MOSHI MOSHI

Out of the blue, pops up this late-90's Guru album, with a line-up, which still forms the group's backbone nowadays. While I have seen Guru's stage act recently (in the new millennium), it is hard to say that you will find their stage sound properly reproduced in a studio album, and this one is certainly no exception.

The album does not start well with two rough rock tracks that seems to have escaped the sound engineer's vigilance. Both the title track and the especially bad Jet Lag are really not the dreamed introduction to an album, but they reflect the rough nature that was often present in Guru's music, even if there were period, where it disappeared for a while. There is a certain exotic edge to this album (as depicted by the band's Japan tour photos), from the almost Arab sax solo of the title track, to the South Asian-influenced Tamil Nadu, to the Japanese-laced Koto track and the gypsy-tinged Maestroso (sounding a bit like Alamaailman Vasdarat).

But there is precious little jazz-rock on this album as on top of the two starters, the hard- rocking Incarnation-Stomp track and Jonny Filter are both bluesy by nature, the oddball that was always present in their music comes out on the XL Generation track, where a funky hard rock grooves hard and Skylab is a bit of a wink at their debut era with a delightful space-rock, and is (IMHO) the best track of the album along with Don't Worry About The Koto.

An album that ends much better than it started, really, but that hardly makes this album essential. But Guru's best nature these days are the stage shows where they show an incredible energy and vitality that most of their younger colleagues are unable to match without looking a bit ridiculous. But Neumeier and Schaffer's enthusiasm and energy is so communicative on stage, that they manage to convince you right off the bat that you are about to have a good night.