EMERGENCY

Berka was back on sax and keyboards but also expanded his contributions to flute and mellotron on this sophomore album ENTRANCE. The rest of the new lineup in eluded Frank Diez (guitar), iøí Matousek (keyboards), John REdpath (drums, vocals), Curt Cress (drums) and the only other member from the debut to return, Otto Bezloja on bass. This lineup would also implode after the release of ENTRANCE leaving Berka to start with an entirely new band once again. Now that's determination! Given the new lineup it's not surprise that ENTRANCE took on a completely new vibe than its predecessor.

While still very much in the camp of an American brass rock sound based on funky blues rock, EMERGENCY's approach on ENTRANCE was much more varied. There is much more detail on piano rolls with some honky tonk and stride piano workouts. The brass instrumentation had been deemphasized to a mere saxophone presence which only supplements a call and response approach alternating with the vocals. Some solos do occur. It sounds like the trombone is still present at moments but no credits are giving so perhaps an unknown session musician provided a few parts here and there. There are also more parts dedicated to guitar solos and the jam band feel is much stronger than before. It feels like the band adopted the sound provided on the closing cover track of the debut album "Gimme Some Lovin" by The Spencer Davis Group. Diez is a much more accomplished guitarist than Newby from the debut.

Also since there are two percussionists on ENTRANCE, there is a stronger emphasis on doubling the drumming grooves and thus on its way to sounding a bit like Santana minus the Latin flavors. The occasional flute appearances bring a bit of Focus to mind. At this point EMERGENCY sounds like a hodgepodge of Focus, Santana, Traffic and a funky jazz-rock band and perhaps English jazz-rock bands like The Web. The compositions are generally better laid out than the straight forward debut and given the leap in progressive rock evolution in the previous two years seems fitting. There are more examples of individual instrumentations soloing during the extended jams afforded by the lengthy time lengths. Only five tracks on this one with all exceeding seven minutes.

There is also more attention paid to the dynamics with a starker contrast of slower and more upbeat tracks. Overall this one is a slight step up from the debut but considering it was released in 1972 a bit lackluster in comparison to other jazz-fusion pioneers of the era. The overall sound of ENTRANCE sounds like it should have been released in 1970 so clearly these guys were a bit behind the curve. Hardly essential but an interesting artifact from the vaults and i'm quite certain that what i call the "Look I'm Pissing On A Tree!" album will not be rediscovered as some sort of lost classic. Still though these guys could jam for sure and had they not been drowned out by dozens of more interesting bands may have actually scored some success!

Berka himself had just come from the Prague garage band Matadors before forming EMERGENCY whereas Lindenburg had already gotten his feet wet in the world of jazz-rock in his band free orbit which released one album the year prior. Vocalist Reddy started out with a bang as well having been casted for Germany's original casting of Hair. Dusko Goykovich who was born in the Bosnian part of the former Yugoslavia was the most seasoned having started his career a decade prior. EMERGENCY in total cranked out four albums in the early 1970s. This debut found little commercial success hence the breakup shortly thereafter its release.

This album sounds something right out of the Blood, Sweat & Tears playbook with heavy brass-rich tracks with a funky, bluesy guitar accompaniment. This is true right down to Reddy's grizzled vocals which appear on every track and sung in English. In fact this band doesn't sound German or European at all. They were clearly trying to emulate American bands such as Chicago and other more commercial sounds. Despite the jazz-fusion tag EMERGENCY wasn't particularly progressive but rather focused on catchy melodic constructs with simple blues oriented guitar riffs upon which the trombone and saxophone parts could slink around. The keyboards do give a bit of 60s psychedelic rock heft to it.

Overall this album isn't anything to get overly excited about. It's competent and a pleasant listening experience but in the end a bit too generic to be anything other than an artifact from the era that will most likely remain in the obscurity bins for time immemorial. There is a nice cover of "Gimme Some Lovin" by the Spencer Davis Group. It's about the only time you will hear guitar solos and hefty jams. If you can't get enough funky blues based rock in the vein of Traffic with the added brass rock sensibilities of Blood, Sweat & Tears then EMERGENCY is exactly what you've been looking for but considering there were dozens of such similar bands it's more likely than not you've already scratched that itch as there were more competent bands at the same time.

Compared to the earlier LP's, `Country...' is initially underwhelming on the first few listens. Mostly gone were the long jams and honking power of the previous works, replaced by a polished and reigned-in sound, with a new vocalist, Peter Bischoff, that reminded of white soul singer Chris Farlowe of Atomic Rooster and Colosseum fame. The priority of the group had now mostly shifted to classy pop/rock tunes, often with blues, country and even gospel touches, but still given tasteful instrumental backings, and somewhat similar in parts to the more overtly commercial moments of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago's early years, with fleeting moments of If as well.

`Country...' definitely gets the LP off to a superb start. Opener `I Know What's Wrong' and its frantic momentum holds plenty to interest prog fans, and the skittering drumming, swirling synths and slivers of icy Mellotron help it call to mind Scottish rockers Beggars Opera. `Jeremiah' slinks with a bluesy saunter, but the chorus is a boisterous country-flecked spiritual proclamation, `Take My Hand' is a gentle gospel flavoured soft-rocker that picks up in tempo with some wilder sax soloing in the middle, and `Confessions' is a chilled boogie.

The flip-side's `Early In The Morning' is a reflective Mellotron-laced ballad with a hopeful chorus ("When the sun is born again, I can start a new day far from pain" is a lovely lyric), `The Flag' is a funky n' punchy jazz-rocker, and `Little Marie' is swooning romantic pop with a smooth vocal and catchy chorus. Finally, there's plenty of drama and build to the twelve minute closing title-track, being mellow and floating one moment, punchy and driving the next. It reveals good use of reprising themes, has rousing vocals, and all the musicians are highlighted by standout solo spots.

While `Country...' mostly lacks the drifting atmospheres and open spaces of the earlier albums, there's still signs of greatness that pop up throughout the fine song-writing, where even the more pedestrian moments are still full of interesting little instrumental details at all times. While it's hardly essential, and newcomers should definitely explore the previous two albums first, there's plenty of charm to be found here, and the frequently joyful music helps make `Get Out to the Country' a real grower.

Three stars.

No Compromise is the group's fourth album and probably the album whose line-up resembles the most the previous album, although there are still a few changes. As Knaak ceded his drum stool to Corredy and Palmer-James ceded the guitar to Frank Diez, but remained active in writing the lyrics of over half the tracks. Again released on Brain in 74, the tracks were self-produced, but apparently more by individuals than the collective and the stunning but tacky artwork of the gatefold is stunning, but not necessarily in a good way, while the inner gatefold shows pictures of the band live.

The opening 7-mins+ Motown/Stax-like Smilin' track is probably more funk than the whole previous GOTTC album held, but somehow, there is not a wasted moment in it: incredibly tight playing. The almost 6-mins Praise Famous Men is to reminiscent of BS&T material to be taken seriously, Diez pulling a Butterfield, Bischoff pulling a Colomby, Marvos pulling a Kooper and leader Berka pulling an Ian Anderson on the flute, but the bluesy-soul track is too long and end up irritating. From here to NYC is another 6- mins+ affair that pull its influences from 60's US R'nB, proggying it up a bit through some time sigs and flute solos. The same can be said for Time Can't Take It Away, with its great organ solo.

The delicate Hideaway is one of the highlights with its aerial mellotron choirs chords layers, fine guitar solos, etc. as for the mammoth no Compromise, it starts out with a solid brass section pacing, and while Marvos pulls some out-of-this-world synth sounds, Biscoff is sounding a bit like Chris Farlowe and the musicians exchange great licks and obviously enjoy themselves. The closing Goodbye To A Friend is a moody tear-jerker written by new-coming Diez, but Berka intervenes in a emotive sax solo.

As close as possible to BS&T, emergency always managed to avoid to sound as pompous and bombastic (at least in their last two albums, I haven't heard the CBS ones), and while hardly essential to progheads, they might well be worth the detour if you like proggy brass rock.

Of all the brass rock group that started the decade, almost all of them were either UK or US, but the odd exception went for groups like Czechoslovakia's Flamengo's sole album, and in Germany, Missing Link (sounding a bit like Colosseum) and Emergency, who recorded four albums, but the latter group was only German by its base as it was formed by four Czech/Slovaks refugees, one Englishmen and a German.. But its line-up had considerably changed by their second album Entrance. For their third (and presently reviewed) album, the group mostly notably consisted of Richard Palmer-James (ex- Supertramp and future Crimson lyricist) on guitars, Berka on winds, Veit Marvos on keys and Peter Bischof on vocals & percussion and the brass section was reduced to founding member Berka. With an interesting gatefold artwork playing with light filters, Get Out Of The Country was released on the Brain (their new label after their first two on CBS) label in 73 and was self-produced.

The sextet performs a brass rock that comes often close to BS&T's soul-inflected and often insufferably cheesy material, but Emergency stay on the good side of most proghead's tastebuds. Starting out on the mellotron-laden I Know What's Wrong, where the interplay between all is quite impressive and the tempo quick, ending in a mini drum solo. Bischof's vocals are well heard and proper English pronunciation on Palmer-Lames' lyrics. The following Jeremiah is starting out in full dramatics, sort of fooling us, once the tune gets going, a Winwood-type soulish track that hesitates between prog and Spencer Davis Group. Next up is Take My Hand a typical cheese you'd expect from BS&T, that is borderline insufferable if it wasn't for excellent musicianship. Closing up the side is the Palmer-James pop track Confessions, which doesn't bring much to the album, even if you can detect a slight Supertramp tempo.

The flipside has three short tracks and the jumbo title track. Among the ditties, Bischoff's Early in The morning is a delicate semi-60's tracks that the Moodies could've written, the string arrangements and mellotron certainly helping as well. Next up is a the brassiest track of the album, The Flag, where the Winwood-like vocals, mega-horn arrangements and female choirs And RP-J's wahed-out guitars make this more of a Ford/Motown track than BMW/Munich one. The Following Little Marie continues the bad BS&T cheese and is arguably the most irritating track of the album. However, the monster title track starts out like a Colosseum monster (you'd swear this is a bit like Rope Ladder To The Moon), although Bischoff is no Chris Farlowe, but original member Berka's flute is doing wonders to our ears. There are a few lengths and semi-successful bravura moments from most of the musicians, but the Knaak on drums and Bischof on percussion pulls their straw from the lot and RP-J's closing guitar solo gets the last word.

While I'd never say that Emergency produced an album I would call essential, if you like proggy brass rock, they should not disappoint you much, but you've been warned of the cheesy BS&T side of the group. However the proghead shouldn't let not that deter him, because they (Emergency) are not quite as pompous as BS&T either.