TIMOTHY LEARY & ASH RA TEMPEL: SEVEN UP

ASH RA TEMPEL was reduced to the core Göttsching/Enke and they initially wanted to produce an album with Allen Ginsberg. However - he was missing for a while. They abandoned the search and asked US psychologist Timothy Leary instead of that who was famous for promoting drug consume. Leary had been in Switzerland applying for asylum and couldn't come to Germany fearing to be forwarded back into the USA because he had trouble with the law. So Manuel Göttsching and Hartmut Enke went to this alpine country together with several guest musicians to work with him.

This album was the first release of 'Kosmische Kuriere', the label of Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, who became famous because supporting a lot of krautrock bands but later fall in disgrace (he arranged music parties and recorded the sessions without the permission of the musicians). 'Seven Up' offers two long improvised tracks - the second is a live recording from the Bern Festival in 1972. The Vinyl version appeared with two different covers. No question - a collaboration with a drugs guru couldn't really be managed without the use of drugs. It is said they had drinks mixed up with LSD.

The band starts the first part of Space called 'Downtown' with a simple blues theme. And when you're feeling uncomfortable after some time and try to check out if you've muddled up your collection or are on the wrong platform the first way-out spacey interlude destroys this perfect idyll. And the song continues in this way provided with plain rock themes interrupted by an ambient spacey intermezzo here and there. This is all headed by 'rock' singer Timothy Leary who gives his best. Musically not inspiring and disappointing.

But fortunately we have another track Time recorded live in Bern which belongs to the best what 'Kosmische Musik' is able to deliver. A beautiful trippy ambient experience with spaced-out guitar chords, organ and electronics. Leary's contributions are held back here which benefits. All in all three stars for this production for a summary.