STARRING ROSI

Don't expect any traditional Ash Ra Tempel music with this album (if there is any traditional ART music to expect?).

Klaus left again (for the second time) and Göttsching thought that it was a good idea to have his girlfriend being featured on the vocals (but it was already the case during the preceding "Jenseits").

The mood is more on the psychedelic side, even jazzy (especially during the opener "Laughter Voice") than before. The format of this album is also quite different: it is divided into seven songs while the band had always used us to one side epics so far.

I have to admit that this change of style has not my votes although psyche rock is of great interest to my ears. The acoustic "Day Dream" holds good moments and is somewhat precursory of "Birdland" (Patti Smith) but it is quite a shock in comparison with prior works.

You have to be prepared for this while listening to "Starring Rosi". The good ("Schizo") is mixed with the poor ("Cosmic Tango"). But the best is alien here. The long and inexpressive, almost inhuman "Interplay Of Forces" is another example of what NOT to do: impose your sweet heart into your professional life.

Fortunately, the second and instrumental half is much more convincing. Great beat and excellent guitar work. Again, the psychedelia of the late middle sixties is very much present. A fine track after all. Like the sweet and melancholic instrumental "Fairy Dance".

All in all, this is a good album. More structured than their earlier releases and almost totally psyche oriented but sometimes sounding old fashioned like during "Bring Me Up".

Three stars.