PSYCHONAUT

Killer acid-head-like psychedelia which would make the perfect sonic companion for your household lava lamp. BRAINTICKET's second release is less electric than their debut album and slighly less psychedelic. "Psychonaut" is a chilled-out psychedelic gem which must adorn your collection above the mantle piece. "Psychonaut" is full of warped yet clever music which moves from the soft canvess of "One Morning" to the heavy instrumental psyched rock of Coc'o Mary. BRAINTICKET is brain food and probably deserves to be filed under ones "Stoner Rock" section. Led by keyboard giant Joel Vandroogenbroeck and female vocalist Jane Free who carries of picture perfect west-coast persona making BRAINTICKET's second release a "gotta have-it release". "Psychonaut" will take you on a 30 minute journey into regions of your mind you have never travelled before. This is uniquely enabled through their darkly crafted use of flutes, organs, guitars, wild percussive elements and loads of sound effects. All in all this is a superb psychedelic-progressive rock offering which should appeal to all good music heads out there.

This cd is a lot calmer than the first and lacks a lot of the randomness of the first. Still, this is one of the better psychedelic cds around and one that all psychedelic fans will enjoy. My only real gripe is that this cd is way to short, shorter than most of the Beatles cds even, clocking in at only 32 minutes. Still, that 32 minutes is spent in a relaxed trippy sorta feel....thats the feel i got anyways.

The original BRAINTICKET had already collapsed after the recording of "Cottonwoodhill". Some of the members went to join future member of the Swiss prog band ISLAND (who released the album "Pictures" in 1977) Benjamin Jäger, and named the group TOAD. That group sounds little like BRAINTICKET, or like a precursor of the "Island" sound, but more like conventional hard rock. Meanwhile organist/flutist Joël Vandroogenbrock simply resurrected BRAINTICKET with brand new musicians (amongst them being Carol Muriel, Barney Palm, Jane Free and others).

The result being "Psychonaut" was an obvious reaction to their previous album, as this album was the complete opposite, going for actual songs here and avoiding any disturbing experiments. "Radagacuca" is that prime example, which starts off with some trippy organ, some echoey flutes, and of course, silly lyrics. "One Morning" is a wonderful, piano oriented piece with pleasant vocals. "Watchin' You" is one of the more heavy, rocking pieces, and is by far the most rocking piece I ever heard BRAINTICKET do. "Like a Place in the Sun" features some spoken dialog, with parts reminding me of EARTH & FIRE (that's where people mistakenly think BRAINTICKET was a Dutch band, although Brainticket purposely obscure their nationality, as the band often consisted of international musicians). "Feel the Wind Blow" is a much more laid-back, acoustic piece, with George HARRISON like guitars. "Coc'o Mary" is a heavily percussion-dominated piece that sounds like a cross between SANTANA (because of the Latin-style percussion) and JETHRO TULL (because of the Anderson-like flute). Incredible album, which shows everything that was great in the early '70s!

3.5 stars really!!! Brainticket is one of those really wild group that are difficult to pin-point because of the diversity of every successive album. Aside from the awesome sleeve artwork, the average proghead would be well aware to start their investigations with this one because I would say that this is their most accessible album (among the ones I heard) and maybe their most progressive. I might suggest that you smoke a big fat doobie while you try to get into this album. The tracks are more structured than on their debut but this stays strange and requires repeated listening to understand..... that is if you have not stopped trying before. Ultimately , one will discover that it was worth it.

I would like to echo Proghead's remarks in his review that there are many confusion because there exists two Brainticket : this one and the much later Australian one. However , most people confused them as Dutch because of Brainbox (a Dutch group that was rememberd because of a focus link) and the Dutch/German prog label Brain Records. The fact that Brainticket's leader Vandroogenbroeck had a Dutch name did help confuse further more matters. there is also a great German band called Brainstorm from those same years.

BRAINTICKET basically disolved after the first "way out there" release called "Cottonwoodhill". Joel Vandroogenbroeck the organ / piano / flute player brought the band back to life though with all new members.The first album was very much a band effort but this one features all songs composed by Mr.Vandroogenbroeck. The female singer he added does sound like the lady on the first release just not as crazy.

"Radagacuca" opens with flute and spacey organ sounds. Percussion arrives a minute in until that is all you hear 2 minutes in. We get some sitar and male and female vocals 3 minutes in.The flute is back in this cool, meditative song. That is until 6 minutes in when the organ is back with guitar and drums offering up a fuller and faster sound. "One Morning" opens with the sound of a storm with rain as piano, percussion, drums and vocals create the soundscape. "Watchin' You" has a heavier sound with female vocals. The guitar is raw with drums. Reserved but heavy guitar solos arrive 2 minutes in, one of the best parts of the album. Vocals are back. The beat stops as sitar and spacey, psychedelic sounds arrive.

"Like A Place In The Sun" opens with heavy drums and powerful organ. Female vocals come in, she's speaking now. We then get a drum solo before organ comes back. She's speaking then singing before the song ends with organ and drums. "Feel The Wind Blow" is a reserved song. It opens with people talking and smoking something. Gentle guitar and female vocals before percussion joins in. The last 30 seconds features the wind blowing. "Coc'o Mary" has some cool drumming as guitar comes in and then organ. Check out the drumming though. Flute comes in as the song calms down after 3 minutes with percussion. Drums and organ are back.

For me this is a step up over the "over the top" debut. This one has some great sounding psychedelic tunes even recalling the sixties at times.

Great laid back krautrock.

One of the things I love about krautrock is that every band in the genre pretty much guarantees a unique approach to the genre and the vast majority of the bands are of the highest quality. In BRAINTICKET's sophomore album 'Psychonaut' the band has for the most part moved on from the oppressively psychedelic wailings (in a good way) of Cottonwood Hill into more laid back ethnic territory.

The album gets off to a great start with 'Radagacuca' with some mysterious organ and flute leading into a bit of bongo drumming before the main part of the song with acoustic guitar and sitar starts up. This song is great, it kinda meanders along pleasantly and the guitar starts playing some more atonal dissonant licks before the whole band drops in and we're treated to a fine psychedelic kraut jam with some great heavy organ and manic laughter. 'Like a place in the sun' is my other favourite song on this album, although I'm not the biggest fan of the chorus the heavy bass driven jamming is to die for and it's probably the closest in style to the music off 'Cottonwood Hill'.

Psychonaut also features some great production, there are a lot of little nuances and some great panning work (simple but effective) here, my personal favourite part about it is the rich, deep, dirty organ sound, probably one of my favourite organ sounds ever. Overall Psychonaut is a very solid kraut album, a bit of a departure from BRAINTICKET's earlier work but definitely a worthwhile album for any fan of krautrock.

What a fantastic album! Of the three early Brainticket this is my favorite. Take the first 2 tracks from 'Cottonwoodhill', "Black Sand" and "Places of Light", add a more mature, mellow, ethnic and stoned sound and more diversity, and you have some idea of the feel of 'Psychonaut' (alternately, if you have heard 'Celestial Ocean', the majority of this album sounds most like the track "Egyptian Kings"). While not usually getting to the forcefulness of the former two pieces, the songs on 'Psychonaut' show a flowing range of diversity that makes the album very pleasant to listen to. Whereas 'Cottonwoodhill' was a more acid rock oriented album, this is more stoned-out (though they both have each quality) and one of my absolute favorites to listen to under that influence. I can't pick any standout tracks because every song is excellent ("Radagacuca" might be my slight favorite). The quality of this album forgives the fact that the thing's a mere 32 minutes long.

Recommended to those liking krautrock, psychedelic, electronic, and ethnic acoustic musical textures and bands such as Agitation Free, Popol Vuh, Dom, Amon Düül II, Can, Brave New World, Kalacakra, Ashra, Ash Ra Tempel, Dzyan, Yatha Sidhra and Bröselmaschine.

5 stars!

Well, I don't listen krautrock so much like other prog, but this album ... it can't be so bad at all. When I heard good rhythm and flute (which sounds like it's flying away to another world) in 'Radagacuca' , I was decided for writing review after long time of keeping silence. I am still listening, still thinking about it, still keeping every tone in my ears ...

'One Morning' is quite shorter, but more unified than first track. Here's nice piano, it really strokes my soul. Once upon a time I played the piano ...

'Watchin' You' has simple and short, but good guitar solo, I enjoyed it. Vocals are quite mad, I don't like an idea they're watching me in some dangerous, dark street.

'Like a Place in the Sun' ... this is reason, that's why I don't wanna give 5*... it's not bad, but there's sometimes more speaking than singing, this song is quite annoying for me.

'Feel the Wind Blow' , it really reminds me a wind. Slow, dreamy music ... that's my way, go on, go on ...

'Coc'o Mary' ... it's not about me (heh, really not), but it sounds like me, like my opinions, my nature ... here's hypnotic drums ... and crazy flute, again. I know, Ian Anderson plays it better, but this sounds good, too. And unidentified instrument for me, like a xylophone, probably it was synth. Never mind, my hearing is failing.

Songs are sometimes full of unexpected twists. From silence to simply noise and back. That's not my cup of tea, but I feel good. Psychedelic shadow is more than evident.

Good 4*, I advise it for long nights, when you can't sleep and counting sheep is boring for you.

With "Cottonwoodhill" BRAINTICKET entered the premier league of psychedelic music, but with all of its revolutionary and mind-blowing (sometimes literally!) performance it was still an acquired taste...

Then comes the "Psychonaut" - an amazing record of heavy "acid" rock empowered by folk/raga etherial sounds. There are loads of flute, keyboards and hand drums that sometime remind of another excellent band from about the same era - BROESELMASCHINE. "From Another Planet/Radagacuca" opens and draws you right away into a mind-bending world. Heavy sound of Hammond is omnipresent particularly in two heavy tracks "Watching You" and "Like the Place in the Sun", while the closing instrumental "Cock-o-Mary" brings a flute riff sounding like a continuation of "Black Sand" from the previous notable LP. I just recently checked another obscure band from the same period - BABE RUTH - and even here I found some similarities, perhaps because of female lead vocals.

This is excellent album from the classic prog era and I would highly recommend it to all self-respecting prog afficionados. Between 4 and 5 stars, but I am usually a bit leniant toward less popular and largely unknown artists.

An icy blast of Leslied Hammond Organ, some spectral echoed flute and Indian drums and we're on our way on another cosmic voyage. It's a classic sound which typifies the expansive, exploratory early '70's. This conjures up visions of open fires, herbal refreshments and communal living. If pushed the closest comparison musically would be perhaps Amon Duul II.

`Psychonaut' is the immaculately recorded and newly remastered second album by Brainticket out on Esoteric's Reactive imprint for all good things in Euro-Rock.There is quite a melting pot of styles on display here, obvious Indian influences, psychedelic rock, and the perhaps less likely traces of English folk. It's a strong album with much to recommend it.

Like successor `Celestial Ocean', it was recorded in RCA studios in Milan (in late 1971) with Joel Vandroogenbroeck at the helm. It's a remarkable album, largely song based across it's six tracks but swathed in effects and textures which create a unique sound world above and beyond a mere collection of songs. At the forefront is the timeless combination of organ and flute, and backed by some pounding drumming in the more uptempo sections this work really takes off. There are sound effects of wind and rain, heavily echoed piano and much else to sustain the interest, nothing outlives it's usefulness and like a trip there is no telling what will happen next.

There is acid folk, psychedelic rock and a sustained level of grooviness. The female vocals whilst hardly profound are appealing in a stoned sort of way, and the album certainly provides a welcome escape from the tedium of modern life with much to enjoy within.

Not as psychedelic as their previous album, nor as electronic or cosmic as their next, Brainticket hit a good medium with their sophomore effort, Psychonaut. The laid-back and chill feel of the album is always there, but still has a jam band feeling, much like their debut; albeit not as acid-laced (or bad tripish). The unheard chill of the 1970s.

1.Radagacuca - The first sign of a good trip may start off scary, as this song definatly does. The heavy church organ and flute fills are almost primative sounding, though still retain a slightly otherworldly feeling. After a slightly heavy beginning, a very primative beat is set, with sitars, bongos, and interesting but chill vocal harmonies. The flute is still present, as the vocals speak in english with a slight accent that may not be heard for the untrained ear. A classic opening. (9.5/10)

2.One Morning - One of the shorter tracks, also the only filler track. Vocal harmonies are here, as are the classical sounding piano and odd bongos that really don't mix with the sharp sound of the piano being played. It's definatly aways from the overall trip, as there is nothing truely redeeming about it. (6/10)

3.Watchin' You - Possibly my favourite on the album, a totally grooving, acid drenched track, filled with heavy organ, creepy sound effects, steady beat, and screaming women vocals. The type of sound that is played is more on the garage rock side of things, as they sloppily plow through the song, but with an almost proto-punk feeling. Great bass playing and drumming, as the beat is always steady. Nice and innovative. (10/10)

4.Like a Place in the Sun - Almost eclectic prog, very nice psychedelia and sharp instrumentation is on this track. The poetry may be reminded of hawkwind, but female, is totally trippy. Catchy chorus, nice organ parts and riffing is on this track. Definatly a keeper of a track. (9/10)

5.Feel the Wind Blow - One of the other fillers. Actually not that bad considering, as the band takes on some new folk influences, mixed with the ethnic sound of the bongos. The vocals are a down point, as some off-key vocal harmonies are always there, but what do you expect from five or six mushroom-munching musicians? Nice and calmn acoustic psychedelia. (7.5/10)

6.Cocò Mary - Quite a bit like the older days of band, as the track relies on heavy usage of effect-laden organ. Riffing of the organ is always there, with heavy jazz flourishes and pounding drums. Heavy bass drumming and bass playing are mixed with light sounds of flute, totally makes for an interesting and varied experience. (8.5/10)

Though there are some dudes on this album, theres some great tracks, as this is another great album from the krautrock genre. I give it a 4 stars, mostly because there are a few tracks that don't get your attention. Highly recommended if you want to explore the limits of the hammond organ and your mind...

After the wild trip that was 'Cottonwoodhill' Brainticket basically dissolved, but keyboard player Joel Vandroogenbroeck gathered an entirely different line-up around him, settling for a more song-oriented approach for the second album. I find it quite an improvement actually.

The album is very short but it doesn't waste a minute, much unlike the out-there extravaganza of the first album. One thing remained the same and that's Joel's fascination for 60's psychedelicca, many of the songs recall either the Beatles, the Stones, Pink Floyd or 60's acid folk acts. It always comes with a prominent role for the vocals, flutes, organ and percussive drumming. The songs are very diverse and generally excellent, only 'Like A Place in the Sun' features - just like it's title - a couple of cheesy vocals, the instrumental part is fun though.

The band is placed under Kraut but this album is far more accessible then the average Kraut album. There's a certain weirdness to it, but hailing from 1972, this is a fairly tame and accessible acid rock with catchy songs and melodic instrumentation. 3.5 stars.

Brainticket followed up their insanely trippy debut album, Cottonwoodhill, with this one, which remains firmly in psych-prog territory but is somewhat more approachable. Whilst it isn't quite as extreme as the previous album - there's less orgasmic screaming and no half-hour hypnotic rhythmic freakout - the consequence of this is that the album seems a bit more forgettable, the band conceding a little too much of their identity in their sidestep towards the mainstream. Some of the flute work on Coc'O Mary, the final track, is reminiscent of early Jethro Tull, for example, and for most of the album the band seems to put forward a tamer, safer, and ultimately less interesting vision of psychedelia than on their frenzied first album. It's good psych, but it's not freaky enough to be really good hard psych and not gentle or beautiful enough to be a great example of the softer side of psychedelia; as a consequence, it's an uncomfortable compromise which does what it does perfectly competently but excels at nothing.

The Krautrock album I've heard that makes the most arduous attempt to play it safe and check off whatever boxes it needs to. On the surface, that sounds like an okay attempt of getting into the genre, but once you've heard other (and better) albums and bands from around the same period, PSYCHONAUT is destined to get lost in the shuffle.

The jamming isn't bad (particularly the last track which reminds me of the German jazz outfit, Out of Focus), but bands like CAN or Neu could make elongated, repetitive jams work. ''Radagacuca'' takes a good long time to build with the payoff not as rewarding as it should be. The jamming here is pretty mundane and menial; I'm half asleep by the time the jam is over.

Whatever else the band tries sounds like an inferior version of Amon Duul II, ''One Fine Morning'' excluded. That arena of accessible Krautrock was about perfect on an ADII album called WOLF CITY; what we have on PSYCHONAUT is more or less watered-down and humdrum (despite this album predating the ADII one). The vocals are excruciatingly horrendous with absolutely no emotional investment in the delivery.

PSYCHONAUT is comparable to Greenslade's debut; has as many of the traits of its genre but watered-down and nonexciting. Only for diehard Krautrock fans.

It's always hard to get a handle on a band that reinvents itself for every album, but in truth the second LP from the Switzerland-based Brainticket was made by an entirely different group than the one that recorded "Cottonwoodhill" in 1971. Only multi-instrumentalist Joel Vandroogenbroeck remained from the original lineup; his erstwhile bandmates were likely still under medical care after surviving the borderline insanity of that earlier session.

Hearing both albums back-to-back (and they were packaged as such in at least one reissue) can be a tremendous letdown. The band's sophomore effort is a lot more inhibited than "Cottonwoodhill", but let's face it: outside of a tightly-knit straightjacket few things could possibly compare to such an extreme experience.

But just because the music was on a tighter leash is no reason to dismiss it. On its own terms "Psychonaut" is a more or less typical scrapbook of early '70s Head etiquette, complete with tablas, sitar, and Good Vibes, the latter an actual performance credit (along with "Strange Sounds"). Considered in isolation, the album is creative, unpredictable, and sometimes even exciting, from the heavy Krautrock-cum-early Tull jam in "Coc'O Mary" to the atypically haunting "Feel the Wind Blow" to the mildly lysergic flute curlicues in the opening "Radagacuca", later sampled (without acknowledgement) by fanboy Steve Wilson in his faux-LSD trip "Voyage 34".

The full effect never quite lives up to the album's awesome title or Bosch-like artwork. And the long shadow of "Cottonwoodhill" continues to linger over every note, even now. But that's okay: after such an untethered freakout the milder highs of "Psychonaut" can be a welcome relief.

The legitimate Brainticket sound has been found!

It's amazing to think how little time it took the band to reinvent themselves and completely change the musical concept, as Cottonwoodhill was released in 1971 as well as this album, only a few months apart. Here the band seems to have grown up a lot, providing more uplifting and creative music, achieving a nurturing and welcoming terrain of open nature through unusual instruments such as the tbilat and slide whistle. I am compelled to say that I find the flutes played by Joel Vandroogenbroeck and Martin Sacher very pleasing. In fact, for the year of the album's release, I am surprised at how forward-thinking they are!

Certain songs like Radagacuca or Like A Place In The Sun (my favourite on the album) remind me a lot of the early days of CAN.

It's very striking how much progress they've made in so few months. I think as soon as they released the album (or even before they did), they knew the band sounded too electronic and with a lot of missing principles that needed to be moulded. They have gone from a tedious, incomplete and lacking in personality to a more spiritual, pure and mature sound.

Sure, the band is still the same and you can tell it's them, but here they have taken an unexpected leap in quality and the nature of the sound is much more apparent. Great addition to the musical culture of any fan of progressive rock and its derivatives.