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MISSUS BEASTLY

Jazz Rock/Fusion • Germany


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Missus Beastly picture
Missus Beastly biography
Atzen Wehmeyer, Wolfgang Nickel, Petja Hofman, Lutz Oldemeier (left to right)

Formed as soon as 68 under the name psychotic reaction, this band evolved in two different era, the group changed their name to Missus Beastly (from the Negro doll Mistress Beastly) but was among the first of the jazz-rock progressive group in Germany, but folded after just one album recorded (soon bootlegged with a totally different artwork) in early 70 with a nascent groundbreaking jazz-rock. It must be said that the happy-go-lucky feeling of that era had the group evolve from the standard prog quartet to a sextet and even a heptet within months, obviously not too worried about financial matters, which soon brought the band to an end. The group even managed to have their names stolen from them and an usurping group managed to release a few albums under this name.

Nothing was then heard from the original group until the mid-70's, when some ex-members united with former Missing Link keyboardist Miekausch went on to reform the group, although sonically if still jazz-rock, they were nothing like their previous incarnation, being much with the times and sensibly more fusion-esque. The group went on to record three albums with countless line-up changes, but never managed to reach the end of the decade.

Missus Beastly's legacy is a bunch of jazz-rock albums that will make Germany one of the prime producer of this type of music, ranging from Kraan, Thirsty Moon, Passport, Release Music Orchestra, Out Of Focus, Missing Link, Embryo and Brainstorm. just to mention those.

important note:
a german trickster named Henry Fromm produced a re-issue as well as albums and singles under the moniker MISSUS BEASTLY without the band's permission as follows

'Nara Asst Incense' - illegal re-issue of the MISSUS BEASTLY debut album (LP and Cassette, CD by bootleg label Germanofon)
'Volksmusik - Live At Amsterdam' (LP)
'Im Garten Des Schweigens' later re-issued as 'Super Rock Made In Germany' (LP)
'Fuck You Free/Fire Bird' (7'')
'A Better Life/Henry's Dead Woman Blues' (7'')
'Jawa Masa/Love Train Rock' (7'')

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MISSUS BEASTLY discography


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MISSUS BEASTLY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.05 | 25 ratings
Missus Beastly (1970)
1970
3.86 | 46 ratings
Missus Beastly
1974
3.70 | 30 ratings
Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed-Pickles
1976
3.59 | 24 ratings
Space Guerilla
1978
3.57 | 7 ratings
SWF-Session 1974
2012
3.25 | 4 ratings
In The Diving Bell (as Dr. Aftershave)
2017

MISSUS BEASTLY Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.67 | 17 ratings
Bremen 1974
2006

MISSUS BEASTLY Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

MISSUS BEASTLY Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MISSUS BEASTLY Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

MISSUS BEASTLY Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Space Guerilla by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.59 | 24 ratings

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Space Guerilla
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars After two incredible Jazz/Kraut albums MISSUS BEASTLY are back. As Uwe mentions in his review the Krautrock part of the equation has been greatly reduced here. Only two of the five members from the first two albums are back leaving Mr. Schmidl to do almost all of the composing besides playing keyboards and guitar. Despite the lack of Krautrock this album has impressed me big time. It's just really well done which is no surprise and after this record Schmidl would join EMBRYO while Richter the bass and violin player would re-join AERA. Josch by the way is so good playing flute and sax here. A really enjoyable Jazz/Rock album and this was released in 1978.

"Space Guerrilla" is the almost 11 minute opener where we do get some of that Krautrock spirit. Piano only to start as drums and more start to come and go until we get a steady sound with sax over top. I like the sound 1 1/2 minutes in as bass and a beat with flute take over. Sax is back but it's the flute showing off in a major way. Love when it calms right down to an experimental Kraut routine. A change 7 minutes in as the tempo picks up with lots of intricate sounds. Pretty much piano driven to the end.

"Guitar For Sale" has a Jazz/Fusion vibe all the way with electric piano and drums. Check out the guitar after a minute and the bass 2 minutes in. It then lightens and then another calm before 4 minutes with piano and flute. "Rahstan Rolans Kirk" is flute and percussion and not much of the latter. "Fuzzy, Don't Go To The Disco" are wise words indeed for 1978. This one has some funk to it with the bass. Sax before a minute and it will come and go. Then the violin leads the way after 2 minutes soling away.

"Hoffmannstropfen" opens with bass and a beat as sax comes and goes along with e-pinao. The flute replaces the sax after 1 1/2 minutes then the sax returns after 3 minutes. Is that clavinet 3 1/2 minutes in? Bass leads before 5 minutes. "Cose Dola" contrasts the sax with the electric piano as drums support. Violin after a minute. Bass and drums only before 2 1/2 minutes then the piano returns. "For Flu" is uptempo with piano, flute and drums leading the way. A World music vibe here with that ethnic sound arriving a minute in. Themes continue to be repeated and check out a moving section before 3 1/2 minutes with piano and flute.

"King Garlic" ends it in a Jazz/Rock style. Very classy really with piano and bass leading along with drums before the flute arrives late. An excellent album for those into the Jazz/Rock style of music. These guys are players and I think it stands up well with their previous two studio albums even if it's a notch down from those.

 Bremen 1974 by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Live, 2006
3.67 | 17 ratings

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Bremen 1974
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Igor91

4 stars Missus Beastly's "Bremen 1974" is, in my opinion, their best release. This may be hard to believe, considering that it is a live recording from 1974 that was not released until almost 30 years after their final studio album. But this is an incredible, jammy, jazzrock recording that should get more attention.

I'm not really a huge fan of Missus Beastly's other releases, including their wildly different debut, but this one really grabs me. It's loose, yet tight at the same time, and is the only recording of splendid guitarist Eddy Marron's participation in the band. His excellent guitar work soars on this release and leaves one to wonder what the band's subsequent releases may have sounded like if he had stayed on. The album features 3 long, jam-heavy tracks, each one different from the other. The songs incorporate jazzrock, ethnic flourishes, psychedelia, and funk into a masterful live performance. Highly recommended for fans of German jazzrock from that era! 4 stars.

 Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed-Pickles by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.70 | 30 ratings

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Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed-Pickles
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars The cover art is better this time - whimsical and cartoonish being a big step up from the nightmarish grotesqueness of their previous studio album's cover - but that's the only real improvement over the preceding album. Missus Beastly's 1974 studio album (and Bremen 1974 from the same period) showcased a smoking hot cutting edge fusion band at their prime; two years down the line, it seemed the band had fell behind a little, performing with a rather undistinctive and anonymous sound which resembles most other fusion dabblers from the era. Still probably worth a listen if the preceding album bowled you over, but be aware that this one probably won't repeat the trick.
 Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed-Pickles by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.70 | 30 ratings

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Dr. Aftershave And The Mixed-Pickles
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This was MISSUS BEASTLY's third studio album released in 1976. If you'll notice on the cover art they have the album's title as such as to look like it's the band's name, and the title of the album looks like it would be "For Missus Beastly". A trick by the band really so that they wouldn't have to release this album with Dieter Dierks and Venus Music to which their contract stipulated that they had to.They had had a falling out with Producer Dierks over the cover art of their last album and felt so strongly about it that they refused to work with him anymore. So they formed their own label called April which was later changed to Schneeball. Hard to believe they could get away with this, although i'm glad they did considering the circumstances.That unwanted cover art from their last album wasn't the only injustice the band experienced as some copy cat band started releasing albums under the MISSUS BEASTLY name. I should also mention that MISSUS BEASTLY and EMBRYO were closely related and often had members coming and going from one band to the other.

"Miles All Along The Watchtower" is very Jazzy and certainly as the title suggests brings Miles Davis to mind but with sax instead of trumpet.Great sound to this one with the intricate drum work and sax, and I like when the piano leads after the sax stops too. "High Life" is a rare vocal track with sax and female vocal melodies leading early.The vocal melodies turn into English vocals. We get a laid back instrumental section to end it. "Morning Sun" is again very Jazzy and again Miles Davis comes to mind. It's pretty intense 2 1/2 minutes in then it settles down righ to the end. "Gurus For Sale" has a killer sound to start then it settles in with the sax playing over top. Bass to the forefront before 3 1/2 minutes as the drums pound. Guitar ends it with passion.

"La Plague De Patscha" is good with the flute playing over top of the drums, bass and piano. It settles down 2 minutes in as the flute stops. It's building then we get female vocal melodies before 4 minutes then sax. "Nothing Again" is uptempo to start then it calms right down just before a minute including intricate guitar. It picks back up after 2 1/2 minutes and sax joins in too. A change before 6 minutes as it settles down with guitar. Piano takes over before 8 minutes then it picks up again for the big finish. "Patscha Menga Underground" has these intricate pulses and beats as the flute plays over top. Sax takes over just before a minute then the flute returns. Piano leads before 3 1/2 minutes to end it. "For Evi" is a short piano led tune.

An extremely well played Jazz / Rock / Fusion album from this German band although I wouldn't expect anything else.

 Bremen 1974 by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Live, 2006
3.67 | 17 ratings

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Bremen 1974
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars A decent live album from Missus Beastly, consisting of three live jams - one epic taking up nearly half an hour, and two (comparatively) short nine minute pieces. Since these were recorded for radio the sound quality is decent (and, when it comes to less famous bands from the era, really quite good), and the band were clearly on form that evening, playing a frenetic, Mahavishnu/Zappa-influenced style of fusion which obviously goes down well with the crowd. The radio sessions were apparently recorded to support the release of their second self-titled album, so anyone who enjoyed that album would be well-advised to check out this live release, but at the same time the session here is substantially more loose and improvised than the tighter and more polished material on the album itself.
 Missus Beastly by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.86 | 46 ratings

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Missus Beastly
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Missus Beastly reconvened after their earlier split to record a new self-titled album (with absolutely grotesque cover art, imposed by the record company). On offer here is an extremely competently performed and exquisitely composed set of mid-1970s fusion, taking into account the latest from Weather Report, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu and other greats of the genre. A funk influence creeps in here and there, especially in the rhythm section, but for me the highlight of the album is the exceptional performance by the group's two saxophonists, who are a joy to behold, especially when they both leap in and start playing off each other. With enchanting and delicate flutework and driving electric piano on top of that, the group attain a technically proficient sound with compositions which retain a lot of emotional warmth, making this one of the better fusion albums of the era. It's not quote on the level where I'd suggest it for someone's first dabbling in fusion, but I would say fusion fans should check it out.
 Missus Beastly by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.86 | 46 ratings

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Missus Beastly
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Found in 1968 in Herford,Westfalen,MISSUS BEASTLY begun as a psych/jazz rock band,who recorded an eponymous album in January 70',featuring Hansi Fisher of ''Xhol Caravan'' on flutes and Dieter Serfas of ''Amon Duul II'' on percussions,they even extended their line-up to seven members,but soon they run out of money and disbanded.Surprisingly a new formation returns at the end of 1973,touring around Germany and finally releasing a new LP on Nova in 1974,entitled ''Missus Beastly'' as well (in 2005 the album was reissued by Garden of Delights on CD with four extra tracks)!

Their sound was very far from their debut and had nothing to do with the German Kraut/Jazz scene either.No stretched compositions,no ever-lasting improvisations.''Missus Beastly'' contains seven rather short-length tracks with a pleasant sound and a funky and spacey edge,influenced among others by PASSPORT, WEATHER REPORT,NUCLEUS or even PERIGEO.Saxes and flutes are on the front in here,delivering weird solos, dreamy, almost psych passages and soft interplays with the rhythm section.Dieter Miekautsch'es (later to be found on EMBRYO's line-up) keyboard parts play also a prominant role...some organ solos are so tasteful,but it's especially his electric piano that recalls heavily CHICK COREA of WEATHER REPORT.Actually what comes closer to Jazz-Fusion in this album is the tight and strong delivery of the rhythm section,featuring heavy and groovy bass lines by Norbert Doemling and impressive drumming by Lutz Oldemeier.Compositionally the album stands quite good next to monster bands like PASSPORT,KRAAN or EMBRYO with its rhythmic parts lasting as much as the individual solos in here.

Not the album of the decade,but nevertheless ''Missus Beastly'' is an enjoyable listening from the start to the end.Recommended and should easily appeal to followers of the aforementioned groups.

 Bremen 1974 by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Live, 2006
3.67 | 17 ratings

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Bremen 1974
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars 4.5 stars.This was professionaly recorded by Radio Bremen back in 1974 and the sound quality is excellent. One of the big differences between this release and their studio albums is the addition of the great Eddy Marron on guitar. He played with them for less then a year while at the same time playing for DZYAN and FREE SOUND. Yes he was a busy guy playing a lot of live dates, this is the only document we have of him playing with MISSUS BEASTLY. Eddy mentions in the liner notes that this band never took drugs, it was all about the music. I would describe the music on this recording as being Free Jazz and I have to say right away that I contemplated giving this album 5 stars that's how impressive it is.

Things get started with the 27 1/2 minute "Free Clinic" which is definitely my favourite track on here. It sounds like vibes to open as other sounds come and go in this atmospheric intro.The guitar sounds are getting louder 4 1/2 minutes in until a minute later he's lighting it up. Nice bass and flute as well. The guitar stops after 8 1/2 minutes. Check out the bass after 10 1/2 minutes. Nice. Sax takes the lead 12 1/2 minutes in. Organ after 15 minutes and then it settles right down to an experimental section with sax and other sounds. The tempo picks up as we get a melody after 19 1/2 minutes, love the drumming here.The guitar is back after 22 1/2 minutes and he just starts to rip it up. Flute before 25 1/2 minutes as guitar backs off. Drums and percussion continue to impress. Bass takes over for flute then sax comes in to end it. What a ride that was.

"Green Girl" opens with sounds that come and go including vocal expressions. It all starts to come together to form a melody. Very cool. Sax takes the lead until it ends the way it opened. Brilliant ! "Steel's Electric" is an Eddy Marron composition. It's fairly laid back with the guitar the sole focus early. Light drums join in. Sax and flute help out around 4 minutes.The sax gets dissonant.The tempo picks up after 6 minutes with some good bass a minute later. Sax after 8 minutes returns.

Highly recommended to fans of Free Jazz.

 Missus Beastly by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.86 | 46 ratings

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Missus Beastly
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This is MISSUS BEASTLY's second album, and only the drummer remains from the first recording.They've added EMBRYO's keyboardist but he would return to EMBRYO after this album. Dieter Dierks would produce and record this album at his studio. The band would have a falling out with the record label and would leave them because the label insisted on the cover art of the ape with the banana, instead of what the band wanted to use. This album is just a great example of how good Jazz can be. Lots of sax and flute here with the bass and drums really standing out.The keyboardist is incredible as well.

"Julia" opens with cymbals as percussion and other sounds come and go. It kicks in after a minute with piano and drums leading the way. "20th Century Break" is an uptempo and fun tune.The drums are very active. Alto sax after a minute with lots of soprano sax to follow. "Geisha" has some fuzz in it as flute, drums and keys join in.This is a great sounding mid-paced tune.The flute is a treat. "Vacuum Cleaners Dance" is dissonant to start out (those crazy vacuums) and it kicks into a higher gear 2 minutes in with flute and drums leading the way.This is great ! Sax before 3 1/2 minutes as it settles. Flute is back 5 minutes in with some killer drumming. "Paranoidl" features a fantastic soundscape of sax, piano, drums and bass. Check out the organ before 2 minutes. Chunky bass 2 1/2 minutes in with sax, keys and drums. Incredible section ! I like this song. "Fly Away" builds until sax arrives 2 minutes in. Keys become prominant until sax returns before 4 minutes. "Talle" was the name of a village where the group was sharing an old house. Drums open the song as sax joins in. Flute comes in and takes over with keys and drums. Sax is back though leading the way. The last minute of this track is fantastic.

In the book "The Crack In The Cosmic Egg" they describe this album as "more jamming and livelier than PASSPORT, more groove-oriented than EMBRYO..." All I know is that this record is an excellent example of all instrumental Jazz.

 Missus Beastly (1970) by MISSUS BEASTLY album cover Studio Album, 1970
3.05 | 25 ratings

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Missus Beastly (1970)
Missus Beastly Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

3 stars This is the (first) nameless album of MISSUS BEASTLY - a band from my little hometown Herford. When they produced it in 1970 I was 14 years old - a litte bit too young to follow up the first steps of the band. Later I had closer contact to guitarist Atzen Wehmeyer for some time - but not related to music primarily. We worked together in a social project for children and he had formed another band named EINHORN in the meanwhile after he left MISSUS BEASTLY. So to review this album is something special for me because reminding a lot of experiences from that time.

They had chosen a psychedelic painting for the cover which was absolutely reflecting the music they played at that time. Their gigs often worked like happenings though, differing to what normally would be considered as a concert. They simply played what came into their minds in an intensive stirring mood - breaking all rules - and that finally caused the band's special reputation and success. They had been invited to play at two important german music events - at Burg Waldeck Festival and the Essener Pop & Blues-Festival. It is also known that someday the audience catcalled the main group THE MOVE at the Herford Jaguar-Club because they wanted to hear more from their favourite band.

It is fairly applicable to say that this is krautrock. MISSUS BEASTLY offers a blend of different music styles based on the blues - sometimes psychedelic coloured, sometimes jazz influenced and decorated with some weird insertions. The song material was worked out by accident in the same way as the gigs happened. It didn't match with what the band played live. Some of the songs never were presented on a stage. Hansi Fischer, the flute player of XHOL CARAVAN, appears on one song and the sessions were additionally supported by the AMON DÜÜL II members Dieter Serfas, Chris Karrer und John Weinzierl.

The short opener XOX is presented in a weird krautrocked mood - a short jam with distorted organ and guitar later fading into a backward spoken word part contributed by Atzen Wehmeyer. The textual content is harsh as it was usual at that time and defends the hippie subculture. Uncle Sam follows as a more blues inspired song - composed by Petja Hofman when the soundman was justifying the microphones! Vocals are rare and then the band jams once more in free form returning back to the main theme at the end.

Shame On You comes much more hippiesque first with acoustic guitar, percussion and flute. And then the band suddenly switches to a jazzy atmosphere whereas Wolfgang Nickel and Atzen Wehmeyer are swirling around nicely with their instruments. Another song which was composed spontaneously during the recordings was Decision - heavy rocking this time and one of the most accessible songs of the album. Chinese Love Song belongs to the highlights by all means because very weird - the vocals are a pun somewhat with rhyming words in german and this could be used at Halloween for eample - to frighten a lot of people without any problem. The deep bluesy Mean Woman and the instrumental and more grooving Aphrodisiakum are finally usual proper played songs with some improvised portions here and there.

Generally MISSUS BEASTLY is associated with jazz rock/fusion. And considering the whole discography this suits by the way. But this band has an eventful history with some changes and a lot of musicians. And they started with a krautrock album as many other german bands did in the same way. Definetely recommendable if you are searching for early german output reflecting the transition from the 60s to the 70s with a special spirit of optimism and pleasure to experimentalize - 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Sean Trane for the artist addition. and to Rivertree for the last updates

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