NORDLAND

Streetmark came from the D'sseldorf region and were found in 1968 by female keyboardist Dorothea Raukes and guitarist Thomas Schreiber.An early concert review of the time described them as a band ''combining Baroque-type Rock with breezy Jazz Rock'', however the jazzy influences seem to fade by mid-70s, when the band recorded the debut ''Nordland'' in October 75' at Conny Plank's Tonstudio in Neukirchen, eventually released the following year on German label Sky Records.

The album opens with the inventive ''House of Three Windows'', a beautiful lighter version of NOVALIS with dreamy organ and expressive vocals by new singer Georg Buschmann, much in the vein of PROCOL HARUM/THE MOODY BLUES, finally building around the great guitar chops of Schreiber into a nice cover on The Beatles' ''Eleanor Rigby''.''Amleth Saga'' marks no changes.Deamy organ/synth/harsichord-based light Symphonic Rock ala PROCOL HARUM with light jazzy influences on Schreiber's guitar and a spacey feeling towards the end.The short instrumental ''Italian Concert in Rock'' is an attempt by the band to bring on their Classical influences in the vein of TRACE or THE PINK MICE, quite needless as these are evident on the first couple of great tracks.The album closes with the 20-min. eponymous epic, which is rather overstretched in my opinion.A long spacey introduction will lead to Buschmann's vocals, who have a slightly theatrical/romantic edge this time.A fiery organ/synth-part will follow, much like a DEEP PURPLE clone and the band will fall again into spacey Progressive Rock with a calm symphonic atmosphere before the more energetic finale with guitars and electric piano on the forefront along with Buschmann's passionate vocals and strong Blues Rock inspirations.

The first side of this LP is absolutely essential for all fans of the lighter side of Classic Prog, especially ''House of Three Windows'' is a must-listen for its original structure.The flipside's epic has its moments, but ends up being a bit pale compared to the first couple of great tracks.Overall a strongly recommended effort and notice there is also a CD reissue out (from 1993) again by Sky Records...3.5 stars.