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WELTSCHMERZ

Siddhartha

Krautrock


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Siddhartha Weltschmerz album cover
3.39 | 29 ratings | 3 reviews | 14% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 1975

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Looking In The Past (6:11)
2. Tanz Im Schnee (5:13)
3. Times Of Delight (7:09)
4. Weit Weg (12:18)
5. Gift Of The Fool (6:39)

Total Time: 37:30

Line-up / Musicians

- Martin Mörike / organ, piano, vocals
- Klaus Hermann / drums
- Gerhard Kraus / violin, vocals
- Eberhard Müller / guitar
- Klaus Scharff / bass

additional musicians:
- Gabi Rossmanith / vocals (1)
- Iris Rothermel / flute
- Lothar Mattlinger / tuba (4)

Releases information

LP Private Pressing (400 copies made)
CD Penner/Garden of Delights GOD 013 (1993 Germany)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Rivertree for the last updates
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SIDDHARTHA Weltschmerz ratings distribution


3.39
(29 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(14%)
14%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(52%)
52%
Good, but non-essential (28%)
28%
Collectors/fans only (7%)
7%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

SIDDHARTHA Weltschmerz reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by ClemofNazareth
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk Researcher
3 stars I don’t really know what the hell to make of this thing. Garden of Delights reissued it on CD, and from what I’ve read the original vinyl is pretty much a collector’s item, if you can find it at all. I got this from a friend who has a penchant for picking up off-the-wall CDs, but has a tendency to pawn them off quickly if he doesn’t take a liking to them. So I guess considering he didn’t even want any money for this one, I should have been wary. No need to be, as it turns out, because this is a pretty interesting and entertaining album, despite the fact that it doesn’t fit cleanly into any category I can think of.

The band was apparently a group of university students who played local venues in Germany in the mid-seventies, and disappeared in the latter part of that decade leaving only this album in their wake.

The first track is quite misleading, as it begins with some kind of new-wave female vocals and poppish accompaniment. This quickly turns psychedelic though, and over the six minutes or so of the track manages to work in a little bit of punk, some twisted blues, and an extended instrumental section that sound like it might have been an attempt at a proggy number. Very weird, but it has grown on me a bit after a dozen playings or so. Very strong electric guitar presence on this track too.

The second track is almost as long, but is more of a blend of swing and artsy keyboards, with a doodling bass line that sounds more like a tuning session than anything else. There’s some echoing footsteps dubbed in for some reason and plenty more guitar, but here the tone is deeper and less pronounced.

“Times Of Delight” might qualify as a symphonic number, but the guitar here borders on Animals-era Pink Floyd before shifting to a strumming acoustic section around the time the violin kicks in. This is a pleasant tune whose meaning completely escapes me.

“Weit Weg” is the most disjointed and confusing track on the album, with a mixture of strumming and picking guitar and violin that doesn’t seem to quite track with the keyboards, and giving way to folkish flute and electric piano and eventually German vocals that also border on folk. There’s also some tuba mixed in midway, but the first couple times I heard this track I wasn’t sure if this was really a tuba, giving this an almost carnival feel. Then again, I always think tuba gives music a carnival feel, much like acoustic guitar picking always sounds like Spanish music to me. So maybe you should disregard that comment altogether.

The last track is “Gift of a Fool”, and the organ is quite prominent here, with the violin mixing with the guitar and vocals to give off a very dated feel. For some reason the vocalist has shifted to English, and the drums move to the forefront for about the only time on the album during the latter part of the song.

I’m not sure what to make of this album, but I suppose it should be considered progressive simply because I can’t think of how else to describe it. A very interesting and eclectic collection of tunes, and recommended if you happen across it somewhere. Three stars.

peace

Review by Rivertree
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions
3 stars Obscure - promised ...

Well, this is obviously krautrock music. A more appropriate category doesn't come into my mind when listening to this very special thing. The songs are experimental with surprising changes - full of variations and freaky contributions by the musicians. This album is referring to many different music styles which is significant for kraut. On the other hand there are also poppish vocals and simple elements which are far away from a prog relation. But that's not unusual what I would say. SIDDHARTHA mixes this in a very special unique manner, often in an orchestral mood similar to the german band Out Of Focus for example, supported by a dramatic organ. Stylistically something which I never heard before and it takes time to come in for sure.

Beginning with Looking In The Past I was first thinking to be on a song contest not only because of the female vocals (which are finally suitable though when you are listening to this for more than one or two times). Then suddenly the song changes into a fantastic blend of Jazz and Art Rock which is later divided by some simple dancing school impressions. Crazy! The instrumental Tanz Im Schnee starts jazzy swinging, gets a little bit rockier later and ends symphonic and very dramatically with classic impressions and a church organ. Times Of Delight impresses with twin electric guitars and violin, mainly psychedelic with a maniac end.

Weit weg is the longest song, epic with german lyrics, several speed and style variations, sometimes folk oriented, sometimes jazz rock. I'm sure drummer Klaus Hermann must have been a member of a german marching band (Spielmannszug) before he came to the band. The psychedelic Gift Of The Fool begins with violin impressions which I associate spontaneously with relaxing in an austrian Heuriger drinking a glass of wine. The vocals - this time in english - are very special once again. Another interesting song whereby you might have problems to get the orientation back afterwards.

As you hopefully have mentioned now 'Weltschmerz' is a very special object. Is it simple or is it brilliant? Both is suitable but it's hard to digest. If you're interested in obscure krautrock this album is a recommendation which you cannot ignore - 3.5 stars.

Latest members reviews

4 stars I think that unjustly this band like related has been classified prog, for my taste is a progressive band without no doubt. "Looking In The Past" begins with a powerful song of a female singer, followed by a surrounding keyboard and underground, the subject is developed almost completely i ... (read more)

Report this review (#91062) | Posted by ChileProg | Friday, September 22, 2006 | Review Permanlink

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