollars for it. I found out later that I was paying for the mask mostly and not the disc. Some of the material was obviously transferred from vinyl as you can hear the pops. I was told back in 1980 that this band was krautrock with a sense of humour. It made me more than interested at that time and so my first purchase was "The Very Best of Guru, Guru' on vinyl. A kind of flimsy import jacket with a photograph of the 3 piece line up on the front. It contained about 4 or 5 tracks. Back in 1974, I used to see albums in the bargain bins at Wilmington Dry Goods. Lucifer's Friend, Jane, Epitaph etc. Krautrock bands on the Billingsgate label. A domestic label. That was the very first time I saw the name Guru, Guru and it was advertised on the inner sleeve jackets of Billingsgate albums. Don't Call Us, We Call You is a strange album. Tango Fango and Globetrotter had some material that I would personally consider filler. Although those albums did have some beautiful instrumental tracks. Even though the jazzy period of the band was one of my favorites, I didn't rate or associate that period with the Tango Fango and Globetrotter output. They were lack-luster in sections and did not fully represent the band's potential in jazz/rock fusion. Mani and Friends and Live 78' did more for me in that particular area of style. Both titles are a true representation of the band's exploitation into a jazz/rock feel. The band was also very spaced out and made me laugh quite a bit. 1970 to 1978 was very magical for me. |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: January 27 2010 at 15:54
I yust got my first album by them today "Känguru" found it in a second hand music shop for a very nice price, sounded very nice on the first listen.  Looking forward geting more stuff by em later...------------- 
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: January 28 2010 at 15:55
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Something to look out for is Uncuts. It pops up now and then on rare album sites. I dug it out of a 2nd hand shop in Montréal for $20. It's got ex Gila guitarist Connie Viet taking the place of Nejadepour and he does a suprisingly good job on a few tracks from Dance of The Flames plus some jamming. Quality isn't that great because it was recorded from a radio broadcast but it's the only live stuff that I know of featuring material from Dance Of The Flames. Nejadepour only stuck around for a few months and left just after the album was completed and he did very few live gigs with them. I think I reviewed it as well some time back.
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: January 30 2010 at 19:20
that's funny... that is exactly how how I got into them. Found a copy of that album in a book store/music shop in Adams Morgan here in D.C. Was hooked on the first listen...  ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Tuzvihar
Date Posted: January 30 2010 at 19:27
I saw this album, "Känguru", and some other in a store a couple of days ago. But they were painfully expensive...  ------------- "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent." Charles Bukowski |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: January 30 2010 at 19:32
yeah... it wasn't cheap and weren't lucky like Zargus and got a second hand copy...it was about $30 for our copy.... but it was worth it. It sounds good in the stereo of doom here with the volume on 11.... but I really dig that kind of music. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Tuzvihar
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 05:32
Yes, that's about the prize they cost here. But I've got a couple of albums by Amon Duul II, being not that very fond of them (though I don't despise them), and from the bits I listened to in the store Guru Guru sounds similar to them so I didn't want to spend that much money on them... ------------- "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent." Charles Bukowski |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 10:23
that album does... though ADII has far more powerful vocals.. especially when Renata opens the golden pipes.. but musically/stylistically?... yeah.. those early Guru Guru are prime albums for ADII fans. However if that isn't your cup of tea.. check out later Guru Guru albums.. very different... the Baldies can steer you right I'm sure. I've only started getting into them. They're the experts haha. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 14:02
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Listened to Guru Guru's self titled (third?) album. It was better that I remembered. Even liked the Rock' Roll medley :)
Damn fine musicians.
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 14:03
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Listen to Guru Guru 88 and it doesn't even sound anything like the early stuff. There's even a female vocalist. That's the beauty of Guru Guru. No two albums the same. But there's always that tinge of wackiness from Mani. I'm listening to Kanguru right now and after over 30 years it still blows my mind. Those who are into the early stuff should also check out Ax Genrich's solo albums Psychedelic Guitar and Wave Cut. I haven't heard the Psychedelic Monsterjam albums but they must be pretty freaked out. Limited pressings though. ------------- |
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 14:07
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Did Guru Guru make a album called 88??? Isn't that a neo-nazi code word for HH (Heil Hitler). the eight letter in the alphabet?
------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: January 31 2010 at 14:41
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They made it in the year 1988. It features a female vocalist who sounds like Lene Lovich at times. I don't think the album has anything to do with neo-nazism.
I wish people would pay more attention to some of the later Guru Guru albums because there's some freaked out stuff on albums like Wah Wah and Shake Well. Even Guru Guru 88 has some wacky stuff on it despite a more poppy sound. ------------- |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 03:18
To believe that Guru Guru secretly support Neo-Nazis is absolutely absurd. Mani has often voiced his opinion about them and often played on festivals that were organised by anit-Nazi movements. They probably called the album "Guru Guru 88" because of a German expression, "Egal ist 88". "Egal" literally means "it doesn't matter", and since it does not matter which way you look at 88, it will always remain 88, this expression came up. ------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 10:24
On the other hand - GG is one letter in the alphabet before HH; When Guru Guru sing it's usually in German, which is the same language that Mein Kampf was written in; Mani Neumaier plays the drums, a popular instrument with 3rd reich marching bands. Clearly Mani und seine freunde are slightly to the right of Christian Vander  .------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 10:44
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Off the topic of Guru Guru secretly being neo-Nazis, I as well got my first album, UFO. I think it's pretty awesome, definitely going to be picking up more.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 11:00
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Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2u5T-iOYpI - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2u5T-iOYpI
this still sends shiver down my spine soùe 30 years later.... ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 13:43
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Completely wacked! Do these guys look like neo-nazis? Not. There's more of that on their first two albums.
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: February 04 2010 at 19:26
I never once thought that there was anything "kosmic" about this band ... or Amon Duul 2 (who made fun of it even!) ... in my book, and all the way past Tango Fango and Dance of the Flames ... this was ... for all intents and purposes, what you would like to hear from a Jimi Hendrix or a Stevie Ray Vaughn (for example) ... music that provided a backdrop for the expanding of the music ... to experiment ... and you can listen to all of these guitarists that have worked with Mani ... and they all have flourished and done some excellent and amazing work ...
But all of this is not so much a "dope" or "cosmic" thing ... which is a totally American thing, as much as it is a measure of the artistic trends in that time and place in Europe ... dude ... all of these bands were doing experimentations and improvisations, and we love them all (just about) ... and still talk about them 40 years later ... what more can you ask for ... from a piece of music?
In the end, Mani deserves his name amidst the great experimenters and flow drummers around ... and unlike the majority of rock drummers out there ... you will rarely get bored with this guy ... he simply doesn't repeat himself that much ... and that awful and non musical snare drum every 4th beath! ...
The only other rock drummer that comes to this level as Mani ... is the late Pierre Moerlin ... you're dealing with people with insanely high musical IQ ... and they are/were not afraid to trip around and experiment ... and this is what music had in those days, that is missing today ... and badly! ... too much "prog" has no "soul" in it ... because it is composed music that is just like all the other music out there ... and some lyrics make you "THINK" that it is important.
It's like saying that Jimi's meandering is not what ended up defining a lot of prog and music that is more than just pop music today ... and the main reason why we remember Jimi today ... crazy, experimental, original ... and yeah .. .he was a bit of a showman ... but he knew what he was doing ... and for the first 10 years ... Guru Guru stands out as some of the best ... very best ... and deserves that credit ... and their venue ... you could say was "rock'n'roll" ... not some ... imaginary drug trip or cosmic thing, as Ash Ra Tempel kinda did ... (some ... not really!) ... nearly all of the guitarists in any Guru Guru album are probably going crazy ... because Mani is probably telling them ... I heard that already ... I want something else!
One more comment here ... Mani comes from the highly evolved communes that were involved in a lot of things and he knows and remembers well what it is to have a "sceance", or "meditation" or "play drums" ... which for him is probably the same thing. He also knows that politics in his field and country is ... dangerous business ... but he knows that he can entertain and get people to appreciate a trip and enjoy it at the same time ... and a Guru Guru concert was about that a lot of times, even a long time ago ... see the picture ... and the fun for it ... and then ... go hear "Das Lebendige Radio" from the Tango Fango album ... it really says it all ... they mixed a little this and that and this and that ... and you have some german cooking ... and you don't like the food?
... and when you hear this ... find it in your heart to remember that the Wall was still up ... and that folks across the way could not get a Beatles album or Rolling Stones ... much less even hear anything else as controversial/subversive ... as an anti this or that ... and Mani and his group did really well ... and should be respected as artists ... that stood up for what is right ... the same freedoms that you fight for ... (hopefully) ... and talk about in America ... but some of us seem to not give a damn when you see someone else in the same predicament. ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: February 13 2010 at 16:02
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Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: February 13 2010 at 16:08
Well your copies must have been the newest remaster then, my was probobly the first reales on CD from 92, but sounded pretty good anyway, even tough it hade some scratches.  -------------
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