PACIFIC SOUND

Switzerland is one of those oddball nation states in Europe. It's one of the few modern countries of the Europe that doesn't have its own language (unless you count dialects) and it's never really been an innovator in much as it just sits there in the Alps with beautiful views, tasty chocolate with visions of yodeling and alpine horns. Well there have been some excellent bands that have come from this neck of the woods but as far as the progressive rock scene is concerned, Switzerland was behind the curve and while excellent bands like Island and Circus created some prog classics, they didn't hit the scene until the late 70s.

As far as the early 70s are concerned, it was pretty much Krokodil, Toad and Brainticket leading the way but there were quite a few lesser known bands. PACIFIC SOUND was one such band emerging from Môtiers in the French speaking western part of the nation. This band was one of many smitten by the British invasion of the 60s and the psychedelic blues rock of the USA. The four friends of Chris Meyer (vocals), Mark Treuthardt (guitar, bass), Diego Lecci (drums) and Roger Page (organ, piano) started out in 1970 playing the psychedelic rock of the 60s and played a lot of live gigs before honing their chops to record an actual album.

It took two ears before the one and only album SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR DREAM! was released in 1972. An instant attention grabber with the complete with eyes skull sitting smugly in a bowl of something next to a cigar and glass of wine! You'd be tempted to think that the music contained within would be on the dark and macabre side of the music spectrum but not so. PACIFIC SOUND were very much stuck in the psychedelic later 60s and 1970 odometer change. This band was all rockin' the house with strong bluesy guitar riffs slightly teased out into more progressive territory. The obvious inspiration was the neighboring German band Murphy's Blend with strong grooves and the dominating organ excesses that kept it all so heavy psych and all!

The album featured eight tracks and ended before the 33 minute mark. None of the tracks were lengthy and pretty much quick and to the point. The tracks ranged from the more bluesy Hendrix meets Murphy's Blend organ soaked rockers to the slower tracks that seemed to be most inspired by Procol Harum. The Anglo influences are dominant but the early Krautrock psych seeps just enough to qualify it as a member of the club. While everything is decently performed, nothing on SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR DREAM! really stands out either as the band sounded like an average but competent band of the era trying to get their feet wet in the crowded world of rock and roll. The weakest link is clearly vocalist Chris Meyer, whose limited stylistic abilities will rub some the wrong way but personally i don't find it awful by any means. Hardly an essential album of any sort from the era but a decent relic worthy of an experience or two. Unfortunately truth in advertising for this album proved to ring true.

"Forget Your Dream!" by Pacific Sound has been one of those collector's rarities that doesn't quite live up to the hype around them. First off, it's not what I would really call Krautrock. There is some Krautrock flavoring here and there, and the odd or poor vocals (depending on your own individual taste) associated with that genre, but Pacific Sound is more about trippy, psychedelic blues than anything else. It is kind of unique, but not by much. The first two tracks, "Forget Your Dream" and "Erotic Blues" are the best in my opinion, with "Erotic Blues" sounding like a cross between psychedelic blues and Krautrock. The vocals are better on some tracks than on others, but hey, to be fair, some highly rated Krautrock has some prettty rough vocals as well. The psych factor is pretty high (no pun intended) and I do like the trippy production and the performances are solid. Even with it's flaws, I kind of like this album, but it is not anything special that's for sure. That being said, I give it 3 stars for it's quirky charm.

Definitly, something very strange: a swiss band, playing a kind o psychedelic blues rock and labeled as krautrock. That´s the only original point about it. The musicians are good, ok. I liked the Hammond organ runs, but the vocalist is awful and the songwriting is mediocre at best. Nothing Krautrock about this one as far as I´m concerned. Not much more to say about this anomaly. Forget Your Dream is their only album and it´s easy to understand why there was no follow up. If you-re interested in blues based Hammond organ centered rock, maybe you should check this out. But I should also warn you that there is nothing really original or interesting here and the singer´s histrionics really get my nerves.

Rating: something between 1,5 and 2 stars. Tis one is for collectors and fans only.

It's not that unusual to hear a Swiss band playing Krautrock, but this is album is the poorest example of that that i've heard. It does nothing for me unfortunately. Basically an organ led Blues album with poorly sung English vocals. I should have known by the album cover that this was an album to avoid. Haha. In the liner notes they say: "The album should be played at "high" level !". We get it.

"Forget Your Dream" sounds way to much like parts of THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP's "I'm A Man". "Erotic Blues" has some bad lyrics but the music isn't bad with drums and organ leading the way. Vocals don't arrive until after 3 1/2 minutes. "Drive My Car" is led by organ, drums and vocals. Guitar after a minute.

"Thick Fog" opens with some good guitar before vocals arrive. "Gyli Gyli" is basically laughter set to music. It doesn't work. "Ceremony For A Dead" is more of the same really with organ, guitar and drums. Vocals after a minute and some prominant bass. "If Your Soul Is Uncultivated" is fairly catchy with guitar, drums and vocals. "Gates Of Hell" features some bluesy organ and vocals. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in.

If your a Krautrock fan I would avoid this one.

Completely lost in time before to be re-released on LongHair, this proto-bluesy krautrockin' band is a real obscurity and curiosity. Pacific Sound published one inspired and soulful album Forget Your Dream in 1971. They are playing the blues with an intuitive feeling and with a sense of instrumental improvisation. Their sound admits the presence of fuzzed out guitars and pleasantly psych / mellow Hammond organ passages. This album is not a revolution but it reveals super efficient and dynamic jams with an obvious late 60's musical aesthetic. After the conventional Forget your dream, the second piece called erotic blues offers a very sensual, intense improvised musical game including a nice groove, a discreet acid atmosphere and explosive Hammond organs. Drive my car is a solid rock 'n' roll piece. Thick Fog is an astonishing psych-bluesy-rebellious piece with aggressive vocals, Hammond organ freakouts and heavy- fuzzy-distorto guitar leads. Ceremony for a dead is an evil, haunting, emotionally charged bluesy-rock song with plaintive / aggressive vocals, mega doom fuzzy guitars, and massive organs. Impressive stuff. Gates of Hell is a moody-dark bluesy-rockin' piece with plaintive guitar leads, sumptuous Hammond organs. Esoteric album with a few melodic grooves, lugubrious atmospheres and constant inspiration. Recommended if you like the damaged / bluesy / improv / psych works of Kapputer Hamster, Prof wolfff (...)