SPACE GUERILLA

Wow. I am really the first one which writes a review of this record. Besides, was Missus Beastly one of the big German krautjazz bands, at one level with Embryo or Doldinger. The band and this LP has still almost fallen into oblivion what is a pity because on it excellent music is to be found. Influencees of Mahavishnu, Miles Davis or also Zappa is not to be denied, but the band mixes from it a brew with own taste. The musicians control her craft and bring jazzrock on the highest level. With this LP once more the German dominance was indicated in this genre which there has been at this time undoubtedly. At that time I was a big fan of this krautjazz, and still I am. Recommendable. 4.5 stars really.

The band has changed beyond recognition a little bit - it's jazz rock respectively fusion by all means but somewhat more in a classic straightforward way - not that weird and with krautrock leanings as shown by the earlier band incarnations. Keyboarder Burghard Schmidl and Friedemann Josch are left from the former line-up. Locko Richter plays a solid part but cannot really manage to be an equal alternative to Norbert Dömling.

The excellent fusion track Space Guerilla as the highlight is performed with much dynamic dominated by Burkhard Schmidl who substitutes the (missing?) rhythm guitar with his keyboard. And therefore not missing a guitarist they are able to offer the Guitar for Sale starting in the wellknown MISSUS BEASTLY or EMBRYO style but drifting into 'shallow waters' in the second half with a decent piano solo. Rahsaan Roland Kirk is a solo flute performance by Josch and then the album developes into a weaker average direction more and more. For Flü appears as a noticable exception with some breaks and changing moods. Cose Dola is not more than a nice pun. 'Dose Cola' in german means a Coke tin. The closing King Garlic is proper most certainly but not really recognizable as a common MISSUS BEASTLY output though.

So as for a conclusion 'Space Guerilla' contains nice jazz rock songs with flute contributions - but I'm missing this special MISSUS BEASTLY flair.

After two incredible Jazz/Kraut albums MISSUS BEASTLY are back. As Uwe mentions in his review the Krautrock part of the equation has been greatly reduced here. Only two of the five members from the first two albums are back leaving Mr. Schmidl to do almost all of the composing besides playing keyboards and guitar. Despite the lack of Krautrock this album has impressed me big time. It's just really well done which is no surprise and after this record Schmidl would join EMBRYO while Richter the bass and violin player would re-join AERA. Josch by the way is so good playing flute and sax here. A really enjoyable Jazz/Rock album and this was released in 1978.

"Space Guerrilla" is the almost 11 minute opener where we do get some of that Krautrock spirit. Piano only to start as drums and more start to come and go until we get a steady sound with sax over top. I like the sound 1 1/2 minutes in as bass and a beat with flute take over. Sax is back but it's the flute showing off in a major way. Love when it calms right down to an experimental Kraut routine. A change 7 minutes in as the tempo picks up with lots of intricate sounds. Pretty much piano driven to the end.

"Guitar For Sale" has a Jazz/Fusion vibe all the way with electric piano and drums. Check out the guitar after a minute and the bass 2 minutes in. It then lightens and then another calm before 4 minutes with piano and flute. "Rahstan Rolans Kirk" is flute and percussion and not much of the latter. "Fuzzy, Don't Go To The Disco" are wise words indeed for 1978. This one has some funk to it with the bass. Sax before a minute and it will come and go. Then the violin leads the way after 2 minutes soling away.

"Hoffmannstropfen" opens with bass and a beat as sax comes and goes along with e-pinao. The flute replaces the sax after 1 1/2 minutes then the sax returns after 3 minutes. Is that clavinet 3 1/2 minutes in? Bass leads before 5 minutes. "Cose Dola" contrasts the sax with the electric piano as drums support. Violin after a minute. Bass and drums only before 2 1/2 minutes then the piano returns. "For Flu" is uptempo with piano, flute and drums leading the way. A World music vibe here with that ethnic sound arriving a minute in. Themes continue to be repeated and check out a moving section before 3 1/2 minutes with piano and flute.

"King Garlic" ends it in a Jazz/Rock style. Very classy really with piano and bass leading along with drums before the flute arrives late. An excellent album for those into the Jazz/Rock style of music. These guys are players and I think it stands up well with their previous two studio albums even if it's a notch down from those.