BIRTH CONTROL

Man, this album always puts me in a great mood every time I play it! Although comprised of only a few tracks and long running times on most, it's really hardly one of their more progressive releases, rather it's just a damn good collection of superb 70's rock played by terrific musicians and a top- notch charismatic vocalist in the form of Bernd Noske. He has a sensational presence on this album, with a mix of gruff, confident and even romantic vocals. The LP is full of extended instrumental jamming amongst mostly straight-forward arrangements, with plenty of super-thick fuzzy organ, funky grooving guitars, commanding drum-work and aggressive bass playing.

What an opener `Titanic' is! Despite some borderline offensive and downright cheesy lyrics ("I've got a sinking feeling..." is particularly memorable!), it's overloaded with fiery bluesy-rock guitar work from Bruno Frenzel, wavering lead vocals, humming Hammond organ, powerful brooding drumming and even a vocoder/guitar back and forth in the middle for good measure! Best track on the album, and it always makes me smile.

Some will not enjoy the obviously funky/disco inspired bass playing on this album that first pops up on `Saturday Special'. Don't be put off by the fact that the track is a rather upbeat crowd-pleasing number, there's still plenty of spots for killer quick little lead guitar fills, very upbeat synth soloing and rattling percussion.

`Seems Like Confusion' is another stomping funk-rocker, made memorable by Bernd really shredding his vocal chords throughout the piece and the spiralling swirling extended keyboard/synth improv in the middle over the bouncing rhythm.

The strutting and punchy `Fight For You' is a real highlight! Cock-sure and crooning sultry vocals from Bernd, who's gunning for the ladies attention with lines like `I can't live without your kisses, your spirit and your soul' - commence swoon, girls! Some great dirty bluesy electric guitar as well, but it's bass player Horst that really steals the piece and makes it his own, just dominating the entire track. Especially listen to his grumbling bass soloing in the middle!

The hard R&B of `The Work Is Done' from Birth Control's terrific `Operation' album has been given a slight disco tweak here, although it's still quite heavy with wailing guitar soloing and shimmering organ. Admittedly this shorter version lacks the pleading lyric and somber atmosphere of the original, but still shows what a great tune it is anyway.

OK, so perhaps the album is a little dated by the endless funky bass playing (as terrific as it is), but there's no denying the talent still on display with the band. On `Live '79' you have a first-rate rock band playing in a more approachable melodic rock style while still incorporating progressive rock sophistication throughout. Well worth three and a half stars to my ears.

Why not dig out a copy for your next long drive on a nice summer day, I guarantee you'll have a great time!

On Backdoor Possibilities from 1976 Birth Control explores little bit further on their sound coming with some jazzier elements in their symphonic/heavy prog atmosphere. This is an extravagant album, musicaly speaking, lots of instrumental passages, very well performed, some of them even brilliant like on The farrockaway ropedancer. Some parts has more proeminent keyboards passages then before and have a certain GentleGiant breeze in arrangements, but very nice in the end like on Behind gray walls or No Time To Die. The album overall is dynamic, very good musicianship and is pretty ok in my book, no weak moments and I think is equaly great as Plastic people that why I give 4 stars. Another of Birth Control overlooked albums from their most ambitious period in prog rock realm.

Plastic peolple from 1975 is regarded as one of the best Birth Control albums and for good reason for sure. Is one of my fav aswell from the band. With this album the germans manage to come with a more elaborated compositions in compartaion with previous albums, the combination of heavy prog elements are well melted with more symphonic ones and even some canterbury moments can be traced here and theere. Opning with the killer title track , clocking around 10 min, is truly a joy to listen from start to finish. Excellent innstrumental intro of the piece with lush organ and energic playing, aswell top notch musicianship. Maybe to some this album lacks in energy face Hoodoo man or Operations who were very heavy prog with driving guitars and keyboards, but Plastic people is more calculated more tight and have no weak moments for sure. I like the voice, or the voices, Peter Föller and Berd Noske done a great job, from dramatic parts from the title track to more subtle ones, the vocal department is well offered here. So, one of the better prog rock albums from mid '70 in general but kinda unfairly unnoticed in comparation with other names and albums from that period, definetly Birth Control sets new standards in their own sound and desearves attention from all prog lovers. 4 stars easy.

Whilst the first six albums from this taboo-baiting outfit are all well worth exploring, it is probably 'Hoodoo Man' which best personifies the lightning-hot heavy rock sound Birth Control were, during their earlier days at least, so adept at producing. Featuring yet another controversial sleeve design - this time it's a gruesomely overweight woman toying with what can only be described as some kind of bizarre, wind-up skeletal junkie - 'Hoodoo Man' finds the German outfit in blistering form. Indeed, everything about 'Hoodoo Man' simply exudes confidence, the improved production quality showing off the group's razor-sharp brand of manic, high-tempo power-prog to ear-shattering effect. This time around then the focus is very much on bristling grooves, crazed organ solo's and pumped-up riffs, the evil, psych-tinged sound of 'Operation' now fully mutated into a powerful new strain of galloping proto-metal best emphasised by the crushing rhythms of 'Suicide', the gloriously anthemic strains of fan-favourite 'Gamma Ray' and, best of all, the charging organ-drenched groove of 'Get Down To Your Fate'. A remarkable song, 'Get Down To Your Fate' is Birth Control cruising at full steam, rushing breathlessly through eight minutes of heavy prog mayhem as frenzied organs, chiming guitar licks and drummer Bernd Noske's throaty vocals swirl into a manic whole that never lets up for a minute. As progressive as it is heavy - bluesy foundations underscore the more experimental elements - 'Hoodoo Man' pulls of the very difficult trick of allowing its creators to wander freely amongst the seared landscape reaped by their own sonic carnage, yet never losing focus and heading off into those frustratingly over-elaborate prog cul-de-sacs that many groups fall into, ultimately going nowhere. Not Birth Control. Every track here has a purpose and a power, the dynamic tone set by opening gambit 'Buy!' meticulously maintained throughout. By their own admission, this was always a group in search of the easy shocks, an image that has at times undoubtedly overshadowed the actual music being cooked up, yet here the combination of deliberately provocative imagery and pulsating heavy rock makes for a wonderfully heady brew. Amongst their very best, 'Hoodoo Man' comes highly recommended. Heavy stuff indeed. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Variously bracketed under both the 'krautrock' and 'progressive' tags, Germany's taboo-baiting Birth Control were in fact neither, yet at the same time also both. Starting life with their deliberately-provocative self-titled 1970 debut - an album which came housed in a sleeve designed and shaped to replicate a larger-than-life contraceptive pill - this was a group who really didn't care who they offended or what they said. From the off, they displayed a gritty, bluesy, organ-blessed heavy prog-rock sound, not unlike fellow Germans Frumpy, that featured on both their debut and the excellent follow-up 'Operation', in the process quickly finding themselves a local and enthusiastic audience. Further success would arrive after the release of both 'Hoodoo Man' and the less polished 'Rebirth', yet for 1975's psychedelic-flavoured 'Plastic People' a slight change of direction was evident. Lacking the drilled guitar solos and squealing organs of old, 'Plastic People' introduced a more atmospheric Birth Control sound laden with synthesizers and keyboards galore, the individual songs lacking the fiery rush of their previous outings yet adding a more sophisticated instrumental sheen. Ultimately in would kick-start the group's slow decline into more commercial territory, yet 'Plastic People' was nevertheless one of the finest Birth Control albums, displaying an as-yet-undiscovered technical side perhaps missing from the Hendrix-flecked psych-rock of their initial clutch of albums. This new virtuosity is best displayed on the lush, nine-minute title-track, and even more so on the superb closer 'This Song Is Just For You', a piece that blends a melodic, pink-floyd-tinged hue with surprising lyrical candour and woozy synthesized background to at times thrilling effect. As a result, 'Plastic People' is Birth Control's warmest release, a rich, carefully-layered about- turn for an outfit usually not known for their musical subtlety, and one of the group's must-have albums for curious listeners. Alongside 'Operation' and the rampantly heavy 'Hoodoo Man', this impressive 1975 album is certainly one of Birth Control's best. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Featuring five extended versions of pieces taken from the albums 'Operation' and 'Hoodoo Man', this excellent live offering from the taboo-baiting German prog-rock outfit Birth Control finds the group in impressively muscular mode. Stretching such nuggets as 'The Work Is Done' and 'Gamma Ray' into epic new forms, this double-sided 1974 release - the group's first live album - showcases Birth Control very much near the apex of the impressive early powers. Of course, like many other 1970s rock groups, their later material starts to edge closer towards the realms of lightweights pop, yet for a brief while Birth Control truly were a formidable beast, blending jagged riffs, pounding percussion assaults and a series of deliberately controversial subject matters(abortion, murder, deviant sexuality) into their own powerful brew of rocked-up progressive proto-metal. Hard, edgy, tough and very impressive, this is a fine live album indeed. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

What an astounding German group what a brilliant record. Love it. It's so powerful and full of surprises. I think it can't be compared to any other group I know. It is strong as deep purple; brilliant in its own way, there is a unique sound of keyboards - organ, synthesizer and even church organ. The singing is great All songs are 7-9 minutes long and full of twists and changes like prog is when it's done great. Buy us a strong opener. Suicide is very powerful with great organ to start followed by a great guitar. Love it. Get down to your fate start quietly.... and then it explodes into blazing strong music. Incredible. Gamma Ray is the stronger in my opinion. Many changes of style, drums solo and lovely music. Hoodoo man is also powerful with church music in the middle of the song. Kaulstoss is a nice ending to the record. The bonuses are also quite good including live performances. All in all it is very good. Evert time I hear it I enjoy it more. A real Jewel

I find this album from Birth Control completely oriented towards symphonic progressive rock. The music still maintains some of the group's familiar hard rock-ish feel but you will not find guitar riffs here. These moments are hidden behind tight bass and drums' rhythms. If I should give some references, I would say that the sound of "Backdoor Possibilities" is very close to PFM's work on "Chocolate Kings" with a Gentle Giant and maybe a (jazzy) Lucifer's Friend's touch. The group sounds fresh and the production is very vivid. I would say that this one is an excellent addition to any progressive rock music collection.

Rebirth is from Birth Control's best period,and their best album. The band straddle the world of jazz rock and their heavy prog background in a really effective and refreshingly creative way with this record, which could very well satisfy fusion lovers, as well as those of heavy prog. This is not such an easy thing for a band to realize, but BC pull it off admirably, with the result being an album that was the most focused and professional sounding Birth Control would ever create.

One of the main things that really makes Rebirth such a great undertaking is that the band had, at this time, as a member the brilliant German guitarist Dirk Steffens, who injects a sincere, spirited, and deeply heart-felt musical presence throughout the album. Alas, the connection was not to last, and by early 1974, Steffens had left the band. He went on to pursue a solo career, whose first album The Seventh Step from 1976 has some of the musical feel of his involvement with Birth Control, though minus the jazz rock element.

But it can be said, though, that there is exemplary musicianship from all members of BC on Rebirth, and thus, there are no weak songs or even weak moments, the last track even including a great drum solo with mind-blowing technique. This group's instrumental prowess is in full vigor on this record, and makes for really invigorating music making all the way through. A five star, prog rock essential.

If you are looking for classic mid 70s heavy prog with excellent musicianship and compelling albeit somewhat disjointed compositions, you should definitely lend an ear to the "Plastic People" of BIRTH CONTROL. If you are also a fan of German symphonic prog of that period, then drop what you are doing now! Much in the vein of GROBSCHNITT, NEKTAR, JANE, and a host of also rans, this effort grows in esteem with each listen.

The title cut sets the tone with its harmonic chorus, expressive organ, and colorful other instrumentation like flute, a fluid 10 minutes that flows by without obstruction. "Rockin' Rollin' Roller might be even better with its jazzy electric piano and disco like beat and cymbals, not to mention more grinding organ work and guitars. The main event here is "Trial Trip", the first part hard rocking and ominous, seguing to a wondrous guitar solo rivaling the most accomplished of prog players. The album closer "Song is Just for You" adds violin and later flute and sax atop the bluesy base. If "My Mind" and "Tiny Flashlight" are a bit weaker, they still hold captivating moments of contrast to keep most here happy. The vocals in general are functional but nothing more or less. They suit the musical concept to a T.

This is my first use of BIRTH CONTROL and, while they are not stylistically all that different from JANE, their similarity to that contemporary formation derives mostly from both groups' tendencies to explore the music in fashion at the time, meaning that their prog years were limited to the period beginning some time after the peak of prog and ending after punk had sunk its fangs into the neck of the dinosaur. Whatever their motives or faults, there can be no regrets that "Plastic People" were carried to term.