MISSUS BEASTLY

After a two years rest, MB reconvened through a few gigs and chance meetings and the line-up was sensibly different with only drummer Oldemeier and flutist/saxman Benz (who had not recorded on their first Lp) left, but with Missing Link keyboardist Miekausch and bassist/guitarist Dömling and other wind instrumentalist Josch. Graced with a rather tasteless banana-gorilla artwork, this album would turn out rather differently to MB's previous incarnation's sole release but was recorded at the inevitable Dieter Dierks' studio.

Out of the silence come jungle beats soon joined by a jazzy flute and cool electric piano over a funky bass, and the tone is set: MB was definitely up-to-date and very jazzy, reminding McCoy Tyner's piano works (as Coltrane's great ex-sideman was also hanging around in Germany, recording his best albums), but coming to a very abrupt end. The follow-up is starting just as abruptly, bringing you back a bit where the opening track had left things at. Obviously the two saxmen/flauters were often taking up after Miekausch's piano, Coltrane is never far away, but the album is resolutely rock- funk in spirit as evident with Geisha. The next track Vacuum Cleaner Dance and Paranoidl are definitely more fusion-like approaching Weather Report or RTF. A steady bass beat is slowly overtaken by a twirling piano first than a synth, on what is (IMHO) the album's centrepiece Fly Away before heading towards Brand X-type of fusion before veering Trane-like. The closing Talle (after the village where they rehearsed) is an excellent calm mid-tempo track where Dömling's guitar is finally heard, dubbed over his funky bass line.

The GOD reissue (avoid the Germanophone bootleg) comes with four bonus tracks, three of which were live in 74 and the fourth from 75, with Free Clinic announcing the colours but is thankfully not veering into atonal improvs but ending at bit shoddily. On the whole, those bonus track present a different facet of the band, but if clearly not linked to the original album, the contrast being evident), they do not shock the listener much and it would be unfair to say the hinder the album's rating.

With the controversial artwork dispute leading the band onto another label, and Miekausch re-joining Embryo, MB would record a few more albums with an ever- changing line-up. In the meantime, this album is one brilliant example of the day's JR/F and if not groundbreaking, this is typically the type of album that consolidated the broken ground. Excellent and much worth the spin.