UNCUTS

Bootleg quality live recording noteworthy because it was an interim Guru Guru lineup which didn't record any studio albums with ex-Gila member Connie Veit on guitar (replacing Houschang Nejedepour), Hans Hartmann on bass and Mani Neumeier on drums and vocals. The three tracks featured here were taken from a live radio broadcast on WDR Radio FM recorded in Ludwigshafen, Germany on June 29, 1974 and considering the short rehearsal period Veit pretty much nails the two Nejadepour tracks, Dagobert Duck's 100th Birthday and Girl From Hirschorn wheras the Guru Guru staple Der Elektrolurch allowed for more exploration. Uncuts was obviously recorded on a primitive 70s handheld tape recorder by an audience member (rather than from the radio broadcast itself) who was moving around quite a bit possibly to achieve a optimum sound results. An overall flat sound reduces Neumeier's drum kit to mere background thumping with the cymbals being barely audible with Veit's guitar coming in too loud briefly drowning everything else out at times. One thing which is very prominent and consistent throughout is the remarkable fat bass sound of Hans Hartmann who was arguably the most formidable of the Guru Guru bassmen next to Helmut Hattler. While the disc might only be of interest to hardcore fans it's worth giving a rundown of the 4 tracks on the album (there's a 10 minute psychedelic jam that precedes Der Elektrolurch which is not indicated on the credits).

Dagobert Duck's 100th Birthday follows the structure from the version on the Dance Of The Flames LP almost to a T complete with the introductory duck quacking and deranged lyrics. Veit's guitar work here is just as wah wahed out as the original Nejadepour version on the Dance Of The Flames LP but with a bit more of an aggressive right hand attack. The Girl From Hirschorn is not as effective here as the Dance Of The Flames' rendition and lacks the environmental effects of chirping birds but then again it's difficult to pass a full judgement owing to the less than pristine recording quality. As mentioned an uncredited rather directionless jam occurs in between The Girl From Hirschorn and Der Elektrolurch which begins with some spaced out East Indian guitar noodling by Veit, some silly vocalizations courtesy of Neumeier and by the end it morphs into a sort of funky pop song. Der Elektrolurch is as whacked out as ever replete with Neumeier's non compus mentis German vocalizations and is the track where the recordist manages to equalize all three players more or less ( sort of...almost...kind of ).

Definitely not recomended for anyone not familiar with Guru Guru because the sound quality does not offer a fair evaluation but Guru Guru connoisseurs and those into trippy guitar freakouts will no doubt want to seek out this mega- rare artifact out if they can locate a copy. It's a pity that there aren't any superior recordings from the short lived Dance Of The Flames period of the band which lasted for only a matter of months before both lineups fell apart after which Neumeier would redefine the band veering it in a more jazz-rock direction.