ANDY NOGGER

I'm a little bit surprised that nobody reviewed this album before. Kraan is not the best known band relating to the terrific genre 'Krautrock' but definitely a good one. "Andy Nogger" is their third output and can be regarded as their best, at least it was the album that marked their breakthrough, speaking about sales figures. The album was released shortly before their first live album and many songs can be found on both albums. Sometimes you get the impression that the live versions got more famous because the immense pleasure of playing live makes the songs sound better. But this fact doesn't reduce "Andy Nogger". Far from it, this album is one of my favorite Krautrock recordings.

The style can be described with mentioning the more jazzier atmosphere, sometimes it sounds like a jamsession. I think that's due to the terrific percussion and bass work wich creates a perfect base for the melody and solo performances of the guitar and the saxophone. Vocals can be heard here and there. They can be described as the typical strange Krautrock vocals but maybe not as strange as other Krautrock vocal performances. The funny thing is that someone in the booklet compared them to 'Yes' but that's something I really can't countersign. Maybe their style sounds more connected to the symphonic prog than other Krautrockers like Guru Guru, Amon Düül II. Just like 'Wallenstein' who also have a differing style, sounding more symphonic. Highlight of the album is for sure "Holiday am Materhorn". Conspicuous is the great percussion work and the strong bass. The diverse solos sound really great. No vocals on this one. But in general you will find no bad songs on "Andy Nogger", seven outstanding Krautrock pieces with a symphonic and jazzy general sound.

So if you are looking for Krautrock and don't know where to start, "Andy Nogger" may be the right thing to purchase. Kraan is a highly underrated band, try it and I'm sure you will agree. So I really recommend Kraan and especially "Andy Nogger"...

This is a really good, jazzy/spacey cd. I can't believe only one person has reviewed this. Its one of the most under-rated krautrock albums ofa ll time and I just get this overall sense of really good vibes! Be sure to check these guys out any way you can, you won't regret it!

4.75 stars, but amazing nonetheless.

This one gets my vote for Kraan's best studio album. Oddly, this album is as much Conny Plank's as the band's, just listen to the insane sound-effects he adds to "Yellow Bamboo", "Son of the Sun" and "Home".

But the production never hampers or restrains the band's wild energy. The lengthy instrumental "Holiday am Marterhorn" gives the individual soloists the greatest room to stretch out, but there's plenty to like on brash opener "Stars" and the funky and exciting "Nam Nam". If the album has a fault, it's that a single disc was a bit constraining. Best/worst example: the title tune, which fades out just when things start getting interesting.

It's a very minor complaint, though, when you're presented with music of such quality. A superb starting point for this singularly irrepressible act.

Kraan's third album is a bit singular and has a sound of its own, not to say it has ONE sound of its own: this is obviously due to the production, but my ever-lasting impression is that this is a very monotonous record, with relatively few dynamic range (as opposed to the first two albums) and limited inspiration. I realize that I may be going a bit against the majority current here (as it is widely seen as an important album), but I will certainly not deny the other qualities of this record, either 3,5 stars really!!!

Lead-off track stars is an interesting up-tempoed funk beat tracks with Jack Bruce- style vocals and Wishbone Ash-tinged lead guitar lines (Argus period). Next up is a rather similar title track with fuzzed-out saxes (Canterbury-styled); I personally think this was a mistake to do two such similar tracks one after the other. The same can be said about the other two tracks on this side of the album, rounding up a rather lacklustre halftime result. But clearly better is to come. One of the weird things about Kraan is the rather atypical guitar sound since guitarist Wolbrandt uses mostly a Fender Telecaster (an odd choice since the Stratocaster is so much better suited for solos) as his main instrument although he also uses a hollow-bodied Gibson at times.

The second vinyl side starts with the highlight of the album, with the instruments clearly given a bit more space but guitarist Wolbrandt stealing the show, but again early W A sounds dominate, with saxman Peppert doubling up on his reeds to provide that twin lead effect. Home is maybe the track that breaks most away from the mould in which this record was cast, and its many instrumental prowess finally reveal the genius uncovered in the debut album (but almost absent in the next three vinyl sides) but moreover it has a soul of its own and a spacey ending. Final track Yellow Bamboo has a slight eastern influence sometimes Arabic-influenced sometimes Far-Eastern induced, but the main feature is its heavy psych-rock feel.

An album that finishes much better than it started, but cannot help but deceive the fan expecting a return to the first album. Clearly the second side of the album indicated they still had it, but if that first side had been as good, this might have been their best album!!!

The band states in the liner notes that this was their best known album, and many fans feel it was their best record. While this is a solid 4 star album for me I do prefer their first two records to this one. Conny Plank certainly added a lot in the studio to this release with knowledge and affects. One important thing about this recording is that the sound is crystal clear.

"Stars" sounds great when it kicks into gear before a minute. Vocals follow and he's very confident and also having fun. Tasteful guitar after 3 minutes. Good beat throughout. "Andy Nogger" also has a great beat. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in are spoken. The guitar and sax are excellent. "Nam Nam" is relaxed to open with bass throbbing. The tempo picks up before 1 1/2 minutes and we have another fantastic rhythm section. Guitar is leading the way and sounding good. Sax comes in.This is catchy and jazzy. "Son Of The Sun" has some outstanding drumming throughout. Some nice deep bass lines as well. We get an almost spacey interlude 4 minutes in.

"Holiday Am Marterhorn" opens with bass and guitar. Sax joins in with drums to create a beautiful sound. The sax is truly heavenly. A change after 3 minutes as bass, guitar, drums and percussion lead the way. Awesome sound ! The bass is very fat. Sax returns late. This instrumental is my favourite song on here. "Home" has some sound affects early. Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes. This is as experimental as they will get on this album. The last minute of the song is spacey. "Yellow Bamboo" opens with some vocals and cool sounding guitar as sax follows. The vocals are treated.It gets a little crazy briefly after a minute. The sax is very Eastern sounding as drums beat. More great guitar before 3 minutes. This song is one of the best ones on here. Some nice affects.

I would highly recommend any of KRAAN's first 3 albums, but especially the first two.

The third Kraan album is their best known and most popular album. Popular being a relative thing for sure. It's a generally a solid album but it somehow fails to surprise and is certainly no match for the debut and Wintrup.

Stars is a rocking opener. The ringing guitar chords and the Arabian scales make it a great listen for me. It could use a bit more bite but it ends quite intense. Andy Nogger features a typically Kraan main riff: funky, complex and dead-catchy. The vocal melodies are less inspired but the slide guitar effects during the verses are interesting and announce the new wave sounds of later years. Quite a Can vibe as well on this one.

Nam Nam is a funky instrumental, not the polished fusion-funk coming from the USA in those years but the dirty, chugging and sexier type. Kraut-funk if I may call it so. This turned into a strong live piece for Kraan. The studio version leaves me a bit underwhelmed though.

Son of the Sun is another one that reminds me of Can in places. It's funkier and more playful but it has similar 'off' vocals and also uses a very percussive style of drumming that builds up a strong rhythmical tension. Arabian influences follow in the instrumental middle section. Great tune but the vocals could have been a bit more enthusiast. It's a general complaint I have with this album. Helmut Hattler vocal parts are certainly not as well developed as on Wintrup and are sometimes over-treated by studio effects.

With Holiday starts the superior second half of the album. It has a beautiful lead melody, very tuneful and emotional. The bass and drums engage in a superb dynamic interplay that leads to some groovy bass, sax and guitar jamming. Home is a jazzier bit with a mid-paced funk rhythm and atmospheric sound effects from guitars and saxes. The sparse vocals feel somewhat uncalled for. Yellow Bamboo ends the album with a hypnotizing rhythm and snake-charming sax melodies.

A good first half and an excellent second half. Smells like 3.5 stars. Compulsory listening for Kraut fans but I prefer the first two albums. Still, I feel like a nasty old schoolmaster just giving this 3 stars. But good means good right, and good it certainly is!

This is the best known album from this German band and also a fan favourite. There are some differences here compared to the band's first two albums. The main difference is, unlike the first two self-produced albums, this was produced by legendary producer/engineer Conny Plank who would continue to work with Kraan in the future. Another difference is that they get more accessible and song-oriented here, whereas the first album was very Krautrock sounding and improvisational and the second somewhere in between the two. Andy Nogger is also the last album with the original four piece line-up; the next album will add a keyboardist. There are vocals here in English, but it is still the actual music that grabs your attention. This is jazz and funk influenced rock music with great bass work from Helmut Hattler, with the saxophone being altered and modified; sometimes it sounds a keyboard.

"Stars" is some jazzy funk rock which features some Middle-Eastern inspired guitar lines. Also a bluesy guitar solo. The title track is the highlight of the album...prog-funk at its finest. This features a great memorable guitar riff and a melody on modified saxophone to die for. The rhythm section is as tight as tight can get. The only drawback may be the vocals - they are delivered in a weird way (as if the singer was intoxicated) that doesn't really add to the song. Would probably make a better instrumental, but it's still a great song anyway. "Nam Nam" is another standout track. Beginning as a smooth jazzy laid-back rock song, it picks up the pace later. Lots of room for the members to jam and solo. Great instrumental.

"Son Of The Sun" is a strong vocal song. Hattler's bass work is great here. The drumming stands out as well. Spacey sound effects at the end. "Holiday am Marterhorn" is a live favourite. Great melodic guitar and bass lines in this track. The melodies the saxophone plays are great as well. The interplay between the instruments is very well done. In concert this track gave the group lots of room to jam and improvise. You get a hint of all that on the studio version. Another standout instrumental.

"Home" starts out both spacey and jazzy. Goes into a groove as the vocals arrive. Lots of spacey effects here. I love the basslines in "Yellow Bamboo." The melody on saxophone is superb. Gets looser for awhile with some Middle-Eastern inspired sax playing. More studio altered sounds towards the end. A solid studio album (thanks to Mr. Plank) but like King Crimson and Magma, Kraan are at their best in a live setting. If you like your prog with some funkiness to it, give this a try. 4 stars.

Kraan were ready to face the challenge and work on an even more professional level by 1974, as the band was hitting the road in Germany for countless gigs.Their next work ''Andy Nogger'' was now recorded at the studio of experienced sound engineer Cony Planck near Cologne.The album was originally released on Spiegelei in 1974, but it was also the first one to reach the markets of the States and the Islands, released in 1975 on Passport Records and Gull respectively.

Planck was supposed to do only good to an already mature band with his professional background, but the truth is that this one sounds like the less convincing album of the original Kraan quartet.Blame it mostly on the rising edges of Funk throughout, as the strong psychedelic and Ethnic component of Kraan's music somewhat starts to fade and the same goes for the Kraut Rock character of the band, although facts say they still performed plenty of jamming improvisations during their lives.''Andy Nogger'' sounds like a pretty standard Jazz Rock/Fusion effort at the very end and the presence of the intense rhythmic patterns of the Kraut Rock movement is what still sets them apart from other acts of the time.The music is now a funky-oriented Fusion with less sharp sax lines and almost zero ethnic orientations, basically structured around furious grooves, intense bass lines, solid drumming and the occasional sax parts, delivering plenty of rockin' tunes, while the listener searches for some good old Kraan experimentation in the album.''Holiday am Marterhorn'' maybe offers such an attitude, being stylistically closer to the dramatic Kraut Fusion of the previous albums with great sax work by Johannes Pappert, but it's propably the production that make it sound a bit sterile at the end.However Kraan still play some quite tight and energetic music in ''Andy Nogger'' with good interplays, flaming rhythms and jazzy soloing.

A bit on the safer side of Kraut Fusion, lacking the intricate and deeply psychedelic moments of ''Kraan'' or ''Wintrup''.Bear in mind that this comes close to a standard Jazz Rock/Fusion effort, still carrying the Kraan identity, and chances to like it will increase.Recommended.