STERN-COMBO MEISSEN

This is the first full album released by the East German band, Stern Combo Meissen. The bands name translates to "Star Combo Meissen" - Meissen being their home city, now famous for their porcelain production. The eponymous album title is sometimes listed as "No. 1" in compilation releases.

The first track, translated to "The Fight for the South Pole" tells the story about Amundsen and Scott in their fight to be the first to reach the south pole and how the winner's name would be remembered after death. The race, incidentally, was won by Amundsen. All of the lyrics are sung in their native German language which I don't understand, but that doesn't bother me because the vocals are pleasantly melodic and present themselves as just another instrument in the band. The track starts with some cool, windy synth effects that could have been lifted from Jean Michel Jarre's Equinox. The most prominent feature throughout the piece, however, is the bass play, which provides a head-nodding rhythm to keep the track moving forward. This track has become a signature piece that the band often plays in their live sets, even to this day.

The second track, "The Old Man on the Dump" presents a 1980's pop feel, which would become their dominant style on later albums. The song tells the story of a 70 year old man and his dog who sort through and guard the rubble in the dump as a way of making themselves feel useful. Parts of the track remind me of Thomas Dolby, and there's even a brief harmonic vocal (da-ba-dum) passage that conjures up early Yes. Again the bass play is front and center.

Track three, "Mothers Go Away Without a Sound" tells the story of ones mother fading from our life -- a victim of our haste. It's a soft piece, with nicely melodic vocals and simple keyboard lines.

Track four, "One Night on the Bald Mountains" is a Modest Mussorgsky composition with a "musical recast" by Stern Combo Meissen. The track starts with ominous, foreboding synth sound effects that gives way to multiple, layered keyboards and the ever-present forward bass play. This track gives the first hint at something like Keith Emerson -- i.e. classical training applied to modern (at the time) synths, with nimble-fingered keyboard work. The chosen synth patches and style of play all bring Keith Emerson to mind. The vocal track at the end, about lovelessness and loneliness, obviously veers away from Mussorgsky's tone poem about witches and devilry. Well performed, perhaps the best track on the album.

The fifth track, "Light in the Dark" is a vocal-centric track, somewhat theatrical at times, about man's discovery of fire to provide both light and warmth. There is some nice keyboard work in the second half of the track, with a great bass guitar foil behind it. Overall, the track is a little scattered, style-wise and mood-wise. It presents many nice moments, but not well integrated compositionally. Perhaps a better comprehension of the German lyrics would have helped me mentally tie it all together.

Overall, this album is a nice listen. While there are some weaker tracks (2,3,5) among the stronger tracks (1,4), they are not unpleasant or distracting from the overall enjoyment of the album. A fine debut album. I give it 3 stars.