Andy Nogger

This is exceptional progressive rock . The quality of the compositions and the imaginative playing put this in the King Crimson league - but they don't sound like Crimso .If you were searching for great progressive music , you've arrived at your detination .

very happy with cd

1970年に結成されたジャーマン・プログレ・バンドが、1974年にリリースした3枚目のアルバム。　エンジニアはコニー・プランクで録音もコニーのスタジオだが、プロデュースはバンド自身であり彼等の意思が強く表れた作品なので、同じジャーマン・プログレでもコニーが関わった鍵盤中心のクラフトワークや過激で実験的なカンやノイ！などのサウンドとは異なり、基本は飽くまでも伸びやかで艶のあるギターを核にしたスリー・ピースにあまり活躍しないアルト・サックスをプラスしたクァルテット。　割とポップな曲調、長いギター・ソロ、特徴に欠いた下手なヴォーカル、1970年代半ばを席捲したフュージョン、クロスオーヴァーの波がドイツにも押し寄せていたことが判る貴重な音源。　効果的な変拍子は如何にもドラマーとベーシストを中心に成立したユニットらしく、奇妙な歌メロと4、7の変な効果音がプログレっぽいと言えるかも。　　これ、かつてはギター小僧だった65歳以上の高齢者の方々にとっては、珍品に映るかもしれませんよ。

wie fast immer bei Kraan:eine typisch "Helmut - Hattler -ische, runde Sache.Schön, daß die Guerilla-Taktik nie verloren geht.Paar saugeile Stücke drauf. Spitze: NamNam.und natürlich "Hollidäääi am Ma(r)tterhooorn..

Super CD für alle Kraan Fans. Gute Aufnahmequalität und es sind die Stücke drauf bei denen Ausflippen Progamm ist. Bei Andy Nogger kann ich die Füsse noch still halten aber bei Nam Nam verliert doch jeder Kraan Fan die Contenance.Eine CD die wirklich Spass macht!

This 1974 album by German group Kraan is a ton of fun to listen to. There is a fantastic mix of vigorous power pop; aggressive bass parts played on a trebly Rickenbacker; and quirky song structures that make this one of the more enjoyable albums I have listened to lately.The Kraan lineup at this point included Peter Wolbrandt (guitars, vocals); Jan Fride (drums; percussion); the great bassist Helmut Hattler (Rickenbacker bass; vocals); and Johannes A. Pappert (alto saxophone). The album was produced by none other than Conny Plank. These guys are pretty good musicians, with Helmut being exceptional - he plays a really mean bass and is way out in front of the mix with a killer "Rick" tone. There is also some decent jamming and all of the performances are extremely energetic. The vocals (in English with a slight accent) are a bit unusual but work really well with the material.The seven tracks on the album range in length from 3'47" to 7'40" and are all great examples of high energy power prog pop. There are some very nice melodies and each piece more or less features vocal passages along with a jam session. The jam sessions (and there are a lot of them) are fantastic and really hold your interest. The guitarist is excellent and does some pretty odd stuff, especially with some of the scales he uses. The sax playing is also very good but is buried a little too far in the background for my tastes - his sax is electronically altered at points. The drummer is propulsive with a capital P, and is pretty much mainly responsible for the high octane boost - in fact, this music is more thoroughly caffeinated than coffee. Along with the high energy tunes, there are a few trippy experimental passages that feature phasing, and some very psychedelic effects (the ending of Son of the Sun is a good example). Although a lot of folks cite jazz rock influences, I really don't hear those influences. Then again, maybe I have listened to Return to Forever and Brand X too much. Admittedly however, they get some excellent grooves going, and there is some pretty sophisticated playing on the album.This remastered album is of very good quality and features detailed liner notes in both German and English, along with color and black/white photos of the band. The sound quality is also very good.Overall, this is another great discovery for me and is highly recommended to fans of the German experimental rock scene and open-minded prog fans. I personally like this band so much because it represents yet another prog rock variant.