ASH RA TEMPEL

This is Klaus Schulze's first appearance after leaving Tangerine Dream and he's got his drumsticks out!. As you know it's one track per side on this recording, side one being 'Amboss' which sounds a bit all over the place and 'not really going anywhere'. The usual Krautrock guitars, drums and bass are present but after the spooky beginning it all turns rather frantic and develops into a jam that will appeal to some but not to others. The guitars are pretty good though. I'm not really sure what to make of this track, even after 3 years. Part of me likes it, the other half thinks it's a pile of kak.

Side two's Traummaschine' is a different kettle of fish altogether. It's a meisterwerk. Almost guitar, drum and bass free and very ethereal sounding. It conjures up images of the Somme or Verdun surrounded in fog after a bit of bloodletting. Could be quite disturbing to listen to depending on where you hear it. A very difficult album to rate. If the first half was like the second it's almost 5 stars. As it is I'll have to go for 3 as it's just too jarring to hear such differing types of music on this album.