NOVALIS

Getting into the progmarket a few years to late, Novalis needed to prove itself with a modern approach. And they did. Almost no lyrics (only some Germen poetry), modern keys and synthesizors and some subtle guitarsolo's. The compositions are nice, but never very complicated. On this album Novalis plays in varied rythms and uses more different sounds then on other records. Sonnegeflect reminds me a bit to ELP's Peter Gun theme, but evolves in a descent opener. Wer Schmetterlinge lachen Hört is a track with nice vocals on a melody that's very catcy in a good way. The compostion shows classical backgrounds. A problem arising for the first time on the album here is the out of tune senthesizors Novalis uses. Just out of pitch, most of us wouldn't hear it, but it disturbes me a lot. This way some beatiful ideas are ruined on most of the songs. Side two has two eight minute songs that are both mainly instrumental.

Conclusion. I don't know what to write more about this album. It isn't very technically evolved prog, it isn't very atmospheric, it isn't epic, what is it? It is a no-bull[&*!#] symponic rock album with some great findings, but it never realy gets me. Symphoproggers should take a look at this, others might find better ways to spend their money and time. Three stars.

After I got enthousiastic listening to the second album of this German sympho band, I bought this live record. On side one Novalis plays about 70% of the Novalis album, on side two Novalis plays 70% of the Sommerabend follow-up album. The tracks selected for the liverecord are very nice, maybe some material from their debut could have been included for a complete look into their discography.

The recording is reasonable. The vocals are worse then in the studio, but the keys are almost as good, though some keysounds are a bit different. The problem with the recording is the many low volume parts of the record that aren't represented very well here. Sometimes I've got the feeling things go wrong during the concert, but overall it's acceptable. A thing that is apparent here is that the band has found nice ways to use the material from the Novalis album, not always playing the song the same as on the album.

The compostional style of Novalis is between symphonic prog and symphonic rock. It never get's very intelligent, but it stay's atmospheric throug the whole record. On side one the tempo goes up a few times, but on side two we get a slow pulse for almost half an hour. Nothing of this material can be seen as very progressive, it's more of a way to recycle ideas and making something new with it. This accompanied by the lack of uptempo or sophisticated songwriting makes this album not very essential. It's just sympho, nothing more.

Conclusion. Symphoproggers might want to try this, others might skip on this one. I myself like to put it on during dinner or other peacefull moments of the day and it's perfectly suitable for that. So, it's good, but not essential. Three stars.

Being soft-hearted, I can't claim to be entirely unmoved by NOVALIS' reckless abandon and turbocharged new look, but ultimately this is tepid 80s AOR that takes very few chances. I'm not blaming Herzner who actually acquits himself quite well with the poor material. The hooks are predictable and dramatic in an overwrought sort of way, with "Im Neonlich Der Nacht", "100 Tage Und Nächte Verloren In Altona", ".. Und Wenn Die Gitarren Brennen" and "Heute Oder Nie" being the best/worst examples. "Drachem im Wind" and "Applaus Applaus" don't even that much appeal unless BRYAN ADAMS is your thing, while the title track seems to come out of the "Against All Odds" soundtrack. Probably the best song is "Wohin Willst Du Gehn" which reminds me of some folky turned electric and I can't think of whom.

It is with some trepidation that I demote this waterlogged NOVALIS finale to the lowest rating possible. Perhaps it was "Nach uns die Flut " that Noah and the animals were fleeing.

"Uber Stock und Stein", "Wien", and "Espresso" are all driving dance tunes with catchy guitar themes. While they might not have been much out of place on the floor of a disco in 1984, they do convey some aspect of the group's remaining talent if not their convictions. Admittedly, this impression is relative to the sickeningly lite-jazz ballads that suffuse the rest of the disk like so much high fructose corn syrup drizzled on baklava. Only "Nimm meine Hand" is noteworthy with its haunting melody and saxes. It's a song that puts me into a similar mood to the great "Fingertips" by CAMEL, from the same year. The sole upbeat vocal track is "Horoskop", and I can't help reveling in its feel-good hooks, but beware that it hovers rather below the detectable limit on your prog o meter.

It's amazing that NOVALIS was even still around in 1984, albeit slicing away at their legacy more than adding to it. By now it was clear that nothing, not even a boomerang, could reinstate NOVALIS anywhere close to its point of origin.

I can live with the mildly edgy rockers like "Fährmann" and "Ich will hier 'raus" far better than I can with the dismal power ballads "Abschied" and the disingenuous epic "Keiner kann gewinnen". One could always count on Novalis for a few instrumentals of reasonable or better quality, but "Sterntaucher" has only one, which is the closing cut "Sinus", a spacey and slowly unravelling tune that ultimately resurrects the listener . The title track is a decent UB40-styled number and the other long song "Grenzen" shows the group could still take on the emotional ballad, even if our gratitude is largely due to the sinisterly caterwauling guitars.

"Star Diver" plumbs bathymetric depths yet unexplored by NOVALIS, and offers little beyond surface pleasure.

With "Neumond", the group finally surrendered to the Digital Deities, which casts a clinical shadow over cuts like the admittedly interesting "Anakonda" and the drab title track. Moreover, pop excesses inundate whatever prog tendencies one might have found in "Oft sagt man mehr, wenn man schweigt" and "Du bist schön", although the latter does make for a hypnotic German take on ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION. Even where the group stretches out as in "Nachttraum", it seems like a watered down recycling of the already somnolent "Sommerabend".

The best cuts here are actually those that conjure up other German bands of various pedigrees. "Frühsport im Sachsenwald" sounds like something out of the AMON DUUL II playbook circa "Vive la Trance", while "Kein Frieden" could double in for "Performance"-era ELOY (I know, this album predates the Eloy work, but you will see the reference) except with Frank Bornemann finally singing in his mother tongue, which many felt he should have done out of the gate. The closer "Blauer Morgen" the best of several approximations to the nascent TANGERINE DREAM soundtrack era. It's no wonder NOVALIS was trying out these styles, as Eloy and TD in particular were enjoying significant success even at this late date. I might add that ANYONE's DAUGHTER was still pumping out quality German language product at this time, and in fact their shining "Neu Sterne", which means "New Stars" was released the same year as NOVALIS' "New Moon".

"Neumond" does represent a notable drop in quality from the excellent "Augenblicke", but it's actually somewhat better than mediocre, and 2.5 stars would be the accurate rating. A waning moon.

Nothing from any part of the band's prolific past prepares one for the opener, the fluid instrumental "Danmark", simply the most breathtaking and spine-tingling tune in their entire discography. It appears to include a German synthesized wind instrument called a variophone played by Mühlböck. The timbre is like a cross between a synth and a sax. But the ecstatic crescendos of the melody overwhelm me. I could have wished for more than the three and a half minutes proffered, but perhaps short and sweet perfection is highest art.

Of course, little else can measure up, except for "Herbstwind", a magnificent folk-influenced song with more delicate instrumentation. It reminds me of British Isles groups like LOUDEST WHISPER or PERERIN, it's that good, but I suppose fellow Germans OUGENWEIDE or HOELDERLIN may have planted the seed.

The remainder is a melange of good and average in approximately equal proportion. Instrumentally, "Mit Den Zugvögeln" is a romantic piano and string laden piece that builds itself up quite well, even if it sounds a bit pre-YANNI ish. It leads into the languid CAMEL and BJH -inspired "Sphinx". Mühlböck excels in two further ballads, "Als kleiner Junge" and the epilog "Begegnungen" (with more lovely variophone I believe).

NOVALIS in 1980 can still deliver on their original romantic vision, but, whereas their early work seemed disappointing for its style, this album sets the bar high for early 80s pop prog, in a way also achieved by ANYONE'S DAUGHTER's work of the same period. It's a rounding up augenblicke.

Notably, NOVALIS' entry at the end of the decade seems to have been a concept work about nature and its woes thanks to man, and how they could reconcile. The lovely cover of a cetacean tail beckons us within, and the album remits many delights. The contrasts between light and heavy are more pronounced than on the prior "Clown", and the group does not handle the rawer tunes as well. But "Im Netz" is a striking spacey ballad with a killer hook, and the title track is an enchanting ballad that could have crossed over to the charts. The best of the upbeat numbers is the instrumental "Walzer für einen verlorenen Traum", which shows that NOVALIS can still enrapture with mellifluous delights. If "Sklavenzoo", "Alle wollen leben", and "Ob Tier, ob Mensch, ob Baum" are shoddy rockers that show the group is losing touch with some of the intricacies of the last album, the melodically profound "Rückkehr " implies that their mellow touch is perhaps stronger than ever.

While "Flossenengel" is not as consistently enduring as "Clown", it closes the decade on a high note, with the group apparently healthier than many of its compatriots. Allow yourself to be touched by this "fluid angel".

Even more consequential is the venture into new territories. The quasi-title cut is preeminent, a late 70s adaptation of classical music to a vocal rock track. The melody and vocals stirring, and eloquent flute and lead guitar round out the triumphant delivery. "Zingaresca" is a peppy paean to CAMEL's more Latin side, while "Manchmal fällt der Regen eben lang" is prog pop of the highest order, especially in the lead guitar work. The closer "Die Welt wird alt und wieder jung" is a graceful ruminative ballad with mostly piano and voice, and radiates more empathy than any of the group's early works of questionable induction. Only the instrumental "City Nord" fails to impress, with it's robotic beat and slick consistency.

NOVALIS found their authentic voice at a late hour, on their 5th disk. Four stars, no clowning around.

Apart from the first two cuts, the rocking hit "Irgendwo, Irgendwahn" and the delicate acoustic ballad "Wenn nicht mehr zahlen und figuren", not much here sticks. It's just angst ridden AOR prog with too many rough edges as sure as "Sommerabende" had no edge at all. Even the 16 minute suite fails to rivet, so plus ca change....

Admittedly, to this point Novalis' peaks were none too high and valleys not overly steep, but "Brandung" was their weakest effort of the 70s by a fair margin. I think I'll surf this one out.