VIELLEICHT BIST DU EIN CLOWN ?

When you really like a record is it hard do make a proper evaluation but I will try. "Novalis" is a German symphonic prog band which made some albums through the seventies and the eighties. "Vielleicht bin du ein clown?" is their fifth record(of eleven) and it's from 1978. The record is short but then was also my doubts very short about it. I can't help but love their whirling melodies and their strong and beautiful German vocals. The cover is a bit surrealistic with the girls with red and out standing hair.

We have to thank Hartwig Biereichel, the drummer, Detlef Job, the guitarist, Fred Mühlböck, the vocalist, guitarist and flautist, Lutz Rahn, the keyboardist and the bassist Heino Schünkel for their lovely efforts on this masterpiece.

Two of the songs have I heard before and the starter "Der Geigenspieler" is a progressive gem with a lot of interesting themes and structures. It is one of the band's best songsThe vocals through the whole album are so romantic and that fits the name because Novalis was also a romantic poet. Romantic prog is a great thiong to call this. On the last track "Die Welt wird alt und wieder jung" they use a poem by Friedrich Schiller. "Zingaresca" and "City-Nord" is fantastic instrumental songs which a lovely atmosphere and "Manchmal fällt der regen eben lang" is somewhat of a hit. The title track is also very attractive. The mixture of romantic feeling, the German lyrics and the pretentious progressive rock is what I love so much and that makes Novalis a favourite band.

I can really recommend you to try Novalis. It is very pleasing that they donät sing in English, I haven't understood why non-English bands use to sing in their second language. The romantic feeling this shapes fills the music of intriguing thoughts. Some prefer the earlier Novalis which I honestly haven't heard so much of. This is a perfect but a bit short album. Five stars! Best track: "Der Geigenspieler"