TOMORROW'S GIFT

TOMORROW'S GIFT was an early German prog rock band, totally avoiding the Krautrock sound like many of their contemporaries (CAN, AMON DÜÜL II, etc.) and going for an early, rough, unpolished prog rock sound, much like JETHRO TULL. The band featured female vocalist Ellen Meyer, who apparently had a very poor grasp of the English language. If you thought ELOY's Frank Bornemann had trouble with the English language, wait until you hear this lady. Another notworthy member is guitarist Carlo Karges. He was later a member of NOVALIS (only on their self-entitled second album from 1975), and in the 1980s, was found playing for Nena (the lady who gave us that worn-out synth-pop hit, "99 Red Balloons", or as it's known in German, "99 Luftballoons"). Well, don't let the Nena connections scare you off, 1984 was a totally different world from 1970, and it really isn't too much different from comparing what GENESIS did in 1970 ("Trespass") to what the did in 1983 (their self-entitled album with "Illegal Alien").

Anyway, the self-entitled album from TOMORROW'S GIFT was their debut, and a double album released on a very short lived label called +Plus+ (owned by IKARUS member Jochen Petersen). Here you get early prog, much in the British style, with only the ridiculous accented vocals of Ellen Meyer herself to reveal this isn't British. "Prayin' To Satan" is that prime example, get a load on how she sings the word "Satan"! There's some gems here too like "Breeds There a Man" and "King in a Nook". The former even features the use of clavinet, I guess that shouldn't be any surprise, since Hohner, famous for accordions and harmonicas, made clavinets, and the company was based in Germany. But then this album also has its pitfalls. Double album but not enough good material to warrant anything more than a single album set. The most problematic is "The First Seasons After the Destruction". At 13 minutes, it degenerates in to a pointless wankfest, and that boring drum solo sure doesn't help manners any. The other lenthy cut, the 8 minute "Sandy Concert" is another pointless piece, with Jochen Petersen guesting on sax here. It's basically a sax solo with a riff repeated ad nauseum.

Not the best album on the +Plus+ label (that goes to the self-entitled IKARUS album from 1971, who was definately a better band). Anyway, this album would be a masterpiece if they rid of the wankfests on the lengthier pieces, other than that, only a good, not great early prog album.

This is one of the most over-rated album of all times in the collectioner world . Do not believe all of those dythirambic reviews as T's G is a good rock band with progressive leanings but this is absolutely no masterpiece. I have read less reviews since this was re- released but I find it a shame that they could fit those two short vinyls onto one CD , which tells you a bit of the expoitation that some want to make out out of a rare and slightly above average vinyl.

This is really too bad as the music is a good bluesy prog not unlike the better known Affinity and is also fronted by a goodlooking and good singing broad.

Fantastic Kraut-Prog band from Hamburg with an original and groundbreaking sound few acts were producing in ealy-70's.The initial steps found Tomorrow's Gift covering tracks from tne famous British/American Rock bands of late-60's and material from the late-69'/70' can be heard in the ''Pop & Blues Festival 1970'' and ''Love And Peace'' compilations, but at the same time the band was preparing for its debut, writing and recording original songs.Tomorrow's Gift's self-titled double-LP debut was the first album to be released on the short-lived yet legendary Plus label in 1970 with a 6-piece line-up of Ellen Meier (vocals), Wolfgang Trescher (flute), Carlo Karges (guitars, percussion), Bernd Kiefer (bass), Gerd Paetzke (drums), Manfred Rürup (keyboards).

These talented Germans sound like a band struggling to stay calm with the ordinary Psych/Blues/Hard Rock style, which was pretty popular in 1970, and simultaneously trying to push the limits of Rock music to a next level.The album yet contains the basic elements of Hard/Blues Rock, characterized by the powerful grooves, the mindblowing guitar solos, the tremendous energy of the rhythm section, the dominant Hammond organ parts and the sharp riffs, while next to these you get a singer who sounds a lot like JANIS JOPLIN.But things are actually way more complicated.Along with the basic rockin' passages you will get series of driving flutes with both Kraut and symphonic leanings, Classical-inpired keyboard textures (even some lovely clavinet appears in one track), massive sudden breaks, elaborate and refined interplays and impressive changing tempos.The daring face of the group does not stop here.The longer tracks even contain the fundamental color of early German Kraut Rock: long, powerful and pounding jams, based on furious, psychedelic grooves with guitars and organ in the forefront and yet another solid performance by the tireless rhythm section.

Among the best ever Kraut Rock debuts.A fascinating mix of Psychedelic, Hard, Symphonic and early-70's Progressive Rock, that is sure to satisfy even the most demanding proghead out there.An instant and highly recommended purchase.