FLOH DE COLOGNE

Floh De Cologne are one of the lesser known contributors from the German underground movement, commonly known to us as 'Krautrock'. Sure, musically, they share a rough, psychedelic sound not far from AMON DUUL (closer to the original incarnation, as opposed to Duul II), but also features the classic Vox Continental organ sound (associated with THE DOORS) and an eccentric, humourous bent not far away from FRANK ZAPPA, unfortunately though the texts and lyrics are all in German, making it a bit lost on most of us non-German speaking folks. Overall, the 5 musicians present are proficient on their instruments (particularly main organist, Markus Schmidt), but seem to employ an in-band policy of chopping and changing who-plays- what, and they convey their voices with a lot of character - often modifying their expression, depending on what it is they're saying and how the music is structured behind the voices. It's fair to say that the music is somewhat secondary to the texts, but this arrangement strikes me as highly creative, genuine and even fun to listen to. 'Profitgeier' is performed live 11 January, 1971 in Neumunster, and in Windrose-Dumont studio over the following couple of days, hence, there's very little in the way of audience noises and live interaction. Listening to this, I find little in the way of offensiveness or weakness, I really enjoy it - side 2 features some pieces which are extended and serve the band well, especially 'Die Luft gehort denen, die sie atmen' segueing into the 7 min+ title track. This album is quite excellent actually, and highly recommended for all those adventurous Proggers. Krautrock, yeah, where else could you file something this diverse and unique ???

After the great Fliesbandbabys Beat Show, this agitated german polit rock published the crazy and subversive Lucky Streik for narratives, radical musical instrumentations (made of trippy organ chords, moody pastoral flutes, agressive rockin' & folkish guitars, popular chants). This one has been recorded during live performances. It includes semi-structured songs with a great assortment of bizarre, satirical, provocative, radical political sketches in German accompanied by imaginative instrumental works largely dominated by heavy-fuzzy-psych-rockin arguments. The result is very personal and eccentric, admiting parallels with RIO's derives and experimental moments. An authentic musical curiosity with great anti- capitalist hymns. The album opens with the obscure and tormented Countdown then carries on a collection of theatrical songs, combining sad-nervous-melancholic accents (kalt wut, saurier...) provocant, deliriously beautiful parodies, communicative contagious catchy songs (Wir sind millionenmal so stark u.a...). An original, non conventional and really pleasant album from this polit-rock / avant garde ensemble.

Reflecting the rebellious times ...

FLOH DE COLOGNE represents a german rock section which is provided with a strong political orientation. Their music is not that spectacular (at least for this recordings), mainly used for wrapping the messages I would say. For judging this album it's recommended to go deeper into the lyrics and to be familiar with the german language plus the social situation a little bit.

Starting as an agitprop theater group FLOH DE COLOGNE appeared on the Essener Songtage 1968 which was one of the initial events for the development of krautrock. Obviously they were impressed by other participating rock bands like Zappa's MOTHERS OF INVENTION for example and the emphasis changed to make political rock music afterwards. And therefore in January 1971 FLOH DE COLOGNE put the first german rock opera 'Profitgeier' on the stage.

This album is full of harsh left-wing criticism at the situation in Germany and reflects the social background with the student protests at the end of the 60s and a spirit of optimism which also had an effect on many workers. Unlike other german bands with a political approach like EULENSPYGEL the FLOH DE COLOGNE members didn't make any compromises. 'Profitgeier' is another german description for 'exploiter'. The album back cover for example is provided with invitations to join marxist organisations which especially were oriented at the USSR politics.

Nowadays it's quite astonishing that the band found a financially strong label which released such an album (besides some others). But at that time OHR as a sub-label of Metronome was especially charged to explore bands and artists which were reflecting the rebellious times - headed by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser who supported a lot of new experimental bands and therefore became a key figure for the krautrock genre.

The songs are fading into each other which can be expected for a live presented rock 'opera' whereas this title can only be considered in the widest sense because of a very generic concept. Some applause is to detect here and there which demonstrates the live character. Musically the songs are dominated by rock n' roll, heavy rock and blues - technically good but not very ambitious - even not prog-related though. Maybe one could say pre-kraut with some reasons. Textually interesting parts are alternating with slogans which are way too simple or provocative, often presented as sprechgesang or recitative.

The political lessons are starting with He, hallo Stift whereas 'Stift' is colloquially ment for an apprentice and the song especially deals with the situation of young factory workers. 'Who owns the world?' and other fundamental questions are asked during the following songs. Auf dem Arbeitsmarkt is played in a heavy psych rock mood and musically an outstanding track with excellent guitar work. The last song Wir werden immer mehr, literally translated to 'We are always getting more', expresses a big ambition which finally could not be realized until today.

I know the band since the 70s but never saw them live in opposite to similar acts like the austrian SCHMETTERLINGE with their 'Proletenpassion'. Their orientation at the politically bankrupt USSR, the plain music combined with flat textual substance here and there - this was not a big hit according to my taste.

Recommended to collectors of obscure german rock output who are able to get into the very special german lyrics.

This very « original » group emerged from the extreme left-wing political factions and created almost by themselves a small current Polit-Rock, one of the many facets of Krautrock. While other groups engaged in this type of experimentation of including politics into rock music (Wyatt in Matching Mole's Little Red record, Henry Cow in In Praise Of learning or Italy's Area's Arbeid Macht Frei), there is sense of the political message being more important than the music in FDC's oeuvre.

Taking their name from the Eau De Cologne, this Köln present some typical krautrock music in the background of their German- spoken/sung lyrics, and although I've never seen any film footage, one can't help but thinking that one of their concerts must've approached avant-garde theatre that was the rage, following Counter Culture's brief triumph in the early 70's.

This debut album (a collab with Dieter Süverkrup) certainly did not go by unnoticed as their full frontal attack to the Vietnam disaster was not only the planet's prime concern, but had become the focal point of all of the planet's military efforts, possibly leading to the Cold War's warming to full global conflict. Obviously this group's very critical stance against the US's invasion forces, whether invited or not is regardless to the disastrous results. More than on later FDC albums, the music takes a back stand to the group's political message that seems to be more akin to theatre or some kind of avant-garde performance. But whatever music is present is indisputably progressive, even if sometimes nearing complete caricature, and is designed to enhance the German declaimed/sung lyrics supporting the text's absurd and derisive situation, attacking capitalism and rather thick-humored silly jokes, providing some difficult and uninteresting moments for the progheads not wishing such satire in their music. The music is mixed between some excellent prog moments (there are cash teller noises that will become so famous with Floyd) and absolutely grotesque tuba-music for cabaret and marching bands or Oktoberfest popular orchestras.

Difficult to recommend such a weird late-60's artifact, as it is completely obsolete nowadays, unless you master German well enough to draw some philosophical wisdom from such a masquerade. And for potential investigating proghead, this album would not b e a suitable intro, either, not only in musical contents, but also ibn terms of potential repeated listenings.

Floh De Cologne's now-ell-established musical formula being transported to Chili's recent political troubles (Pinochet having over- turned Salvador Allende's socialist government with the CIA's help) during a very sensible period of the Cold War, obviously left FDC astounded but anything but speechless. This very talkative record is their reaction, as they felt very concerned as many 2nd WW Nazi criminals had escaped to South America and Chili being one of their "preferred" final destinations. Pinochet's clique and their outfit left little doubt as to the extreme right inspirations either and FDC's artwork for this album leaves very little doubt as to their opinions, rightly shared by most everyone on the planet' except for a few "blind" malevolent secret services.

Musically this is not much different than their previous effort, the music behind the message being indisputably progressive rock, even sounding like Genesis' type of symphonic prog, including harpsichord and Hackettian guitar lines. Of course, the music is much hidden/buried by the up-front vocals, but still quite enjoyable if you don't mind the German singing and constant allusions to Allende and the evil Pinochet.

Somehow I can't help but wondering what the music would sound like if the political lyrical content and vocals were completely erased and leaving the music alone (albeit probably remastered and volume adapted) to be judged by the progheads. No doubt that most of them would be quite impressed. Very much worth a listen, I doubt most of FDC's album would stand much repeated listening without developing Stalinian tendencies (a slight exaggeration as FDC's anti-Nazi message does not mean that they actually endorse extreme left-wing fascism either), but the music's political message is not only very dated (albeit.) but it is overshadowing an otherwise very progressive rock. Must be heard, but not necessarily essential for progheads' collections.

— First review of this album —

Man, this stuff really must be an acquired taste. A left-leaning (I assume) RIO kind of thing with interlaced folk tales and several early glimpses of what sounds like where some of the dance/pop crap of the early MTV-eighties would come from, particularly on the strangely rap-leaning “Familiengeschichten” and “Koslowsky Schlagt Zu”.

The rest is really far too German for any hope of mass-appeal. “Die Prinzesin Auf Der Nadel” has some decent piano and a fairly languid tempo, and “Schlackenfahrer Schorsch” features a few interesting guitar licks. But the German vocals are heavy and often spoken-word, with messages that escape those who don’t speak the language. This isn’t the kind of music you’re likely to listen to if you are primarily interested in the instrumentation.

I gather this is close to the final gasp for this band that started out as some sort of social protest group at the end of the hippie-love revolution. Vietnam was long over by the time this came out, and the band seems to be struggling to find something new to be angry (or even motivated) about.

Not my thing for sure. I’ll assume this appeals to someone or it wouldn’t have been reissued on CD. So two stars for the collectors, but I don’t know anyone personally I could recommend this to.

peace

This may be one of the shortest reviews I ever write. My take on this album is fairly simple: if you like politically-tinged Krautrock with lots of spoken German-language dialog and what might actually be some sarcastic humor, you might like this album. If you don’t speak or understand German, you are going to be lost. This album was a somewhat misguided attempt to stretch my horizons out to include Kraut music. I think I may have chosen the wrong album to start with.

This isn’t symphonic music by any stretch of the imagination, despite the title. The influence of Mr. Zappa is readily apparent in both the musical arrangements (such that they are), and in the socio-political tone. It seems to me that there were an awful lot of Eastern bloc people listening to Zappa music back in the Cold War days, and from what little I’ve read about this band, they seem to fit more into the RIO category than anywhere else.

There is a whole lot of spoken dialog, as I’ve said, and since I don’t speak German I don’t know what much of it is about, so let’s assume it is politically-charged and somehow deep. There is much less music, and what little exists is fairly minimalist. Most hearkens back to the Mothers of Invention, although some sounds almost martial in tone. On the longest track, the twenty minute-plus “Satz-Serenade Des Bautours (Leichenschmaus)” there are a few spoken-word passages that sound like a Monty Python skit, so I’m going to assume they are supposed to be funny.

That’s about it I guess. The album cover is pretty cool too. I’m really lost on this one, and can only say that it is probably a great album for Floh de Cologne fans, but for the average non German-speaking prog fan, this probably won’t do much for you. In deference to Krautrock fans, I promise not to write any more Kraut album reviews any time soon. Two stars.

peace