SNAFU

The second album brings more experimental side of EAST OF EDEN. Free-form jazz improvisations and electronic tape manipulations are omnipresent so that they sometimes suffocate the album's consistency. Diversity in style and eclecticism are fine but only if they serve the purpose and I think it is not always the case with "Snafu". On the other hand one must applaud the band's uncompromising attitude and "pushing the boundaries" methodology, which were at the core of "progressive" movement in the early 1970s.

Central-East European and Oriental/Arabic folk elements were important inspiration to this album, even more than it was the case with the debut. Although they are dispersed and inter-mingled across several different multi-part tracks, these are perhaps the best moments on "Snafu". "Marcus Junior" with its klezmer-like danceable feel and wonderful woodwinds as leading instruments was even a minor hit, published as a B-side of the 7" single "Jig-a-Jig" (the band's most popular track, included on some "Snafu" CD re- issues as a bonus). "Ramadhan", "Gum Arabic" and "Habibi Baby" contain obvious Arabic/Middle Eastern snippets, bringing them close to (and anticipating) the work of EMBRYO or other early "World Fusion" pioneers, such as OREGON. There are even some noisy elements that I could recognize from FAUST's phenomenal "clear vinyl" debut from the following 1971 year! We cannot say that EAST OF EDEN were not aware of the contemporary progressive music!

If only the whole album was produced with a clearer sense of unity among different tracks or if there were more compositions like excellent "Nymphenburger", "Snafu" would deserve even a better rating. Still, in spite of my feeling that it is less strong work then the debut album "Mercator Projected", due to its experimental and avant-guarde nature I cannot give it simply a 3 star rating.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,5/5

P.A. RATING: 4/5