HÖLDERLINS TRAUM

1. "Waren Wir" (4:51) is one fantastic song. Starting slow and simply with piano-based music being sung over by female voice auf Deutch, there is a pause at 1:12 followed by a jazzy organ-based, flute-soloing, congo-accompanied section until a male spoken voice says something in German before musicians jam till fade. (10/10)

2. "Peter" (2:57) is standard folk fare. There are some nice chord changes and guitar picking accompanying the pretty female singing voice. (8/10)

3. "Strohhalm" (2:06) reminds me of some acoustic CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG/JONI MITCHELL only with a singular male singer, small hand drums, acoustic guitar and sitar playing very prominently. (7/10)

4. "Requiem fur einen Wicht" (6:39) is a pretty, sometimes waltzy, folk song. I especially enjoy the swirling effects created by the violins. Nice lilting female vocal from Nanny DeRuig in the middle section--with the long held notes. The middle section of militaristic drumming and violin is haunting. Then everything quiets down to a more Bohemian 'gypsy' violin and guitar duet--rejoined by flute, rhythm section and vocal at the 5:30 mark. Intriguing song. (9/10)

5. "Erwachen" (4:06) opens with recorder, piano and tambourine playing a little medieval troubadour-like song, before there is a pause for nature sounds (wolf in the woods?) The song picks back up with piano, acoustic guitar, bowed bass and tambourine playing some old folk melody--joined by Nanny DeRuig's lower, more authoritative voice from the 1:50 mark on. I'm not sure if I'm more reminded of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" or some Eastern European dirge. (8/10)

6. "Wetterbericht" (6:39) is a very spacious, bare-bones true folk song that opens with multiple acoustic guitars picking. Eventually, they are joined by Nanny in one of her best performances on the album. There is an eerie Harmonium feel to this one--with some very beautiful chord changes and an awesome Harmonium-like tempo shift at the 3:30 mark--soon after which sees the background entrance of a very spacey synthesizer moving slowly from one note to another (reminiscent of Genesis' "Stagnation" though shorter and further in the background). There is then a return to the song's original sound and structure for the last minute before it fades. (9/10)

7. "Traum" (7:26) starts with picked 12-string guitar like a Genesis song from Selling England before the guitarist switches to strumming so that the rest of the band can jump in with some awesome bass, drumming, conga, flute, and violin jamming together --and, what's this? Introducing: Electric Guitar! Strumming along in the right channel while the violinist, bass, and rhythm section jam to the 4:35 mark. Then the instrumentalists seem to each go off on their own sprees--each stuck in a tremolo mode--until 5:50 when they all are brought back together by the strumming guitar. Awesome bass and violin/cello playing! (15/15)

Total Time: 34:51

Great first and last songs--totally proggy--with some otherwise very nice more standard folk fare in between.

4.5 stars; B+. This album would make an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

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