Thursday 8 October 2009

2066 & Then - Reflections Of The Future (1972)




One of the all time German Progressive Rock classics which veers more towards rock in places but is nonetheless outstanding.

With thick wedges of organ and guitar riffs/ solos you could be reminded of "Deep Purple" or "Vanilla fudge" and as good as if not better. Just listen to "Butterking" for instance which is an extraordinary track encompassing psychedelic , folk and progressive rock all rolled into one.

No bad song on here by the way and the vocals are excellent. This is a true classic. Incidentaly "Curt Cress" appears as guest - the drummer from "Passport"



Disclaimer: First of all- If you haven't already, then you NEED TO HEAR THIS ALBUM ON VINYL. It is the best way to hear this type of music. CD's (and YouTube, especially) do not do it proper justice. Music-Lovers: There is no excuse, not even the moderately higher price, to justify not listening to this music the way it sounds best. An inexpensive turntable and reissue will blow you away. Trust me.

Moving forward...Why doesn't this album have more reviews? More importantly; why is this album so "underground", when radio BS gets incessantly crammed down every hole in our body? Are most people really that shallow and fickle? Anyway, on to the album review....

Out of the hundreds of albums that I own, and regularly listen to, this is the first album I chose to review here. Maybe that says something, in itself..I own an original, mint-UA pressing (autographed by Konstatin Bommarius), and several vinyl reissues of this great album.

This album is a technical masterpiece of music. All of the songs are fast-paced and pretty heavy. Normally that's not what I'm all into, but I cannot deny the excellence of the music on this album. There really is no point to describing each song, individually, as they all sound very similar. That is, perfect. Without any harsh, or dull moments. Please know that when it comes to music, I am a very patient, and fastidious individual, who will not "hype" or overate the music I love. From one music critic, to another, do not pass this one up.

Geff Harrison has a wonderful (slightly raspy) voice, that fits this album, in every way. His voice, along with the rhythm, ebbs and flows in an almost haunting way. Next, it pains me to say this name in the same review with this album, but-Eddie Van Halen, would be put to shame by the guitar work of Gagey Mrozeck. And...did someone say Neil Peart can play drums? Hah! Mere child's play compared to Konstatin Bommarius' flawless drumming. The bass of Dieter Bauer is also exemplary. If all that's not enough for you, Steve Robinson and Veit Marvos are equally as proficient on the ivory. The whole damn album is practically a keyboard/guitar dualing solo, and once you think the heaviness of the vocals, drums, organ, bass, and guitar is about to be overwhelming, and about to make you explode with adrenaline-you get a soft, psych, break, before the finale.



Cutting to the chase: This is a dark, deep, heavy, progressive, and psychedelic album, all in one. Don't let that scare you. I haven't any doubts, that anyone who cares about music, in general; will have one of the following reactions; Really like/Probably love, and/or certainly appreciate this album. Without a shred of hesitation-this is one of the best albums ever made. This cannot be overstated. 2066 & Then-Reflections on the Future is flawless, and timeless music. 5 Stars!! Review from Progarchives.com



Songs / Tracks Listing

1. At my Home (5:12)


2. Autumn (9:24)
3. Butterking (7:24)
4. Reflections on the Future (16:17)
5. How do you feel (3:26)

Total Time: 41:43

Line-up / Musicians

- Geff Harrison (England)/ lead vocals / lyrics


- Gagey Mrozeck / guitars
- Veit Marvos / keyboards
- Dieter Bauer / bass
- Steve Robinson / keyboards
- Konstatin Bommarius / drums

Guests:
- Wolfgang Schönbrot / flute
- Curt Cress / drums



2066 & Then - 03 - Butterking

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