HÖLDERLINS TRAUM

This adorable folk album full of emotions really struck to the very heart of the elements building up my musical appreciation. "Waren Wir" starts the album by presenting major elements of the record, melancholia and beautiful romanticism in psychedelic context. There are lush keyboard passages over the conventional rock trio sound, flavored with enchanting violin and Rufus Zuphall sounding flutes. There is a faster part in the middle with some narrative vocals, and in the end the track is fading in and out mysteriously. "Peter" is a more conservative song with traditional medieval guitar arpeggio start and more down-to-earth polka / peasant song in the end. "Strohhalm" is a short oriental sounding number for flute, tablas, sitar and the male voice.

"Requiem für einen Wicht" is one of the major tracks here, starting mysteriously with flute, lady singer and fast run of drum plates building up tension. Acoustic guitar chords start to stir to the composition towards a marching rhythm with violins, having really great melodies and sounds, leading to a moody verse which is exceptionally great. Then there are also some classical music resembling movements for violin, guitar and bass guitar in the end, before the song returns to the starting motive. A nice film was shot from this song also for German television. "Erwachen" start again traditionally with flute on the front. After short quiet voices a slightly Spanish sounding theme for guitar & piano is presented where Nanny DeRuig joinswith her voice. A nice tune, but it sadly fades away without decent conclusion reached. Then we can enjoy some great guitar work and moody singing on the song "Wetterbericht". This is a really pretty archetype of af an hippie folk rock pastoral, my own thoughts disappeared to the visions of romantic pastures conjured by the players. Some neat quiet synths create slight carpet of mist upon the glades. Later choral voices underline the sacred emotions evoked by the scenery.

The album ends to a fabulous composition "Traum", which starts with waves of drum plates evoking mantric whirls of acoustic guitars descending below to the worlds of dreams. The guitars are joined by tablas which predict the rock rhythm section and flute to enter, making again a groove sounding quite much the album "Weiss Der Teufel" from band referred earlier as comparison in sounds. Later the faster beat collapses, and the voices reduce pace and their form swirls surrealistically for a moment before the melodic theme returns for a last time, melting then the song and entire record away. Here the fadeout works well, as it creates a feeling of ascending away from the dreamy realm, which is left to existing on unreachable plains, summoned only by playing this album. This record was probably an influence for the late 1970's Carol of Harvest album, having great instrumental jamming sequences and orientation for free impressionism along with the defined compositions. I really liked the romanticism and mystic medieval influences surged through the psychedelic frame of reference with a fine musicianship, creating yet another vintage ace album from the 1970's Germany, which I would certainly recommend for anybody liking hazy folk music with fragile female voice.