TIMOTHY LEARY & ASH RA TEMPEL: SEVEN UP

This album is so grossly underappreciated it's not even funny. I think this album is total genius. ASH RA TEMPEL was never known for a steady lineup, the band lost vocalist John L. from their previous album (I heard stories that John L.'s previous band, AGITATION FREE thought he was so far out there that they had to give him the boot, and apparently ASH RA TEMPEL felt the same). For an organist, they brought in Steve Schroyder, who previously appeared on TANGERINE DREAM's "Alpha Centauri" (and also Zeit, but only as a guest). And of course, it wouldn't be ASH RA TEMPEL without guitarist Manuel Göttsching, plus bassist Hartmut Enke is still here.

This album features none other than Timothy Leary, the famous LSD guru! He was in exile in Switzerland, and in fact, ASH RA TEMPEL had to record this album in Switzerland because Leary would have been arrested if he ended up in Germany. Anyway, this album really was done under the influence of LSD. Leary would spike the cans of 7-Up that the band members would drink with LSD, and then let them play. The first half of the album featured a bunch of blues songs, but never let that deceive you! After only a couple minutes, all hell breaks loose with the most relentless electronic effects that jut won't let up! Every time you think the band is starting to rock out or play the blues, it goes right back to LSD land just that fast! The second half of the album is more conventional ASH RA TEMPEL, keeping with the early '70s Krautrock sound (reminding me of early TANGERINE DREAM). Grossly underrated stuff, as far as I'm concerned.