SPECTRUM

Volker was somewhat of a pioneer in Germany when it came to Fusion. An extraordinary guitarist who on this his debut has surrounded himself with some incredible musicians.Volker also plays sitar on here although there's very little of it on this 1971 release. This isn't the most dynamic album i've ever heard, in fact it's pretty straight forward a lot of the time. We get a percussionist besides the drummer adding lots of intricate sounds.

"Zoom" opens with percussion as the sitar comes in breifly. Drums, bass and electric piano follow.The guitar starts to solo tastefully over the top. Electric piano replaces the guitar 3 1/2 minutes in then the sitar returns.

"So Long, For Now" is laid back and very jazzy. "More About D" opens with some atmosphere. I like the electric piano. It does pick up before 1 1/2 minutes. Nice. Some craziness follows then the bass, drums and guitar lead.The electric piano is back. It settles before 7 minutes and the bass leads.

"Suspicious Child, Growing Up" is a cool song with intricate guitar, electric piano, bass and drums. I like this laid back tune a lot. "Instant Judgement" has some intensity to it and is more uptempo.The guitar leads early then the electric piano leads 2 minutes in.The guitar returns late to lead.

"Ach Kina" is mellow and slow paced. It does pick up some late. "Strings Revisited" has these intricate sounds that come and go. Electric piano leads 2 1/2 minutes in then it's the guitars' turn after 4 minutes. Drums and percussion take their turn after 6 minutes.

A low 4 stars for this early German Fusion album.

27-year old guitarist Volker Kriegel had proved himself in the crossover band, The Dave Pike Set, and had even experimented with the creation of an album with his name on the headline (with jazz veteran and virtuoso violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris), now it was time to take his considerable ideas, composition and guitar skills to the next level: as a band leader of his own band. Two of the members of this album's lineup of musicians would stay with Volker for the next few albums, keyboardist John Taylor having helped launched the guitarist's solo career on the Sugarcane Harris collaboration.

1. "Zoom" (7:00) congas, sitar, bass, drum kit, bluesy flourishes from an electric piano, and multiple guitar tracks all enter, one at a time, merging into a Herbie Hancock-like synthesis with some great lead guitar, sitar, and electric piano soloing along with some very fine sound recording (with great definition given to each and every instrument in the mix). A very enjoyable J-R Fusion jam song. (13.75/15)

2. "So Long, For Now" (3:55) definitely an offering that sounds like (and may have inspired) Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Blue Collar": great jazz guitar with perfect accompaniment from Peter Trunk's double bass play, John Taylor's electric piano. Peter Baumeister's drumming sounds a little stiff, like rudimentary jazz drumming 101 run through for the first time. (And it's mixed a little too loudly in the right side of center, sometimes distracting me from hearing/enjoying the other instruments--all of whom are much better, much more interesting than his.) Volker's play, crossing several stylistic lines within the course of the song with ease, even exuding confidence, is wonderful. (8.875/10)

3. "More About D" (9:14) a song that opens full of latencies and potentialities--much like a Joni Mitchell or Eberhard Weber song! Once the full band links up and launches into the meat of the song, there is some Return to Forever-like chords and Larry Coryell-like wildness as Peter Trunk, Cees See, and Peter Baumeister hold down a fairly-constantly moving rhythm track over which Volker solos in his jazz guitar with some of the freedom and reckless abandon that Larry, Sonny Sharrock, or Chris Spedding were doing about the same time. In the fifth minute everybody lets loose-- lets go of time and structure for a bit of joyful chaos--but then they come back to support John Taylor's electric piano solo much in the same syncopated herky-jerky forward-moving way they did Volker in the first verse. This is a fairly good keyboard solo as far as keyboard solos go, but it is highlighted by the percussion--and-psychedelic guitar supported bass solo that follows. Peter Trunk impresses! The closing is satisfying for its psychedelic folk extension beyond the standard jazz close. Great tune! Very creative and adventurous. (18.75/20)

4. "Suspicious Child, Growing Up" (4:00) this one sounds like something straight out of The Haight, 1966 or 1967. Multiple tracks used by Volker for his acoustic and electric guitars while minimal electric piano, percussion, bass, and drums support him. I love how well Volker plays off of his own alternate tracks: making it seem and feel as if he's dueting/duelling with someone else sitting next to him in the same studio in Austin, Texas. A very cool, enjoyable song--and I'm not even a fan of this type of music! (9/10)

5. "Instant Judgement" (3:45) Volker's distorted guitars are played over this Rockabilly-like tune with considerable aggression and psychedelic effect. Not necessarily a great or memorable song but certainly representative of the day-- where sound experimentation was all part of the game and almost de rigueur. How is that drummer Peter Baumeister can impress on this and feel so weak on "So Long, For Now"? (8.75/10)

6. "Ach Kina" (5:14) gently performed solo jazz electric guitar opens this before Volker launches into the real melody-- one that is quite emotional and melancholy (but played very effectively to convey these "sad" emotions). Support comes from a jazz trio of bass, brushed drums, and second guitar playing rhythm chords. Very nice! And at times achingly heart-wrenching (especially in the fourth minute when Cees See's congas join in and Volker starts to take turns soloing between both of his two guitars). (9.25/10)

7. "Strings Revisited" (7:20) this one sounds like a thinned out, scaled down song from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew: dreamy, floating Fender Rhodes, percussion front and center, independent and adventurous double bass play, and, of course, electric guitar. As a matter of fact, also like Miles' revolutionary record, John Taylor's Fender Rhodes play takes on quite the same sound and mystique as those of Chick, Joe, and Herbie (though, of the three, perhaps more the latter). Volker's jazz guitar stylings, however, sound far more akin to those of Geroge Benson than Johnny Mac. Drummer Peter Baumeister is, unfortunately, nowhere in the same league as the Bitches Brew drummers. (13.375/15)

Total Time: 40:28

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of early and experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion--perhaps even beyond the early ventures of Bitches Brew participants Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea! (But not John McLaughlin.)