Grobschnitt - Solar Music Live (1978)

Revivimos esta semana las andanzas de un grupo muy poco conocido pero maravillosamente disfrutable, una semana donde presentaremos algunas maravillosas cosas de Grobschnitt, desde Alemania llega con su mezcla única de Krautrock + rock sinfónico + space rock + rock psicodélico, en un disco absolutamente fascinante. Otra obra maestra musical absolutamente imprescindible que damos a conocer en nuestro querido blog cabezón. Revivimos este disco ya presentado hace tiempo, y vamos a seguir en esta semana con más Grobschnitt, sobretodo porque todo esto es muy recomendado!.

Artista: Grobschnitt

Álbum: Solar Music Live
Año: 1978
Género: Krautrock ecléctico / Rock sinfónico
Duración: 68:47
Nacionalidad: Alemania

Nano nos reseña un disco que nos comparte él mismo: una genial banda alemana combinando el krautrock con el rock sinfónico, el space rock y el rock psicodélico, y creando un tremendísimo disco. Y como comentario aparte del estrictamente musical, vemos como en el blog cabezón no solamente avanzan cada vez más las ganas de compartir sino también las ganas de reseñar, cosa que me alivia todo este trabajo que de otro modo no podría llevar adelante por mi mismo.
Si quieren conocer la onda de la banda, les dejo un video correspondiente a su versión de estudio del "Solar Music" (1974) mientras más abajo está la versión de éste disco en vivo para que lo puedan apreciar y saber si es de su interés.


Los temas tienen un desarrollo sumamente disfrutable, sorprendente cuando lo escuchas por primera vez. A pesar de ser Grobschnitt un grupo poco conocido este disco es de lo mejor del krautrock y de una de las mejores bandas de rock salidas de Alemania.
Vamos con el comentario de Nano:

Para empezar esta reseña, quiero agradecer a Moe por la buena onda y por darme el impulso para escribir esta reseña y espero que no caiga en un vacío sin sentido para la calidad de este blog y de todas las reseñas hechas.

Párrafo aparte en mi historia musical esta banda y sobretodo por lo expuesto en este maravilloso disco que les voy a presentar.  Pero antes que nada una pequeña intro a la banda (transcripto de Wikipedia)

“Grobschnitt was a West German rock band which existed between 1970 and 1989.^[1] Their style evolved as time passed, beginning with psychedelic rock in the early 1970s before transitioning into symphonic progressive rock, NDW and finally pop rock in the mid-1980s. Grobschnitt, unlike other bands, utilized humor in their music in the form of unexpected noises and silly lyrics and concepts.

As was common with many German bands of the time, Grobschnitt sang in English until the early 1980s, despite touring exclusively in West Germany. The band accrued a loyal fan base through its live performances which included pyrotechnics and Germancomedic sketches. Highlight performances include Solar Music, an extended mostly instrumental piece which lasted up to an hour. Grobschnitt were also known for their stamina on stage, frequently performing shows in excess of three hours.”

El disco es como su nombre lo indica, en vivo, grabado en los estudios Otto Pankok Forum in Mühlheim el 7 de abril de 1978 como segunda entrada de las bandas que tocaron en el 32º concierto realizado en este foro.

El disco empieza con una dosis circense podríamos decirle, como invitando a todos a acercarse a una función que para muchos podría ser inolvidable. La banda juega mucho con las distorsiones y la dialéctica en muchas de las canciones, pero quédense tranquilos que es un disco que te vuela la cabeza de principio a fin. Los acordes de guitarra al más puro estilo rockero abren las puertas para ir entrando en una atmósfera alucinante, acompañado de una batería que va in crescendo para empezar al show. Poco a poco los teclados van tomando fuerza y le van agregando más tinte psicodélico bien propio del Kraut.

Las primeras partes del disco, están en un tono y una atmósfera en la cual uno presagia que algo bueno está por venir y continuando con el camino de la guitarra, haciéndose sentir y tomando la batuta de este disco te va llevando de a poco. Pero eso no es todo, el teclado tiene una parte fundamental en este disco, sí sonando casi desde el más allá pero que después va a estallar. A medida que va pasando el disco llega “Muelhelm Special” cargada con una atmósfera fantástica y volviendo al circo para que no nos olvidemos que estamos en una función para después desencadenarse en un estallido de placer casi al final de este tema y una conjunción de notas que me encantaron en donde todo toma sentido y dejan la pantomima del show para mezclar una notas geniales. Pero eso no es todo, se va acercando un tema que te va a agarrar para no soltar este disco hasta que termine “Otto Pankrock”, el teclado apareciendo con un poco loco, pero lo que más me gustó de este tema fue el “sólo” de teclado que empieza a los 3:50 minutos del tema y que te carcome la cabeza para después seguir con esta locura. El disco continúa después de este orgasmo (si se me permite la expresión) con otros 2 temas muy buenos y en “Golden Mist” aparece con más presencia la bata para decir “acá estoy yo” y a su vez ir concluyendo con hermosas melodías de teclados para ir transformando a este disco en uno de los mejores de la historia para mi gusto. Cerrando el mismo “Solar Music III” para que cuadre todo y te deje con ganas de seguir escuchándolo y suavemente suena una música de fondo teatral que indica que el show terminó.

Nano

¿Y qué puedo agragar yo a lo ya dicho?, vamos con algún que otro comentario a ver si agrega algo:

Es necesario hacer un poco de historia, e irse al año 1970, cuando Joachim Ehrig “Eroc”, está decidido a formar un grupo, en el que prime el sonido space y sinfónico, y en el que ademas, en sus espectáculos en directo, haya actores, se trata un poco unir el circo y la música, para ello contacta con dos amigos de su antiguo grupo Crew, Stefan Danielak (Wildschwein) y Gerd-Otto Kühn (Lupo), ademas de un percusionista, Axel Harlos (Felix), un bajista Bernhard Uhlemann (Bär) y un teclista, Hermann Quetting (Quecksilber) , para formar Grobschnitt, entonces ya tenia en mente, hacer una música, solo para ser tocada en directo, era el embrión de Solar Music, esbozada en dos partes, como LP adicional en su segundo disco Ballerman.
La versión de la que voy a escribir, es el CD, del sello Revisited Rec. Del año 1998, no la original de 1978, y es porque se incluye el bis de ese concierto, el tema The Missing, del que hablaremos posteriormente.
Solar Music Live, recoge un concierto, que dieron en la localidad de Mülheim, oeste de Alemania, son siete temas de una fuerza increíble, en los que se mezclan atmósferas space, con otras mas sinfónicas, todo ello aderezado con unos toques Kraut, (que queréis, estamos en Alemania)
El primer tema, es como la preparación, para un viaje espacial, un abróchense los cinturones, que vamos a despegar, es el único tema cantado del disco, después del tema de presentación, comienza el viaje, en el que seras seducido irremediablemente por la música Solar.
El segundo tema, Food Sicore, es el mas Kraut, un primer aviso, de lo que espera mas adelante, y que da paso al mas sinfonico y relajado, Solar Music II, son los momentos, con las atmósferas mas space, junto al principio del siguiente tema Mühlheim Special, durante los cuales, excepto en algunos momentos puntuales, el protagonismo, corresponde a la guitarra solista de Lupo , en ellos demuestra, el completo dominio, que tiene de su Gibson, así como de todo tipo de técnicas, Hammer, Slide, Bending, Tappingt, y algunas otras que desconozco, también tienen su momento, el contundente bajo de Popo (Wolfgang Jäger), y un duelo de guitarras, con Wildschwein, poco a poco van ganando en presencia los teclados, y al final de su tema estrella, Otto Pankrock, le cede el testigo definitivamente al teclista Mist (Volker Khars), que despliega toda su magia, junto a la genial batería de Eroc, ante esto, lo único que puedes hacer, es dejarte llevar, y desear que no acabe nunca este viaje.
Pero desgraciadamente, este llega tras la pieza, Solar Music III, el publico no se resigna, ya nos hemos hecho adictos, necesitamos mas música solar, y nos tienen preparada una grata sorpresa, el tema de despedida The Missing, un magnifico Jazz-Rock de 13 minutos, basado en la canción Symphony, de su primer disco, y que sirve para presentar a los músicos, y dar las gracias al publico, este tema no estaba recogido en la versión en vinilo del 78, y afortunadamente ha sido rescatado en el CD.

Joselu Bornerman

Un trabajo contundente, hipnótico, total genial, sin fisuras ni fallas. Otro de los discos super recomendados del blog cabezón. Y agradezcan a Nano por compartirlo con ustedes. No se pierdan esta maravilla.
Dejo algún comentario en inglés, por si hace falta.

Of all the live albums in my personal collection I would have to rank GROBSCHNITT's "Solar Music - Live" as one of the all time classics. I have adored this album for years and was happy to hear that EROC of the band had re-mastered the original recording adding an extra 13 mins void off of the earlier CD pressings. "Solar Music - Live" rests on its own as yet another one of GROBSCHNITT's greatest moments and is a fantastic voyage into the heart of the sun. The concert essentially runs as 1 long piece of music offering great guitar, bass and keyboard interplay. Although "Solar Music" does appear on the studio album "Ballermann" it is live where we get to hear the theatrics and the pure energy GROBSCHNITT were able to muster up. Keyboard work is highly atmospheric and paves a great path for the magical electrical guitar work present on this album. This is another essential album that one must have in their collection.

James Unger

A progressive rock milestone. "Solar Music" evokes such a perfect harmony between strong lyrics and heavy repertoires of long drum solos. Strongly recommended for those prog rock fans who are intrepid and restless when it comes to discover new horizons within the 70's lost worlds of prog. A must have! It isn't only the live version of their previous works, it is a whole different experience beyond that. The power and passion of this miraculous exercise made music, is simply incomparable to anything regarding not only the prog scene of the 70's, but the nowadays prog, turning this 9 pieces set, into the greatest live recording of Progressive Rock. You won't believe the magnetism, the interaction and the charisma this German band's got prepared for your, it is useless to resist the charm, you will get sucked in the world of GROBSCHNITT. The remastered CD edition contains previously unreleased material (under license of EROC, of course): "The Missing 13 Minutes", a very spacial, moody melody. If you get to listen to this album, I also recommend other GROBSCHNITT's symphonic art works such as "Rock Pommel's Land" and "Ballermann".

Alberto R.

Well for my 1200th review, I had to make it a five stars, so I delayed my review until now. And what an album this one is! A live one at that and probably one of the five best ever. Grobschnitt was always more of a live band than a studio one, and one of my few regrets is that I never got to see them in concert. I really hope someday, a DVD will come out of this album or that era in general because they must've put many prog bands to shame and even Alice Cooper's Nightmares would've respected this. The leader is the tall, lanky (Zappa-looking ) figure of Eroc, who wrote most of the lyrics.
The grand thing about this album is that most of the tracks appearing on this live album are released for the first time and they are top-notch! This true for all tracks except the three Solar Music tracks and even then, there is major changes compared to the studio version. The ambiances and electronic doodlings on Food Sicore evoking whale love-calls is simply ghastly melting so well in the atmospheres of the group. Grandiose but much more to come. Mulheim Special is a very strong track and the writing is oh so inspired. Otto Pankrock is really the band melting into one single soul! Golden Mist is more of a jam (all of those tracks were subject to slight jamming as this is a important characteristic of the band: improvisation) and slightly less interesting but let's wait for that DVD!. Of course, what to say of Solar Music itself. This Oeuvre was really the centre part of their concert and could last up to one hour (the studio version was around 33 min over two vinyls).
Grobschnitt in concert is much more at ease than in the studio and had their own sound. Much acclaimed Jumbo and Rockpommel's Land albums were sounding much like Yes or Genesis would but live these guys sounded like themselves, only the KB player reminding you sometimes of P F 's Rick Wright. The bonus track called The Missing 13 Minutes where they chose to jam for the presentation of the different band members allowing them to do a solo (more of it you mean) and is not really that essential for fans to feel obligated to buy the new version. But this should never be ground for not getting this absolutely superb album, which is definitely a deserted garden pleasure with the stereo blasting it away LOUD and proud.
Get this you progheads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sean Trane

Have you ever seen Falwty Towers' episode The Germans with that hilarious act from John Cleese when he asks for Colditz Salad and when he starts to act like a Nazi? Well, Germans can have humor too, even when the subject is the Second World War! This can be heard on this live album, in my opinion the best work from Grobschnitt. All songs are splendid renditions featuring lots of extras. The strong points from this band are the build-ups, the tension between the mellow and heavy parts and the excellent play on the guitar ('Lupo' knows how to rock), the keyboards (beautiful analogue sound with a wide range of instruments from 'Mist') and the drums ('Eroc' is the driving force). The music is powerful, alternating and captivating, this is one of the absolute higlights of the German progrock history. Especially the three parts from the 'magnum opus' "Solar Music" are 'wunderbar'! A MUST!!

Erik Neuteboom

I love krautrock and I am so happy I found out about the genre. Through this genre I have learned of ardo dombec, kraan and many others that I can't get enough of. But one of my favorite cds is this one. It is beautiful with amazing instrumental passages. Not to many vocals here, in fact I only remember a line or two. It is a very easy going cd, very spacey and not hard to lose track of time when listening to this cd. Def. check it out!

Carl

it's rare that I consider a live release a favourite, but this is a striking exception. We thought we'd heard the last of "Solar Music" when they come out, several years later, with this unforgettable live version. This is one of the few live albums that not only captures the essence of a piece, but makes the listener feel like he/she is actually THERE in the concert hall, experiencing it. How they managed it, I don't know, but it's an absolute wonder to behold.
Not merely cosmic music, the band imparts their trademark comedy to the piece (we poor non-Germanophones are missing out on some of this) as well as dense symphonic textures to some parts. As the piece is pretty much entirely instrumental, Wildschwein duels with Lupo on guitar, making for absolute musical fireworks throughout. But everyone in the band is given the chance to shine. It really is a remarkable piece of work.

Progbear

Seminal live document from the German progressive heavy rockers of Grobschnitt. It features absolutely gorgeous, Hammond organ / guitar dominated epic compositions, including brilliant, aggressive, emotive vocals. "Solar music" is a surprising heavy compositions with furious guitar riffs, brilliant, aggressive, emotive vocals. It carries on with a nice transition to the pleasant spaced out and melodic "Food Sicore" with its delicate guitar harmonies. "Solar music II" starts within a delicate, fragile atmosphere made of floating guitar lines, then it goes into progressive freakouts, a really adventurous listening with pretty rocking guitar solos. In the direct continuation, "Mulheim Special" is utterly heavy and progressive, exclusively instrumental with sumptuous keyboards, guitar solos. really improvised stuff and surely the best moment of the album. "Otto Pankrock" expands the sound into an almost heavy symphonic rock madness. "Solar III" reaches the listener into an other "galaxy, including lots of guitar breaks and crazy Hammond organs. Incredible sense of dynamics, exploring proggy, technical, instrumental playing. Clearly the best Brobschnitt in term of variations, atmospheres and technical capacities of musicians on stage.

Philippe

MAYBE THE BEST PROG RECORD EVER MADE! NO LESS!
Am i crazy saying something like that? reading what other reviewers wrote, i may not as SOLAR MUSIC-LIVE is considered by all people who have listened to it as one of the greatest prog achievements ever recorded. There is fantastic music to be heard here, believe me! All the elements that make a succeessful prog are present : creativity, weirdness, experimentations, space jamming, beauty, ultimate musicianship, melody, long epics, and very important power. This album is sheer power!
This is GROBSCHNITT being GROBSCHNITT again!! a weird kraut spacey-guitar driven powerful band at the height of its creative peak. SOLAR MUSIC -LIVE of course is a rendition of the studio version of BALLERMAN, but it is also much more. The original version lasted 34 mns. This live edition from 1978 contains almost 70mns of solar follies. Better than that, a new remastered CD of this concert was released a few years ago with an extra 13mns bringing the album to over 80mns of joy.
SOLAR MUSIC has nothing to do with their last 2 Genesis-clones albums JUMBO and ROCKPOMMELS ISLAND. The dogs have been freed from their leashes and can now run free and let their frustrations of the past behind and just play now their instincts freely. There are 7 tracks on the live edition, but there is no need at looking at them one by one. SOLAR MUSIC has to be heard as one gigantic epic as there is no musical breaks between the tracks. This is one continuous space journey, better this is the space odyssey of prog music.
By space music, i don't mean ''cosmic music'' a la TANGERINE DREAM or KLAUS SCHULZE, yes there are dreamy parts where you feel like you are on a inter-galaxy trip with beautiful mellotron, organ and other synths played divinely by MIST like on the sixth track ....GOLDEN MIST, but GROBSCHNITT is first a rock band with a powerful rythm section. EROC the drummer is sublime on this record with a very subtle performance adding nice sound textures in the background. HIM and POPO the bassist make sure the performance don't get too sleepy as they boost the other players especially LUPO the lead guitarist and singer WILDSCHWEIN who also plays guitar.
For the ones who have some issues with the vocals of WILDSHWEIN, SOLAR MUSIC is good news as well as it is mostly an instrumental album with only a few --weird--outbursts from their singer here and there but it flows well with the context of the music. But the real hero here is guitarist LUPO who uses SOLAR FIRE as a platform to show off his various skills. His guitar playing can go on some different moods within the same song from melancholic to spacey to rocking, all done masterfully. This guitarist has nothing to learn from anybody else: he can play everything and he is the engine that pulls SOLAR FIRE to reach the musical heaven of prog.
You like maybe space jamming from GONG or HAWKWIND, SOLAR FIRE is well beyond that as the themes are well better composed leaving a lot of room for nice harmonies and very melodic lines. This is a space oddyssey of beauty going from melancholic athmospheres to furious jamming, but everything always remains under control even if the musicians can freely explore and enrich each theme of SOLAR FIRE with tasteful playing.
GROBSCHNITT was well know for its 4 hour- long concert antics with lavish pyrotechnics, theatrical plays involving the roadies, all the musicians wearing masks . SOLAR MUSIC was the perfect music for this environment and all the lucky people who had attended those concerts will tell you it was kind of a unique experience.
EROC the drummer has released lately 5 double-cds -no less-of the story of SOLAR MUSIC with different concerts featuring this masterpiece. I guess fans who like SOLAR MUSIC can't get enough of it!
SOLAR MUSIC is a unique piece of prog history, this is definitely very difficult to compare with something else. This is just one of those magical albums which make the listener appreciate the greatness of prog music. Not too many have this strength. This is not necessarily easy listening as it will take a few listenings before being able to appreciate all the riches of SOLAR MUSIC.
Remember!There is no serious prog collection without SOLAR FIRE!80mns of happiness guaranteed!
5/5 STARS.

Antoine

This is one of the rare prog live albums that out-rocks those of most standard rock bands, a spacey symphonic progressive album that is largely guitar oriented, thanks to the dual axes of Stefan Danielak and Gerd Kühn help achieve this result. The bass of Wolfgang Jäger and Eroc's drums also serve as backbone to one of the best jam sessions in history, and the fact that every note seems to be planned does not take away from the effort one iota. Nothing in "Rockpommel's Land" could prepare us for what is here.
While we have to put up with the "histrierocs" before things really get going, it's worth the wait. The meat of the album, tracks 2 thru 6 are all top notch, containing an appealing contrast of insanity and contemplation, accent on insanity, but my favourite track is actually "Golden Mist", perhaps because its keyboard orientation contrasts so drastically with everything else. Within those glorious 11 minutes, we are showered with all manner of keyboards, but especially electric piano and mellotrons/string synths that build to a spine tingling crescendo in the last minute before giving way to accordion!
While the last track and the bonus are less interesting and prevent a 5 star rating, this is still a classic of 70s symphonic and a pinnacle of sorts for the movement. Even 30 years after exploding onto the scene, Solar Music Live is still hot.

Keneth Levine

This album purchase came about by a complete chance on my part since I new nothing about Grobschnitt at time. The only thing I did know was that this live release had somewhat of of a following here on Prog Archives and that was good enough for me!
Wow, just wow. I really can't find any better words to describe this experience. I honestly never imagined that I would love a live album this much. Add the fact that both this material and the band behind it were completely unknown to me at the time only amazes me even more. Solar Music - Live is as great as a live gig put on an album will ever get. The music is very much alive all throughout the show and shape-shifts with the jam-like instrumental arrangements of these skilled musicians. This is not a technically advanced performance and none of the musicians steal the show from one another. There is a rare sense of harmony here that just can't be put down into words and instead simply has to be experienced first-hand.
There is really no point to talk about the individual moments or some specific arrangements that enhance this album because that is really not what this album is about. I always look at this release as one long 54+ minute track, which is clearly what Grobschnitt were going for here. I later went back and revisited the original studio version of Solar Music on Ballermann, purely for curiosity reasons. Even if that composition was just as recognizable, the magic just wasn't there. So if you only will check out one Grobschnitt release then make sure it's this one!

Alexander Peterson

Grobschnitt was a live band above anything else. Their stageshows lasted for hours on end and the Solar Music suite was mandatory item in the set. The track first appeared on Ballerman but the live version captured here is at least twice as long, with lots of extra improvised and composed parts added on.
For Grobschnitt skeptics, I should start by advertising that the focus is entirely on the music here. Wildschwein throws in the occasional vocal but he never shifts the focus away from the music as he did on Jumbo and Rockpommel. A second difference with Grobschnitts studio albums is that the music is much more relaxed, with lots of free-form and improvised parts creating a spacious atmosphere that should appeal to space-rock and kraut fans. But the sound also remains fluent and melodious enough for symphonic fans. In fact, this piece sounds much like something Pink Floyd could have performed in the years following Meddle, when their space-rock experimentation became more melodious and polished.
This album is very different from any other Grobschnitt output. It has a much larger Floydian influence then their usual Yes meets Genesis sound. Their closest related studio album would be Ballerman from which the original piece stems. I have a personal preference for their debut but this is the kind of album I have in mind when I think of 4 stars! Mandatory listening.

Karl Bonnek

Wow! Normally, I don't like live albums, but this is something extraordinary: an album that captures the electric energy of a particular night; an album that successfully conveys the tremendous exchange between the performers and their audience, the way in which the band hits their groove, is a the top of their game, and how the audience fuels their transcendent performance. And the music is GREAT! It's mesmerizing, it's inviting, it's fresh and unexpected, it's theatric and yet hypnotic. I love the vocalist's histrionics and eccentricities. I love the guitar playing. I love being swept into the music and being held there for the length of the recording. I love that the songs all bleed one into the next. And this is a great recording that doesn't feel as if it's been glossed over or tampered with in the mixing/production process. Definitely one of the best live albums I've ever heard. And, besides, a masterpiece in performance art and musical content. This is AWESOME music! Top notch composition, performance, and collaboration.

Drew Fisher

First appearing on their self-titled debut as 'Sun Trip', the lengthy, multi-part, space-rock epic 'Solar Music Suite' has long been Grobschnitt's signature tune, with the group regularly finishing off their legendary live shows with versions that could last well-in-excess of sixty minutes. Of course, over the years, the song has been chopped and changed, with the rough-hewn psychedelic prog of 'Sun Trip' mutating into the definitive, thirty-three-minute long 'Solar Music Parts 1 & 2' that appears on the 1974 studio release 'Ballermann'. Follow- up albums 'Jumbo' and the internationally-successful 'Rockpommel's Land' would avoid the piece altogether, as both of these albums would find the group developing their lush, keyboard-dominated, trademark symphonic style, yet all the while 'Solar Music' was slowly taking on a life of it's own within the paradigms of the live arena. The group were, by now, using the piece as the encore cherry that topped every single cake-of-a-gig they played, and soon the idea to base an entire album around the composition surfaced. The resultant album, 1978's jaw-droppingly good 'Solar Music Live', finally came about after the group performed an outrageously energetic set in the town of Mulheim during late 1977. Grobschnitt were still featuring a slight deviation on their 'classic' line-up at this time, with Stefan Danielak(guitars, vocals), Eroc(drums), Mist(keyboards), Wildschwein(guitars, vocals) and Popo(bass) all performing with extraordinary energy and gusto in front of an enthusiastic audience of hardcore fans. The 1970s would be the most productive of times for this criminally-ignored(outside of Germany and Central Europe at least) teutonic five- piece, with their strong progressive albums of the era(see above) some of the finest examples of the European side of the genre. 'Solar Music Live' is seen by many as the group's finest - and final - album, before the advent of punk, new wave and the 1980s all conspired to see the group shirk away from their Yes-and-Genesis-inspired style and embrace a much more heavy rock-based, commercially-viable sound that eschewed international aspirations and English vocals in favour of concentrating their efforts on their homeland and pioneering the use of German lyrics and vocals in German rock music. The highlights of a Grobschnitt show during the late-seventies was always the latter stages(hence this album), with the group's backstage team lighting a giant fire as 'Solar Music' began to reach it's apex, thus adding a spectacular visual element to to the event. As they were reaching the end of their peculiar but highly-original progressive phase, the group seem to be galvanised. The music itself is pure, unadulterated progressive rock, with strong symphonic overtones and the kind of authentic, indulgent and hard rocking dynamic that can only really be found in the live arena. Despite the fact that this album is made up of just one long song, it does actually sound like an album proper. Each section of 'Solar Music' has been stretched out and fattened up, with each member given free reign to solo over the thick, funky, rock-steady bass-playing of Popo and the incredible percussive skills of Eroc. The 'Solar Music' version here is based more-or-less on the two-parter that closes the studio album 'Ballermann', though whilst the 'Ballerman' version builds slowly-and- carefully to a powerful creschendo, the live effort lets rip pretty early on with the spectacular 'Otto Pankrock' finishing off several glistening minutes of carefully-played synths and keyboards courtesy of Mist. The final, spine-tingling denouement follows a similar path from the album version - yet more screeching guitar solo's - yet adds some scintillating keyboard effects that takes the music into hither unexpected synth-rock directions. A live album it is, but in 'Solar Music Live' you have one of the defining live albums of the progressive rock era. The musicianship is, simply put, unbelievably assured, and the album as whole never fails to impress, whether it be in the slower, psych-rock sections or the blistering hard-rock blow-outs that takes Grobschnitt's rock dynamic into areas of highly- defined symphonic rock that showcase the group's live prowess. The gig used for this album must have been something pretty special, and those who were there were damn lucky to have witnessed such an event. Grobschnitt may have failed to breakthrough to England and the USA during their mid-to-late-seventies peak - their curious brand of 'Ballermann' and 'Rockpommel's Land' are also great albums; 'Solar Music Live', however, is simply sensational. Highly recommended.

Stefan Turner

A double live album that has become a milestone in space rock.
"Solar Music - Live" is the live performance of the Grobschnitt's incredible double album "Ballerman", at least it is the last album of that 1976 album. The band are renowned for their vivacious high theatrics and art rock pyrotechnics with fireworks, sparks, masks and costumes. This stage act fits in perfectly with the astonishing space rock of 'Solar Music'. There's no live album in the universe like this. The band are a zany bunch of geniuses consisting of the lead guitar prowess of Stefan Danielak (Wildschwein) and Gerd-Otto Kühn (Lupo), the keyboard wizardry of Volker Kahrs (Mist), the machine like rhythms of bassist Bernhard Uhlemann (Bär) and the manic percussion of Joachim Ehrig (Eroc). The sound they generate together is incredible, totally original in feel and ultimately satisfying, with huge time changes, dramatic shifts in mood, and a whimsical sense of humour.
The colossal space suite that turned Grobschnitt into prog legends is given a reimagining treatment with extra sections, more weirdness and extended soloing. One can even hear backstage noise and messing about in the silent parts. 'Solar Music' is the magnum opus that the band lived off in live performaces and it remains their quintessential triumph. It is a 55 minute space odyssey with high frequency synths sounding like "Fireball XL5"'s space effects at times. It is one long piece of music and yet broken into segments that blend seamlessly together. It begins with a great melodic guitar and pulsating rhythm, the same as heard on "Ballerman". The tune is so memorable that it always grabs me immediately and I am hooked. The lead guitar just takes off into the stratosphere. It just wraps itself around my cerebral cortex and transports me to Planet X.
Then the psychedelic vocals come in acapella and they sound spiteful and dangerous. The German accent is strong and there is definitely a sense of humour coming through. Grobschnitt have fun in this first section. The sig slows and speeds up at random it seems. The loud blasts of guitar and frenetic drumming are astounding. The spacey effects enter soon and are like Hawkwind, with very powerful sonic vibrations. The echoing flange guitars and galactic synth swirls are an everpresent force swirling and cascading with swooshes and with Alien sounds. The slowed down deep toned robotic mantra of "do you.. hear.. solar.. music?" comes in similar to "Ballerman": but it is more menacing and threatening, slowed to a deep rumble. It somehow reminds me of Kraftwerk's 'Musique Non Stop'.
A hypnotic rhythm locks in with motorik Krautrock rhythms over ethereal synthscapes. This is genuine space rock and it encompasses many moods, and as the piece progresses there is the sound of birds twittering, and a dog barks a few times. The synths begins to really take off like a space ship traveling through the solar system. A pounding buildup of powerful drums and bass begins to roar through the soundscape. It is released into glorious Hammond and a blistering lead break. The lead work of duel guitarists Wildschwein and Lupo is mesmirising. It feels like an improvised break jamming with the rhythms but they are so precise and vibrant they hit every note perfectly and it is captivating to be held under their spell. The tempo changes to a different faster feel, and some brilliant percussion accents are added. The reverb guitar tones are dynamic and very psychedelic with arpeggios and string bends. It really sounds like early Hawkwind.
Spacey chimes blend into the jamming session, with eerie star gazing soundscapes. Solar galactic screaming effects are overpowering. The organic music floats on a cluster of stars and is breath taking, shifting from darkness to light with effervescent mellotron and fiery lead guitar. The manic laughter is rather disconcerting and then we hear "do you heeeeeeeeaaaar solar music? do you heeeeeeeeaaaar solar music?" The synths become penetrating with a synergy of laser effects, and intergalactic resonances with sunburst power. It really is spaced up to the stratosphere. There is an amazing extended wah-wah solo by Lupo. The band are virtuoso and operate within a vacuum of spacey textures jamming off one groove and then they know how to release the tension so appropriately, breaking from hypnotic rhythms of bass and drums to provide uplifting soaring instrumental solos. The extended soloing is hypnotising and it is finally given over to a keyboard solo with Mist having a chance to shine. The tension is released with a bit of hysterical banter "Would you like to sit on your bum on the surface of the sun?" and then there is a roar of volcanic erupting sound that explodes for a moment and then another solo of guitar and keyboards draws thing to a peaceful resolution. The peaceful synth and guitar melody at the end is an excellent way to end after all the chaos and spaciness previously. The keyboard sounds way better that the sound on "Ballerman", which incidentally sounded like a midi file or an 8bit soundtrack to a Nintendo cartridge game. The crowd roar at the end and cry out that they want more of Grobschnitt and who can blame them?
This is an extraordinary concert performance, perhaps one of the alltime greatest live albums along with Deep Purple's "Made In Japan", Hawkwind's "Space Ritual", ELP's "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show that Never Ends", Yes' "Yesssongs" and some of Magma's and King Crimson's live albums. The best parts of the album include 'Solar Music I', 'Food Sicore', 'Mühlheim Special' and 'Solar Music III' that are all mandatory for space rock cadets. It is a milestone in space rock and has a drawing power unlike anything I have heard. Yeah, I definitely do hear Solar Music!

Scott Tuffnell

Y habría muchos otros comentarios pero todos dicen que este trabajo es tremendamente bueno.
Disfruten este gran disco y seguimos invitando a todos los cabezones que quieran compartir sus mejores discos, y hacer un lugar más lindo para todos. Ahora les toca agradecer a Nano por esta maravilla.

Lista de Temas:
1.Solar Music I (4:38)
2. Food Sicore (3:52)
3. Solar Music II (6:03)
4. Mühlheim Special (10:43)
5. Otto Pankrock (6:26)
6. Golden Mist (10:56)
7. Solar Music III (12:26)
8. The Missing 13 Minutes (13:08)
9. Vanishing Towards The East (0:35)

Alineación:
- “Eroc” Joachim H. Ehrig / synthesizer, drums, vocals
- “Lupo” Gerd-Otto Kühn / guitar, vocals
- “Wildschwein” Stefan Danielak / guitar, vocals
- “Popo” Wolfgang Jäger / bass
- “Mist” Volker Kahrs / keyboards, vocals