NIMBUS

An obscure one-off band from the Northern German city of Bückeburg (near the Weser River between and Hanover).

1. "Hymnus" (3:55) sounding like a Jazz-Krautrock Fusion song, it stands up fairly well within the J-R F lexicon. (8.875/10)

2. "Sommerabend" (8:40) Smooth Jazz bordering on Yacht Rock, this one sounds like a more polished take off of and ALLMAN BROTHERS song. Mid-song they seem to be trying to shift to some Caravanserai-era SANTANA but then find themselves reverting to the easier Allman Brothers theme. The guitarist gives a fairly good accounting of himself. (17/20)

3. "Tuschus" (0:09) !?!

4. "Forum" (3:48) a jazzy rock song that sees the band employing lots of effects on their instruments/tracks. Again there is a bit of a Santana/Allman Brothers feel and sound being used here. Guitarist Oliver Hartmann seems a little too preoccupied with displaying his speed (he's okay) and companion keyboardist Jörg Schroeter seems to be preoccupied with mirroring/keeping up with him while the rest of the band is more there for discreet support. (8.75/10)

5. "Lebend" (10:52) wind and organ open this one for three minutes before anything resembling instrumental music begins to arise. In the fifth minute some guitar begins to appear, then bass and drums by the end of the minute, with Oliver's guitar sound comparable to that of Nektar's Roye Albrighton, The Eloy's Frank Bournemann, or even Dutch guitarist Eef Albers. Jörg does a good job of staying with Oliver, supporting him with electric piano and Mellotron, until the nine-minute mark when a more pop/classic rock motif is established for more flamboyant guitar and effects displays. Though somewhat structured, this feels like much more like an unpolished practice jam. (17.125/20)

6. "Sinus" (9:05) Ferdinand Bebber's wordless vocalese gives this a Canterbury flavor from the start, but then his presence disappears and the ensuing jazz fusion is more developed and mature than the previous song but still more on the line of Isley Brothers or early Kool & The Gang. The next motif to take over--in the sixth minute--is more aggressive and classic rock like (think Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" laced with Mellotron and Focus-like guitar shredding--but not nearly so polished or refined). Three interesting motifs strung together . . . whether they wanted to be or not! (17.5/20)

Total Time 36:29

The band has a nice sound--they sound well equipped/well-enough skilled to tackle some Jazz-Rock Fusion--but, in the end what they've produced, in my opinion, is unpolished, under-developed proggy jazz--more akin to some of the Krautrock and Canterbury artists that preceded them than to the great Jazz-Rock Fusion artists of the previous ten years.

C-/2.75 stars; an interesting but sadly unpolished and underdeveloped display of what amounts more to musical ideas and skill practice sessions.