ZOPPO TRUMP

In the fertile years of Krautrock in Germany's progressive rock scene, the 1970s yielded a variety of well known acts that have become synonymous with the overall scene in general but not all bands had the fortune of becoming as well known as Can, Amon Duul II or Popol Vuh. On the contrary most bands if they were lucky only managed to squeak out an album or two before facing financial ruin and even worse yet there were many bands that never even had the opportunity to release a single album. ZOPPO TRUMP falls into that ill-fated category although the band did record several tracks, two of which: "Welloengang" and "Fluktuation" appeared on the various artists compilation "Scena Westphalica" from 1976.

While to modern ears the odd band name may make one think of some sort of tribute to a certain billionaire turned US president the term ZOPPO is actually an English word that refers to music that is alternately with and without syncopation and TRUMP has a number of English meanings ranging from a move in card games to the major arcana of a tarot deck. Whatever the band name means, they certainly picked one that is distinct from many of the boring generic names that came out of the German Krautrock scene! This band formed in Dortmund and existed from 1971 to about 1976 seven different members over the course of its existence. In the beginning ZOPPO TRUM was a mere trio but then quickly grew to a quartet which they remained until the band members parted ways.

This self-titled release is the result of the label Garden of Delights which has lovingly brought long lost artifacts of the past to the modern day with the dignity of a proper release. This compilation was released in 2009 and features tracks ranging from the band's early stint as a trio with the first two tracks "Man of Peace" and "Queen of War" to the more progressive rocking tracks that incorporated not only the blues rock of their early existence but upped the sophistication with traces of jazz, classical and prog rock with ample uses of saxophone, organ and mellotrons in addition to the standard rock instrumentation of the guitar, bass and drums. Not all periods of this band's history were recorded but this compilation showcases the diverse range and evolution of the band's early stages to the grand finale of its career with a heavier reliance on jazz and proggy workouts.

Many of the members were multi-instrumentalists. The band was led by Ferdi Eberth handled lead vocals, guitars, saxophone and organ who was the only member to straddle the entire timeline of the band's existence. Later came Martin Buschmann who played many types of keyboards as well as alto sax. Bassist Udo Preising had been in the band Electric Mud which itself only released a single album in 1971 before calling it a day. Drummer Nicky Gebhard was perhaps the most prolific having joined Wallenstein, Karma, M.E.K. Bilk and several other projects beyond his tenure with ZOPPO TRUMP. The music on this release is all presented chronologically which is the way these types of archival releases should be as it shows how the band progressed from a simpler blues based rock trio to the more progressive jazz rock of the band's later years.

At its heart ZOPPO TRUMP was basically a jam band with simple bass grooves upon which the organist or guitarists could improvise around. The vocalist delivered some lyrics but more time was invested in lengthy instrumental workouts that ranged in sounding like Blodwyn PIg and Camel to other German contemporaries like Out of Focus or Thirsty Moon but nearly as innovative or masterful in the composition process as any of those more famous bands. The symphonic touches are common throughout the band's sounds with a strong emphasis on keyboards but often the jazzy moods dominate. The lyrics were in English and lead vocalist Reimund Eberth while competent wasn't one of the most memorable vocalists of the day either. The nine tracks on this release are all molded from the same overall sound but differ enough to make this a decent listening experience.

ZOPPO TRUMP was a decent band for sure but one can hear why they didn't exactly set the world on fire during their day as well. While they delivered an interesting blend of psych, blues, prog, jazz and classical, they didn't excel in any particular way. They didn't take you on a lysergic journey into tripper's paradise with the exception of a few moments that unfortunately were marred with "normal" keyboard accompaniments and likewise they didn't really excel at the jazz-fusion chops or prog time signature deviations. In other words they only dabbled in these musical motifs without fully committing which leaves me a bit unsatisfied. The jamming comfort zone is the main gist of the band's entire existence. This is indeed a worthy release for those checking out the nooks and crannies of the overlooked Krautrock underground from the 1970s but ZOPPO TRUMP didn't have enough creative mojo to stand out above the crowded scene. Definitely some magic moments but just not enough.

3.5 rounded down