Review by Tom OzricPROG REVIEWER
4 stars GURU GURU are a band I've now adored for many years. This was my first purchase of theirs, and darn it, it ROCKS. It rocks in a fun way, practically more so than a 'Zappa fun' way. Truly, IT ROCKS !!!! Side 1 of the record is a blatant nod towards, heck, I don't even know - now, forgive me for my insolence, 50's Rockabilly dudes like Eddie Cochran and the like - all that 'Splish Splash I was Takin' a bath' type stuff. Man, what these Krautrockers have somehow mangled into something that I thoroughly enjoy is totally amazing !!!!!
SAMANTHA'S RABBIT is a fun tune with such amusing riffs and structure it cracks me up. It must be their choice of quirky progressions and humourous lyrics that do it. You can definately hear profound musicality and tightness that drives their inspiration here. The 13-and-a-half minute Rock 'n' Roll medley is some of the best fun you can have with your clothes on !! It kicks off with riffs from 'Shakin' All Over' - and morphs into some real adventurous R&R moves that chop and change all the time. What I can say here is that the new bassist Bruno Schaab is solid as ever whilst Mani is extremely inventive with his drumming and guitarist Ax Genrich offers up some blisteringly effervescent lead-guitaring. The highlight of this piece is when Ax and Mani trade a call-and-response series of licks and rolls between them, which is well done and imaginative (at least to this listener) and never ceases to amaze. 'Woman Drum' is similar to the first tune, and is also pretty cool. Side two of the record features 2 lengthy pieces of the ilk that many have come to expect from this troupe of German artistic musicians - the infamous live favourite 'Der Elektrolurch', which on this album is a medley of 'trippy' ideas which are very colourful, but somewhat haphazard compared to the compositions that appeared on the previous KANGURU album - the parts just don't flow/segue together as smoothly, and 'The Story Of Life', which is almost as good, but not as strong as their definitive Krautwerks before. My incessant recommendation is that - forget the R&R fundamentals of this release and enjoy it for what it is - primo Krautrock !! Please try - 4 stars for my tastes.
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.../...contains two excellent tracks. "Der Elektrolurch" with the opening glissando guitars is perhaps the most famous GURU GURU track, while "The Story of Life" is a wonderful spacey psychedelic work with a short showcase of the band's jazz-rock abilities. ..../....
Studio Album, released in 1973
Tracks Listing
1. Samantha's Rabbit (3:02)
2. Medley: Rocken Mit Eduard / Something Else... (13:30)
3. Woman Drum (4:02)
4. Der Elektrolurch (9:48)
5. The Story of Life (12:08)
Total Time: 42:30
Line-up
- Ax Genrich / guitar, vocals
- Mani Neumeier / percussion, drums, keyboards, vocals
- Conrad Plank / guitar, keyboards
- Bruno Schaab / bass, vocals
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