KRAUTROCK - MUSIC FOR YOUR BRAIN VOL. 2

Lately I've been busy listening thru all four sets of this "Krautrock" series, each volume containing six full packed discs. Together they are a cornucopia (there's a band of this name here, by the way) of dozens of bands you haven't ever listened to, and naturally also the obvious artists, but even with them it's often something I haven't yet heard. Tracks from AMON DÜÜL II, AGITATION FREE, NOVALIS, TRIUMVIRAT ('Spartacus') and TANGERINE DREAM ('Stratosfear') I already had but that's all! Some other bands I knew more or less, most were totally new acquaintances.

As I wrote in the release info, the title is a bit misleading: the word Krautrock is not used as a specific genre here, but more or less as a synonym for early German rock, whether hard rock, experimental, electronic, folk-rock... or progressive rock, which finally is the most fitting term to cover ALMOST everything included. (Still I'm sure there are several artists not included in the Archives because they're not prog enough. And that's OK.) Overall I'm very plesed with this series. Since I only borrowed them, I don't have to like all music; I can choose which names could be worth knowing. But I'm surprised how much of it I do find interesting. The texts in the leaflet are both in German and English. Alphabetical band infos are short but useful. And the physical package is handy too. It takes the same space as the thick 2-disc sets used to take before the invention of the turning disc trays.

Maybe the only negative remark about how these sets are compiled is the way chosen tracks from the same bands (even the same albums sometimes) are thrown to various places. Also from one volume to another some artists re-appear. Nor there are any stylistic divisions between discs, such as "this disc concentrates on Electronic and the next one on hard rock" which would be nice. Though here and there in the series I sensed some (conscious or non- conscious) hints at this direction.

Since the material is so vast, it's almost impossible/useless to put the volumes in the order of preference; this volume is as good as any of them (only Volume 3 was less succesful to me). Goodies here include e.g. WALLENSTEIN, WALPURGIS, LILIENTHAL, ANNEXUS QUAM, EPITAPH, EMTIDI and KOLLEKTIV, to name only few. Another great thing is that often the chosen tracks are long ones.