Zeuhl 5

With its immediate stylistic affinities to Thirsty Moon, Embryo, Out Of Focus and other participants in the psychedelically addled German jazzy jam band jamboree, this live document certainly goes a long way toward reinstating them within the circumscribed boundaries of krautrock as its popularly identified, though it's also concurrently less identifiable as something likely to raise the hairs on my neck or the lump in my throat. That said, any seasoned krautrock afficionado's pleasure centers are sure to be mercilessly molested by the epic title track from their second album Girlrls as reworked here, an 18+ minute revelation that sidles up so close to the spirit of Agitation Free's 2nd, it practically dry humps it. While the remainder falls short of attaining access to this sanctified realm, it's never less that engaging. A second tier title from a first rate outfit, newcomers are strongly advised to dip their toes in the soma pool of Eiliff's self-titled debut before venturing into this somewhat less auspicious backwater.

(Originally published in Alternative Press #140, p.78; reprinted with permission)