PETER BURSCH UND DIE BRÖSELMASCHINE

When guitarist Peter Bursch reconstituted Bröselmaschine in the latter 1970's he did so in a more businesslike manner, ditching a lot of the grassroots charm that made the band's first album so appealing, half a decade earlier. He also took control of the group by putting his own name in front of it, contrary perhaps to the communal values of hippiedom but giving the project a more proprietary focal point.

The first album from the rechristened band missed the illuminating touch of producer R.U. Kaiser, on the run in 1976 after the Cosmic Jokers scandal. The new music was polite, engaging, and never less than totally professional, this time with a surplus of electric guitar, modestly augmenting the usual flutes and zithers. "Sofa Rock" set the prevailing mood in six short minutes of easygoing musical comfort, more relaxing than a piece of well-worn furniture and about as exciting. And by "Wayfaring Stranger" Bursch had all but shed every trace of his folk music upbringing, along with most of his youthful musical naïveté.

More albums would follow, none of them currently listed here at ProgArchives. And Peter Bursch would go on to enjoy a successful career as a noted author, composer, and guitar instructor. But the fragile magic of 1971 was gone forever, and today the self-titled reboot is a very pleasant experience that leaves almost no impression afterward.