Thursday, September 21, 2023

Cosmic Relief

 

Guru Guru - Spaceship


I know I took almost a month off this stuff, but I'll backload September to catch up for you.

We'll begin this flurry with a dose or two of music from Germany, starting with these guys, one of that country's most legendary bands.

One of the more beloved groups to come out of the late 1960s nascent Kosmische movement -- the less tasteful call it Krautrock -- they blazed across the 1970s with their particular brand of psychedelicized sludge rock.

Led by one of the truly visionary singing -- OK, shouting, intoning, occasionally singing -- drummers of the rock era, they helped shape a number of genres from Prog to Grunge.

Called Guru Guru, they are without doubt in the first line of the German bands of this era, alongside Can, Frumpy, Kraftwerk and a bunch of others.

Their bass player has a birthday coming up in a few days as well, so let's smash this 52nd anniversary concert from NDR radio, dating from 1971 when Guru Guru were making a huge splash with their Hinten LP.


Guru Guru
Gymnasium am Leipnitzplatz
Bremen, Germany
9.21.1971

01 FM intro
02 Der LSD-Marsch
03 Bo Diddley
04 Spaceship/FM outro

Total time: 58:38

Mani Neumeier - drums & vocals
Axel 'Ax' Genrich - guitar
Uli Trepte - bass

pre-FM reels, presumably from the NDR archives
slightly remastered by EN, with repeating material in Track 04 removed, September 2023
359 MB FLAC/direct link


This one has circulated for years -- even pressed onto boot CDs!!! -- with part of the last song repeating, so I took that out and lightly juiced the high end to brighten your day.

I'll return very soon, with another Deutsche nugget for your Oktoberfest preview plans.

Actually it's Austrian, so forgive me but at least I was close. That'll be Saturday nonetheless.

Don't hesitate to consult your Guru Guru for enlightenment until then.--J.