2ND

Jamming is one of the things that I like in Krautrock, especially when it's well balanced. A bad example of jamming is the ridicolous trippy debut of Amon Duul. "First Communication" is a good one, instead. The two guitars and the bass sound like the early Wishbone Ash, but the dissonant note, likely played by mistake at about minute 2 witnesses the fact that it's a jam and possibly a one- take recording. Despite this fact, the track is well structured. Ok, it's a few chords progression, but the first part of "Sometimes World", to mention Wishbone Ash again, hasn't much more. This track is relaxing, if it was meant to be trippy, that's surely a good trip. Possibly, I would put it on while driving (if only my wife allowed this kind of music when we travel by car).

"Dialogue And Random" is totally different. Just electronic noises of the kind that make "Invisible Connections" by Vangelis. Not as iconic as "On The Run" by Pink Floyd. It's a sort of bridge between the chaotic final of the first track and the beauty of the third.

"Laila part 1" Has again an initial Wishbone Ash vibe due to the 12 strings guitar, but the electric guitar riff is another story: it's rock with a touch of psychedelia, maybe a bit late as it's 1973 and it sounds as it came from the previous decade. By the way, it's my pot. I love it. "Laila part 2" is a surprise. It still reminds me of Wishbone Ash but also of CAMEL. If somebody told me that's a track missed from Moonmadness, I could believe it. Here Rausch and Diez show that they are also good instrumentists. There are few fast guitar passages where a good technique is on display, while the drums are similar to the style of Andy Ward that I don't think it's an easy thing.

"In The Silence Of The Morning" runs on the same binaries. A repetitive bass line, metronomic drums, dissonant 12 strings guitar trippy electric guitar and a subtle background of keyboards. Another good trip that the dissonant chords played by Ulbrich make more interesting.

Probably there's something that I don't get, but I often skip "A Quite Walk". To me it's like a failed attempt to experimentalism. It has good moments, but I find it inconsistent. Probably if it was accompanied by colorful images it would have a different impact. The bouzuki part sounds Indian even if it's a Greek instrument and not a SItar, and it's the best part of the track. Does anybody remember George Harrison's solo stuff?

The album is closed by "Haunted Island". The only track featuring lyrics and vocals. Thow voices, one whispered and a bass note at the end of each sentence before organ and drums create a crescendo of suspance. When the bass enters, we are almost in the Eloy realm. It's not Atlantis sinking, or is it? The final explosion closes the track too suddenly. It's a pity.

The weak parts of the album are well counterbalanced by the goods, there's some musicianship that's not always ensured in Krautrock, so even who is not too much into this subgenre can enjoy about 40 minutes of good vibrations. With or without smoking stuff.