KROKODIL

It´s amazing how unknown this really good band is! On the other hand so it was in the sixties and seventies, most of the bands outside UK, US & Germany were unknown and seemed to remain so. The biggest exception was Dutch Focus. Anyway there were same kind of rock music movement in Switzerland in the sixties and seventies as everywhere, although number of bands wasn´t very big. In wikipedia sites only even more unknown bands Flame Dream and The Shiver were mentioned together with Krokodil. This band was founded by pianist Hardy Hepp and drummer Dude Durst in 1968. Very soon they made demo recordings in Zurich and managed to get a record deal with German Liberty. I believe that´s the reason why this band is put into Krautrock although it´s Swiss band. They were also influenced by 1969 Kraut bands like Amon Düül II. One thing really made this band different as other prog/psych bands of those days: harmonica player Moio Wedeli was essential and skillful part of the band.

Krokodil starts their first album with a good, quite heavy version of Tim Roses´s "Morning Dew". It was very popular song those days and for example The Grateful Dead has also recorded it into their first album. But next "You´re Still Part Of Me" is their own material. It starts with very Indian feeling in sitar and bongos, but changes soon to a very groovy boogie. "All Alone" is sad, melodic ballad with little bit corny words. It reminds me little bit songs of Finnish bands Wigwam and Tasavallan Presidentti of the same time. In "Mis Blues" we go back to the boogie style. There is really great harmonica playin! Album goes more into psych direction in the b-side. "Prayer" is very beautiful acoustic song with sitar and flute. "Watchin` Chain" is seven minutes jammy jazz piece with lyrics from blues tradition. In the middle there comes some classical music theme that I don´t recognise. Maybe it´s from Bach. The best comes the last: "Dabble In Om" is a very psychedelic and great feeling over nine minutes musical trip! It shows in what direction band will go into it´s next albums.

This album was very promising, it had really good playing and feeling, but musical ideas weren´t as developed as in bands next two albums. So it wasn´t any wonder, why Krokodil´s first hadn´t got the same attention as for example Amon Düül II and Can got in their great albums in the same year. But it´s sad their next "Swamp" and masterpiece "An Invisible World Revealed" didn´t wake lots of interest in prog/psych music lovers. The latter one is recommended to listen as starting album of Krokodil, this album is more just for bands fans.