HOELDERLIN LIVE - TRAUMSTADT

This is a very underrated German progressive rock band! The double-album "Hoelderlin Live - Traumstadt" is their finest work and showcases the band at their pinnacle. It's still considered as one of the milestones in the German rock history and has some similarities with other German progrock band GROBSCHNITT concerning the long solos, visual effects, costumes and humor. The music was recorded in the Wuppertaler Opernhaus in October '77, the 2-LP was released in '78. The band was hit by multiple changes in the line- up, on "Traumstadt" the musicians were Joachim Grumbkow (keyboards and vocals on "Streaming"), Pablo Weeber (all guitars), Michael Bruchmann (drums), Cristoph 'Nops' Noppeney (lead vocals and violin) and Hans Baar (bass). All the nine melodic tracks have their own climate and features fluid accellarations, nice interludes, pleasant keyboards (string-ensemble, electric piano, organ and clavinet) and great interplay between electric guitar and violin. But the focus is on the solowork: fiery ("Sun Rays"), biting ("Soft Landing") and howling ("Die Stadt") on the electric guitar and exciting ("Streaming") and spectacular ("Die Stadt") on the violin. Many solos are supported by the wonderful and distinctive sound of the string-ensemble, a compelling combination! Recommended, especially to the fans of the violinplay of JEAN LUC PONTY and EDDIE JOBSON.