THE WORLD OF GENIUS HANS

This one is slightly better than the group's debut, but there's not much to tell them apart. Once again, the Canterbury scene is the primary inspiration - particularly Soft Machine before that band took a turn into po-faced jazz, with Caravan also peeping through here and there and a bit of Zappa-esque humour to boot (check out that album cover - Cow Mask Replica, anyone?). This album sees them broaden their musical horizon a bit, the first track opening with a furious bassline which sounds like the more progressive end of the funk scene before developing into a Canterbury epic, but they don't diverge from the first album's approach so greatly as to alienate anyone who enjoyed that one. These first two Moving Gelatine Plates albums are essential listening for anyone who needs reminding that the Canterbury scene extended well beyond Canterbury.