PATERNOSTER

Paternoster's lone, obscure LP has become legend over the years among record collectors. Reading reviews of this relic made me curious to listen to it on-line, and only when I came across the limited addition CD on Now-Again Records in my local record store did I decide to actually purchase this little oddity.

I have to admit that my initial response to this album after listening to it was, "what's all the fuss about?" It is an interesting concoction of psychedelia, Gothic rock, and proto-prog, but nothing mind-blowing as some seem to suggest. It's often categorized as Krautrock, as it is here on PA, but I would say that is a stretch. The vocals are "unique" and do require getting used to and the lyrics are rather silly sometimes, mediocre at best at other times. The recording is a bit low-fi, but that actually adds to its charm. The songs have some twists and turns here and there, but the pace is fairly consistent from song-to-song.

While this album has grown on me a bit after multiple listens, it still does not live up to the hype that has surrounded it all these years, at least for me. I don't regret purchasing this one, but that's mainly because I'm a bit of a collector of obscure music that is "off the beaten path," so to speak. It's worth picking up if you're into obscure and unique psychedelic proto-prog from the 70's, but if you're looking for a lost Krautrock classic as some have claimed that this is, I would give caution. 3 stars.