GURU GURU - LIVE

Recorded across cities all over Germany and Holland, this is one of the best sounding live albums of the seventies. Guru Guru started of as acid/psychedelic rock band and grew towards a psychedelic funk/jazz rock act and this album covers mainly their later style. Fans of their first three albums should therefor be mindfull of on which grounds they judge this album.

Stylisticly and soundwise this album could be seen as the big brother of Kraan's double live album from '75. A tight unit of bass and drums (of course by bandleader Mani Neumeier), two guitar players - both very able to give away an amazing guitarsolo - and Rolandd Scheaffer also plays some saxophone parts and percussion. The vocals are often dopey, but they are almost never the centerpart of a track. The recording quality is amazing, I only know one record that has a better live recording; Jan Akkerman's Live at Montrieux.

The first two sides are mainly just Guru Guru having a lot of fun with its fast funk psychedelic rock style with loads of great solo's, sounds and rhythmical playing. Nothing to progressive or difficult, but very advanced nevertheless because of the top notch fusion interplay of bass drums and guitars. The musicianship can easily florish in the format. The crowd really seems to be having a good time.

The third side shows the band in a experimental mood, taking up some Ooga Booga parts from the Kanguru album and an experimental space rock / spoken word jam called Der Elektrolurch. Though long drum parts on live albums are usually cause of a lack of substance, the interplay with the crowd does give me a pleasent feeling of being part of great event.

The fourth side is my favorite of the album. This is a progressive rock listeners heaven with the brilliant heavy spacerock opener Moroso and the multi-part twelve minute Medicin Man's Overdose, which also has some strong dynamic changes and a beautiful twelve string guitar interlude by Dieter Bornschlegel. The ending is short, bombastic and powerful.

Guru Guru in their fusion prog period is an acquired taste, but the musicianship and professional production of this double live album is beyond opinions. Moreover, the crowd really adds to the music, which is usually lacking on progressive rock (related) live albums. Recommended to fans of jazzrock/fusion, krautrock, jamband, psychedelic rock, spacerock and audiophiles. Four stars.

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