BULLFROG

This band is not what i would call krautrock, but closer to Heavy Prog, with a slight emphasis towards Symphonic Prog in the keyboard work. They sound nothing like Amon Duul 2 or Guru Guru or Can or Faust. Their sound combines a hard/heavy rock element, with the more progressive aspect showing itself in the really well done keyboard work. Most songs are not that lengthy, but Bullfrog know how to do catchy, but cerebral things in a short span of time with their music that makes for an interesting album with no dull moments in it.

High In Spirit was recorded in 1977, and is proof that prog still had some great things going for it in that year. An album from Germany in that same year that is called to mind is Wallenstein's No More Love, which also combines hard rock delivery with a progressive element in some great keyboard work, though Wallenstein are more Symphonic, in general, and different, vocally.

The gritty vocals done in High In Spirit would not be to everybody's taste, but for me, they don't detract from the great instrumental interplay going on here. In the final analysis, this album is a delightful listen, and i give it four stars-both interesting and intriguing all the way through.

BULLFROG's eponymous and solid debut with six (hard) rock songs. I cannot find much Prog and originality except one track which is really exciting. Remarkable are the rough vocals by Gerd Hoch without any accent and a nice Hammond appearance which sometimes remembers me at DEEP PURPLE. The album is disappointing a little bit with the first four songs because they are not more than mainstream rock.

I Came From The Sky is a better one with a nervous punching bass. The second side of the vinyl release is more interesting starting with Get Away which is the pretty flower. A short 10 minute epic, somewhat leaving the hard rock territory, a ballad with floydy moments, nice (girls) background vocals, synthie keys and compelling guitar work - excellent. Desert Man is initiated very promising by a recitative of their italian drummer and then developes to a mediocre grooving rock song.

Listening to their music it looks like BULLFROG set the focus very intensively on a commercial success like JERONIMO had for example with their hits "He Ya" and "Na Na Hey Hey" in 1970. They also released their debut in the USA. I'm missing more typical psychedelic, folk and krautrock elements which other german bands had at that time - 2.5 stars.

Not really a whole lot of prog on the A-side, pretty much straight-up hard boogie rock. The last two tracks, both extending longer than ten minutes, are the reasons to get this album. Full of Floydian changes and an Eloy-like spaciness, they're well-done for this style of music. Nice layers of celestial synths and aggressive Hammond organ from keysman Harald Kaltencker. Italian drummer Bruno Perosa (whose prior prog pedigree extends to playing the percussion-y bits in "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico" on Banco's IO SONNO NATO LIBERO album) even adds a cosmic recitation (in Italian!) at the beginning of "Desert Man".