BIRTH CONTROL

There are those(hdfisch,Greg Walker) who feel this is not only BIRTH CONTROL's proggiest album but also their crowning achievment.Then there are those(loerboy) like myself who feel this is an excellent 4 star album but not as good as "Plastic People".This took a while to grow on me.It's certainly more symphonic then anything they had done up to this point.I was reminded of GENESIS a couple of times and GENTLE GIANT several times.More prominant keyboards on display here than in their past as well. "One First Of April" sounds kind of strange to open then it kicks in with drums pounding.Vocals follow.I'm reminded of GENESIS briefly 2 1/2 minutes in.The guitar and keyboards trade off 4 minutes in.It settles after 5 minutes.Vocals and drums are back 6 minutes in.Nice.Guitar follows as he proceeds to rip it up.Great opening track. "Beedeepees" i guess stands for the album's title.BDPS. Atmosphere to open then keys and reserved vocals take over.Bass and what sounds like mellotron before 2 minutes.Then it kicks in with the vocals,guitar and drums standing out..Some Howe-like guitar 5 1/2 minutes in then it settles.Some cool GG-like vocal arrangements before 7 minutes.Kicks back in with a good percussion/guitar soundscape. "Fugitive Prayer" is an interesting song that is as you might suspect rather melancholic.Intricate guitar and mellotron? to open before reserved vocals arrive.The vocals become passionate after 2 minutes.The organ before 3 minutes has some attitiude. "La Ciguena De Zaragoza" is kind of jazzy to open.It's building and the drums sound amazing before a minute.Check out the guitar a minute later.It settles before 5 minutes to a spacey enviroment.Guitar then drums come in and build.Sax after 7 minutes. "Behind Grey Walls" opens with some nice piano melodies before vocals come in after a minute.It kicks in with power after 1 1/2 minutes.Great sound here.I like the organ and drum work too.Incredible.Guitar 3 1/2 minutes in.it settles with organ and tasteful guitar 5 minutes in before it kicks back in one more time. The final track "No Time To Die" is my least favourite.It opens with organ before the drums and guitar kick in.It settles with synths before 1 1/2 minutes as vocals join in.The sound does get fuller here. I do think this is a 4 star album,in fact it really sounds good turned up loud.Thanks Todd!

This would really be BIRTH CONTROL's first really progressive album and a huge departure from their previous albums.I wondered if this was even the same band who did an album like "Hoodoo Man".BIRTH CONTROL were certainly a band who liked to rebel against the establishment,heck even their name is mean't to do that.I mean check out some of their album covers. Anyway this is my favourite album cover from them,the idea is that people who go with the flow like the millions of others(see album cover) are "plastic people".Who aren't plastic people? Well hippies and artistic people of course(haha). "Plastic People" sounds so good when it kicks into gear.The keyboards and guitar especially.The tempo picks up before 1 1/2 minutes as synths and drums lead the way.The guitar comes and goes.Vocals for the first time 3 minutes in and the organ follows.A calm after 7 minutes and reserved vocals join in brefore it kicks back in.Hell ya! Amazing tune! "Tiny Flashlights" opens with guitar and vocal sounds,then we get a full sound before a minute and vocals join in.This sounds incredible.Just a feel good tune.The first two tracks are among my top three songs on this album.It turns spacey before 4 minutes,sounds like strings.Nice guitar and drumming a minute later then back to the original melody.Sax comes in late. "My Mind" opens with the sound of the wind blowing across an empty field(it's called "My Mind") no connection i'm sure.Processed vocals come in before a minute.Violin after 2 1/2 minutes.An outburst a minute later then the violin makes some noise.The tempo starts to pick up with keys and drums leading the way.Cool song. "Rockin' Rollin' Roller" is my least favourite although it does get better as it plays out.Some good contrasts in this one too. "Trial Trip" is my other top three tune.It opens with synths and deep spoken words before it kicks in heavily after a minute with vocals.Guitar then organ also join the fray.It turns spacey before 4 minutes then the guitar proceeds to light it up.Incredible sound! "This Song Is Just For You" has a real BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS flavour with the horn section(sax,trombone&trumpet) and those gruff vocals.Some violin,flute and female backing vocals as well. Definitely 4 stars for me and the best album i've heard from them.Greg Walker insists that the followup"Backdoor Possibilities" is their best but i haven't heard that one yet.

3.5 stars

I don't know why people dislike this album. Sure maybe it's not their best effort but definitely worth of attention and not bringing shame on band. If all songs were as good as title track I'd give this album probably 5 but without more great ideas band served some good and some average tracks. Anyway this first tune is almost Black Sabbath like but the chorus is very catchy. Repeating that 'count on the count' is very funny play on words. The Rescue is abother hard rock song with good riff and strange keyboard sounds in the background. BTW keyboards don't play main role on the whole release. It's not Hoodoo Man. Sad Fan is lighter than previous two tracks and the rhythm section is a bit reggae - like. Not bad but not a highlight. Pick On Me in rthytm section is almost like 70's disco but fortunatelly it's a bit heavier than Bee Gees. Caterpillar again reggae tempo but this time it's more melodic than Sad Fan. I like this tune. It could be a hit if Birth Control were hits band. Limelight - more keyboards while Witchhunters more hard rockish. Well not bad. Maybe it's not such good as Hoodoo Man but who expected another HM from the band in late 70's? Songs 1,2, 7 are strongest moments on this release to me. The rest aren't bad, some are pretty average like Pick On Me but I think this album is good enough to give it a chance.

I'm guessing by the album cover that BIRTH CONTROL were non-conformists.Haha. This is pretty good hard prog from early seventies Germany.There's no doubt that this was a talented band even if this album is fairly straight forward.Lots of organ with average vocals.If the vocals were better i might consider this a 4 star record because it's a really enjoyable recording. "Buy!" is led by organ and drums,vocals a minute in.Guitar 3 1/2 minutes in and after 5 minutes takes the spotlight. "Suicide" is a brighter tune(surprising considering the title) with a groovy sound.A cool organ/bass section 2 minutes in.Guitar before 3 minutes then the vocals return.I like when it settles 4 minutes in. "Get Down To Your Fate" kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes with vocals.Guitar 3 1/2 minutes in with lots of organ to follow. "Gamma Ray" has this spacey intro which is replaced by a catchy melody.Spoken words then vocals come in.The guitar makes some noise before 4 minutes then starts to solo ripping it up.When it stops the percussion comes in before 6 minutes.Some odd vocal expressions with guitar after 7 minutes. Fantastic song! "Hoodoo Man" is another good one with drums,organ and vocals leading the way.Good chorus too.Church organ comes in at 4 minutes.Back to the original melody around 6 minutes. "Kaulstoss" opens with a dog barking then drums and guitar take over.Some guest bagpipes in this one.A bit of a "hoe-down" vibe as well.The dog is back later.

Nuna was a cute little cat living in her fluffy world of neverending fun. El Paradiso meine Freunden. Paradises can be pretty exciting as long as you only imagine them. You'll ask me whyI'm saying all this and see.. I don't know. So let's concentrate on music presented on this album. Birth Control don't explore new territories with Hoodoo Man but they also don't fail in their composing skills. Buy, Suicide, Get Down To Your Fate and especially Hoodoo Man are really good heavy prog rock songs. Wolfie Neuser proves he can play same good as Reinhold Sobotta and title track is fine proof for that. It's maybe the best composition on this release and it can be easily compared to even the best Van Der Graaf Generator tracks from that era. Of course it's still more hard rockish than VDGG (what doesn't mean better) but the mood is the same. The album is almost same good as previous one but I'm not finding here such thrilling piece as Just Before The Sun Will Rise. Doesn't matter. Birth Control still at their peak.

Probably this is a good album but, in this moment, my mind elaborates the sentence that only ''She's Got Nothing On You'' and ''No Shade Is Real'' are great songs, also if the prog is not at home in these two songs. Good are also ''Grandjeanville'' and ''Together Alone Tonight''.

In general the production is appropriate and the power of songs is high. Also the written and the arrangements are good. Only that for me ''Rebirth'' is only a good 70's style album that today is only a good manifesto of Germanic Prog way.

In concluision ''Rebirth'' is only another good 70's album in my discography!

From the first sounds of Stop Little Lady I knew it would be something exciting. Birth Control on Operation mix hard rock with amazing sound of hammond organ. Some say it's nothing new cos Deep Purple were doing the same. Ok but if you find me on DP albums such great song like Just Before The Sun Will Rise I'll give you a point. This is definitely my favorite track on this release. Reinjhold Sobotta is brilliant. He plays almost same good as Keith Emerson. Ok it's just one style while Keith played at least 6 different ones but it's still amazing to hear such dynamic and exciting music from band that some labelled krautrock (still don't know why). Most of songs on this release are hard rockish tunes with exeption of closing 11 minutes long epic which is more subtle and closer to what progressive rock was at the time. If you like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep you should get this one. This German band did more than any other prog band from that country. They just played dynamic rock music. It won't put you to sleep my friend like most of krautrock stuff. It's good addition to any prog fan collection.

I was going to review my favorite Birth Control (of the 4 I know) "backdoor possibilities" (1976, ****), it has strong Gentle Giant influence. Then I realized I had this 1974 double album (**1/2) that represents their first original phase when they grab you by hard-prog energy.

Rock and vocals side in this live B C reminds me the American style with Deep Purple influence, while the experimentations take you to authentic kraut language. This expands the music to prog realm like almost all German bands do; you may know : Germans like keyboards and thanks to them Klaus Schulze invented "meditation music", Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerck invented "electronic music". By the way, do you know some pure hard rock German band other than Scorpions ? I don´t ! They always put keyboards and prog arrangements mixed. Even the 1st Scorpions album is a bit prog.

My german favorite style are the symphonics which keyboards are "the think" - Triumvirat, SFF, Tritonus, Pell Mell, Eloy, Novalis, Epidaurus, Ivory, Sahara, Tibet, Neuschwenstein, Madison Dike, Choice, Serenity, etc. yeah they are MANY and indispensable.

The cd liner notes by Mr. Norbert Stockheim says that Birth Control with this music ".paved the way for the whole German rock scene by heavy notices in London clubs." he continues saying well " .it's audible proof that B C delivers live rock compatible to studio recordings, which is one reason for the almost legendary their fans loyalty.they don't have to fear either lumpy "precious" music.what they get, imaginatively arranged but not mannered is a sound that goes straight ahead and hits you in the gut- a kind of 'physical rock'".

From this live Birth Control the first 4 tracks are nice but the "physical rock" could be not so extended as many minutes are dedicated to drums solo (ala Ginger Baker), percussions and improvisations. When you have the tight arranged music it's really grabbing. Probably the studio versions are better looking to PA reviews, anyway I like more Frummpy than this live Birth Control.

If you like Deep Purple "made in Japan", Frummpy, Uriah Heep "live 1973", you will probably enjoy this live B C more than me. Otherwise I HIGHLY recommend "backdoor possibilities" for its polish, "precious" art prog; this later work is a demonstration of B C abilities for sophistication ala GG.

It is always a mistake and unfair to judge a compilation album on anything but the material it contains. It's a disservice to the new or unsure fan and doesn't do justice to the work, politicizing a release that may be one's introduction to an artist and pooh-poohing otherwise first-rate music. So let's get that out of the way right now, 'cause as collections go, this is a fine one from one of Germany's best early heavy prog groups.

This set begins with the fantastic and politically-minded 'Gamma Ray' from 1972, Birth Control's Purple pedigree obvious but forgivable, Wolfgang Neuser's organ elegantly leading and Bruno Franzel's ax cutting through. The strange lullabies of 'My Mind' with a cello and Franzel's droplets of guitar works well as a nightmarish psych bit, Zeus Held's Emersonian synth, and it's Sabbath meets ELP for the rousing 'Buy!' with terrific playing from all. The pumping 'Tiny Flashlights' reminds of Tony Kaye's Badger at times with great rhythm-oriented prog verging on Fusion and touches of AM radio schmaltz, cool classical R'nB of 'No Shade is Real', easy going 'This Song is Just for You', and Blackmore/Lord send-up 'Back From Hell'. 11-minute 'Plastic People' from 1975 reflects the best prog was offering and features tricky passages, modern stylings, ethnic oddities and neoclassical flash. Solid stuff, and recommended.

Birth Control are one of those superb hard rock bands coming from Germany which nearly nobody who's coming from other countries than Germany knows. For me, escpecially this album of Birth Control is very pleasing because the band plays the good old Krautrock in its pure and great manner. One may argue if the music is really that what is defined as Krautrock ... maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but if I want to describe the music more detailled, I can says that you get to hear very 'earthy' blues/jazz rock with roaring Hammond organs, blaring guitars, rough vocals and a very rhythm-based foundation of the drums and the bass which includes small rhythmical changes but in general stays in 4/4- or 12/8-metres - just like the music of Ten Years After, Deep Purple, Manfred Manns Earth Band or Uriah Heep which sound quite similar to Birth Control. The best comparison is any case Colosseum - they are surely one of the most prominent idols of Birth Control.

Summing up, Birth Control are exactly that what our classic progressive/symphonic rock is not ... but the music grooves and is very intelligently done. But after all those reviews which are all nice-written, but really not fitting to my personal opinion, I'll write a bit more to all those songs, but at first some information to the history of the band and the record.

Birth Control are a German band coming from Berlin, founded in 1968. Their first drummer Hugo Egon Balder is rather popular for his chart shows in the German TV, always inviting bands to 'play' their classic pieces in front of a camera, but in fact playbacking all those songs without caring about the credibility of their 'gigs'. HEB soon left the band, being replaced by drummer/singer Bernd 'Nossi' Noske, becoming the band leader (which is rather unusual for a drummer). On this album, recorded live on Birth Control's 1974 tour, the band additionally consisted of bassist/singer Peter Föller, guitarist and songwriter Bruno Frenzel and organist/saxophonist Zeus Held. The Live album was recorded during the Rebirth tour, the only album here from which you hear two songs; Hoodoo Man and Operation are each presented with one song while every song (except for Shes Got Nothing on You) is extended by very lengthy improvisation parts consisting of sometimes quite jazzy, organ-driven hard-rock - making the songs clock at 20 minutes at most.

The first one, The Work is Done is one of those longs (though 'only' 18 minutes long), originally coming from the Operation-LP and starting with swelling Hammond organ sounds sounding quite like Jon Lord. Later the whole band starts in, with a great driving rhythm by Nossi, funky Hammond organ and percussive guitar sounds. When Nossi's rough, crude vocals begin, the listener is reminded of those old work-songs of the American slaves (Give me shelter, I'm a lonely boy, I have just killed someone) though the slaves in this case are the soldiers that had to fight in Vietnam in those days (The work is done, I have just killed a child, you know Down in Vietnam); Birth Control often dealt with this topic, here with great cynical, but depressing lyrics - making this track a major hit in Germany in the year of 1971. The main song is over after five minutes, the following 12 minutes are mainly improvisations by the whole band. At first, Hammond organist Zeus Held puts his saxophone on and gives the song a Chicago-/Colosseum-like touch, Nossi creating a nice percussion fundament, but later switching over to his drum kit again. After a small drum break guitarist Bruno Frenzel has his improvisation part, accompanied by the rest of the band, Zeus Held playing a very funky electric piano. A very nice proggy, pastoral Hammond organ solo in the style of Eloy sounds next, when some minutes later Birth Control reprise the refrain of the piece until bassist Peter Föller and Nossi throw vocal lines at each other, later covering Ten Years After's I'm Going Home with frantic drum accompaniment. A really great song which any fan of 70s hard rock should have heard once in the lifetime.

Back from Hell, taken from the Rebirth album, really sounds a bit like Manfred Mann's Earth Band's Messin' (though without the Moog jams) with kind of dialogue vocals, Peter Föller singing the first verse, Nossi responding to it in the second verse. The rhythm is rather intricate, making the song really sound a bit proggy, with an omnipresent Hammond organ reminding a bit of Ken Hensley's organ, though a bit faster and used more as a leading instrument. Really great are those hooks that can be heard everywhere in the piece, for example the small Flea Waltz citation in the first part. After the vocal part Zeus Held jams on his organ to 'shooting' sounds of the band. A fast, dynamic rock sequence introduces Nossi's outstanding drum solo with his popular fast bass drum play, often playing the drums while standing on the back of the bass drum (unfortunately you cannot see him doing that here, so I don't know if he already played like that on this CD). In the end the band enters again, ending the song in an orgy of noise. Also a very outstanding piece, especially for this great drum solo.

The following song, the longest on this CD, is often celebrated as the classic piece of the band, Gamma Ray (from Hoodoo Man), and was even heard by a fan in a German disco last year (!). I would call the song the 'Space Truckin' of Birth Control, living from giant improvisations and a charismatic main theme, also with very sociocritical lyrics. Starting with distorted wah-wah guitars and the signature blues riff of guitarist Bruno Frenzel the band enters with a shuffling hard rock rhythm, Nossi reciting a text about irony, hunger and corruption. The refrain is really stirring, it's really hard to stand still during this piece because this aggressive rhythm makes anyone dance. After the hard rocking main piece you hear a psychedelic guitar solo with Frenzel fiddling about on the tuning mechanism of his guitar and later sounding like a much heavier Mick Box. The following drum solo features the whole band clapping or knocking around on the stage, on their instruments or on Nossi's big percussion collection, creating kind of a salsa athmosphere before Held (e-piano), Nossi (vocals) and Frenzel (guitar) trade licks. After a short passage which features the whole band making strange noises Held has another solo on the organ, the first real solo without any accompanying instruments with heavy classical influences before he ends this improvisation monster track with a rock'n'roll tune on his electric piano and the sounds of his organ engine. A giant longtrack, highly entertaining and without this needless destruction of the instruments as it was the case in Ritchie Blackmore's guitar solo.

The first encore now is the more conventional, fast blues rock tune She's Got Nothing on You, greatly sung by bassist Peter Föller, backed by the quavering voice of Nossi. The band makes it short which is rather good after those three long pieces.

The last song is the fun track of the CD, a 10-minute-edition of Little Richard's hit Long Tall Sally (the pendant to Deep Purple's rendition of 'Lucille') - with a great wailing blues harp from Zeus Held playing unisono with the guitar, emptying in a Manfred-Mann's-Earth-Band like improvisation which has nothing to do with the original song. After a funny audience-band interaction they play the refrain again and finish the gig after loud applause of the audience.

Live is the Made in Japan of Germany - an outstanding, charismatic gig of Birth Control with lots of virtuoso improvisations, representing the German hard rock scene. Of course, prog is something very different, but if you like heavy rock music that doesn't sound symphonic, music like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple or something like that or music that is geared to those bands, you'll surely like it - the Germanophiles have to own the CD in any case. Just as I have already written, I'll give 4 of 5 stars to this album because it surely is one of the best hard rock live albums that I know so far, although the last track is quite boring. If you aren't sure whether to buy it or not - just watch the Gamma Ray video that is linked here in the Progarchives and decide whether you like it or not - though the live recording of the song on this CD is a bit slower.