Krautrock-World Forum

Hi there ...

Finally my personal list of my 10 favorite albums ...
When/If (I don't know because of the weather) I spend a night in a lonely mountain hut in the next summer holidays - a hut which is really lonely, 600 meters in height and 3 horicontal kilometers away from the next village... I'll report then.

• Pink Floyd - Animals
  
  Probably my favourite album of my favourite band ... or maybe not, cos the Floyds also did "Obscured" and "Wish You Were Here" - and those two are also great ... but it doesn't matter. Of course, a perfect album for every time with a great, reflective mood and much feeling.
  Live in Concert 1974/75 (!) a very stunning experience as well - trippy as hell and more in a synthesizer-driven "Wish you were Here"-manner ... too bad that no legal record exists - just unprofessional and weak-sounding CD-Rs and torrents ... a remaster would be a big profit for the rather poor EMI ...
• Supertramp - Supertramp
  
  The mid/late-70's albums of ST aren't bad, partially very good, but ST's real masterpieces (IMO) are - ironically - nearly forgotten... "Indelibly Stamped" is pieced together a bit, also very good, but really excellent is - beside "Even in the Quietest Moments" - the organ-driven "Supertramp" - with folky balladesque and jazz/blues-rocking accents, a real masterpiece.
• Hinn islenskì Thursaflokkurinn - Thursabit
  
  Great rock music from Iceland ... curiously a very psychedelic experience, mixed with "churchy" sounds, Icelandic folk and Canterbury Jazz. Mainly a very mellow and gentle record, although the beginning rocks very well with slashing electric guitars... I don't know any comparison for that ... maybe a bit of Focus ?
• Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Seguendo le Tracce
  
  The Italian "Banco" aren't a favourite here in KRW as I've seen, read and heard often in lots of threads and chats and comments ... I don't care.
  Banco live by the classic music of centuries ago, and of Italian traditional music - all in a timeless sound with Hammond organs, breathtaking Italian vocals and a lot of jazz rock - minutes of piano/organ improvisation, duets of bongos and Acoustic guitars and perfect progressive rock. Here, a liver record of 1975.
• Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
  
  A bit of aggressive, dark rock music is necessary as well ... I think everyone may know that CD - with the mighty saxophone drones and the dramatic voice of Peter Hammill ... the shorter "Theme One" which is part of the bonus tracks is fabulous as well; great rock music fits in a short single as well as in a lengthier epic like "Lighthouse Keepers" ...
• Grobschnitt - The International Story
  
  That "doubledecker"-CD features everything important of Grobschnitt, from the optimistic "Vater Schmidt" to "Rockpommels Land" and "Solar Music" ... live and in very good quality. I just do know that CD for the other ones are very expensive, but this compilation has everything I need. If the studio albums may top that live experience?
• Soft Machine - Third
  
  From psychedelic canterbury jams to the classic Jazz fusion, epic progressive rock and electric music - a true masterpiece and prototype for lots of other great music ... my favourite, the relaxed "Slightly all the Time" and the mighty "Moon in June".
• Czeslaw Niemen - Enigmatic
  
  A masterpiece full of magic... really one of the best records I've ever heard ... lots of church music on Hammond organ, mighty choirs and passionate vocals. One of those albums where it seems that you either adore, or hate, or call boring - just like Yes' Tales or Pink Floyds albums.
• Steve Hackett - Tribute
  
  A tribute to old times ... 80 minutes of acoustic guitar music, Bach, Segovia, Traditionals and Hacketts self-composed masterpieces. An exhibition of delicate little tunes, excellent and emotional versions of the old guitar master.
• Genesis - Trick of A Tail
  
  Let's stay in the Genesis area ... none of the P.G.-albums of the early 70s are that haunting as "Wind" and "Trick of A Tail" ... Phil Collins in his (vocally) best years - the typical Genesis rock in a dreamy athmosphere, much simpler than the early albums, but better than never before - and never afterwards.
• Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
  
  Simply excellent.
  

OK, that's it.

Keep on rockin'...!
Max

I had to cancel "Moody Blues" for Czeslaw Niemen ...

Just after a few days of possession? What a brave decision.

I normally have to have a new album for years befor I know if I will like it THAT much.

Normally this is the case... but very few discs are that haunting, even when you just have de-packed them and hear them first ...