CHRIS BRAUN BAND

Don't know much about Chris Braun. The band was situated in Dortmund, a town in the Ruhrgebiet region. I'm unfortunately not able to compare with the predecessor debut. However - this album has not plenty to offer when trying to examine significant prog elements. Produced by legendary engineer Dieter Dierks at his studio 'Foreign Lady' is fairly diversified with the blues as the fundament but also jazz (piano), heavy rock (guitars) and additionally provided with some weird moog elements. Chris Braun sounds similar to Inga Rumpf, the smoky voice of FRUMPY and this band is a close reference for this album as for the stylistical category.

Nobody but you is provided with a diversified structure, sometimes sounding jazzy because of the electric piano but also alternating with heavy rocking parts. Chris Braun and the guitar, played by Bernd Adamkewitz, are acting in in parallel. One of the better tracks for sure. The same with the title song which begins relatively plain but when Klaus Melchers starts to add some moog scratches the song reaches for his unique identity. The contemporary rock song Times Growing Worse is contributed with a catchy melody but nothing to get excited about.

The same with the following tracks except the long closing piece Be Proud. Starting with some hallucinatory impressions based on synthesizer and mellotron the song develops to a jazz rock grooving thing until Chris Braun undertakes the controls leading the song with a rock structure furthermore. Flute and saxophone are appearing partially. In the same way as the opening song this shines with variety and some experimental approach.

'Foreign Lady' is an interesting blues and rock based album with reasonable songs. Some of them and typical elements like the use of moog and mellotron here and there are caring for some prog relations.