ROAD TO NOWHERE

This is one of the mre mature albums of Mushroom Patience. Less psychedelic and more intimistic, with songs based on minor chords, few percussion, and just a bit of electronics. The bongos remind the trippy sessions of the first AMON DUUL, but it doesn't seem that there's much improvisation. The album is carefully arranged and the production is quite good.

The strong Italian accent of Dieter Craf sounds a bit weird when he sings in English, like on the title track, but it's not worse than the accent of Eloy's Frank Bornemann, just yo give an example, so it shouldn't be a problem for a Krautrock listener. A weird accent fits well with weird music.

There's also a female vocalist, not that weird, with a very nice voice and a good extension, able also of quite bass notes. Her work on the short "Tractor Train Orchestra" is remarkable. This song is a sort of blues accompanied by a banjo but ending with an unusual superposition of vocals, all backed by a train noise. This is not the only song with blues connections enhanced by the banjo. "Memoria Sonica", despite the German speech is a proper blues, and one of the tracks that I personally like more.

The use of instruments like accordion, the mentioned banjo, melodica, is distinctive of this album. Other than adding recorded sounds like some unidentified (by me) device as in the final part of the title track.

I don't know if this can be considered a concept album. The song titles are almost all about stations and trains, and trains can be heard in the backgrund of many tracks.

I want also to underline the acoustic guitar on "The Waltz of The Road To Nowhere" which accompanies what apparently sounds like a Theremin but is a human voice.

This is an album full of atmosphere. Some say it's the best ever released by Mushroom Patience. I haven't listened to the whole discography, but I agree that this is the best between those that I own.