ROCKOPER PROFITGEIER

I bought this LP because it was on Ohr, it was a reasonable price, it was pressed on red vinyl, and had a real cool gimmick cover. It seems these guys recorded more stuff on the Ohr label than anyone else, but they have recorded before and after leaving the label. I've been aware of Floh de Cologne for ages, but I never had them as a priority band, and I can see why. This album is a great example of a band who seems more interested in politics than of quality of music. Area, Robert Wyatt and Henry Cow certainly were openly political (communist, actually) but also remembered that the music mattered too. That's why I can easily recommend Arbeit Macht Frei (Area), Rock Bottom (Wyatt), or In Praise of Learning (Henry Cow). Floh de Cologne, like those other acts, were openly communist, but these guys seemed to have a very childish, juvenile view of politics, a great example going to "Der Kapitalismus Stinkt" ("Capitalism Stinks"), not only that but they often flirted with music styles that really clash bad, I don't need to hear polka after hearing some brilliant psychedelic guitar-dominated passages, or something else just as cheesy and lame. Lyrics seem to appeal to adolescences who hadn't yet had a realistic point of view about politics. This particular album was recorded live, and I can see why they'd record a live album, since the best way they can spread their message would have been on stage. I heard stuff from Lokomotive Kreutzberg, another similar politirock band as Floh de Cologne (in fact they have connections with them), from judging on their last two albums, Fette Jahre (1975) and Mountain Town (1977), they made much better music and I could take them more seriously. I need to give Profitgeier more listens, but it really not left a good impression.