Genre: rock
Rating: 5 stars *****
Title: Carol of Harvest
Company: Guerzszen
Catalog: GUESS
037
Year: 1978
Country/State: Germany
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: reissue; includes insert
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5549
Price: $75.00
This is one of the holy grails in collecting circles with an original copy easily setting you back some significant bucks (last eBay sale of an original I saw was back in April 2007 and went for over $2,700). While the album's quite good, I can't imagine paying that much for any LP. Luckily there are several reissues out there (not exactly cheap themselves) that bring copies within the grasp of a far wider audience. (In case anyone is concerned, the Spanish Guerzszen label reissue I have for sale is a legitimate reissue (700 copies) that was approved by the band.)
Not to sound cynical, but my own experience is that most hyped stuff is a major disappointment so I was more than a little skeptical about this one ... Shame on me. This is one of the exceptions to the rule and every bit as good as the critics would have you believe !!!
Named after Walt Whitman's famed noval, this German quintet came together in 1976, but only managed to release one LP before calling it quits - 1978's self produced "Carol of Harvest". Originally issued on the small private Brutkasten label (catalog number 850 0004), reportedly only 200 copies were pressed . The line up consisted of then 16 year old singer Beate Krause, drummer Robert Högn, keyboard player Jürgen Kolb, bassist Helmut Reinschlüssel, and guitarist Axel Schmierer (who was credited with writing all of the material). While some dealers have slapped the set with a psych label, that's nott a particularly accurate description. Exemplified by material like the 16 minute plus opener 'Put on Your Nightcap' and 'You and Me' the band had clearly been listening to loads of early-1970s English folk-rock and progressive bands. Certainly not the perfect comparison, but in several places they recalled a cross between Sandy Denny-era Fairport Convention with some progressive leanings added to the mix - Annie Haslam's Rennaissance comes to mind. Like Denny and Haslam, Krause had one of those crystalline voices that was simply breathtaking (even more stunning given her age). The performances were all in English and while Krause had a bit of an accent, it wasn't enough to distract from the performances. It certainly didn't hurt to be surrounded by some major talented folks. Guitarist Schmierer shined throughout (the solo on 'Try a Little Bit' may have been his best moment), as did keyboard/synthesizer player Jürgen Kolb who proved to be one of the few Moog players capable of turning in an understated lead on the instrument. The rhythm section of Högn and Reinschlüssel were no slouches themselves, showing they were capable of kicking some major butt (check out the last third of 'Put on Your Nightcap'). Admittedly anyone looking for a collection of pounding, acid drench rock would clearly be in the wrong place here, but on songs like 'Somewhere at the End of Our Rainbow' the album's mix of beautiful, dreamy melodies, melancholy lyrics, and understated performances was simply fantastic. An album most band's would kill to have made and a perfect collection for one of those cold and rainy Sunday mornings !
"Carol
of Harvest" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Put on Your
Nightcap (Axel Schmierer)
- 16:02
2.) You and Me (Axel
Schmierer) - 2:31
(side
2)
1.) Somewhere at the End of Our Rainbow (Axel
Schmierer) - 6:25
2.)
Treary Eyes (Axel Schmierer)
- 4:17
3.) Try a Little Bit (Axel
Schmierer) - 9:59
The band apparently played a couple of shows in support of the album, but greeting with complete indifference, called it quits shortly thereafter.
There have been a couple of reissues. In 2001 the Second Battle label released the set on CD (catalog number SB 064). It included three live bonus tracks:
1.) River - 2:35
2.) Sweet Heroin - 7:04
3.) Brickstone - 1:14
The Spanish Guerszen label also licensed the album for drummer Högn, reissuing it in both CD and vinyl format (the latter without bonus material).
Anyone know what happened to the band members?
I stumbled across a website that indicated Schmierer had recorded a new album with a Polish singer by the name of Ewa, but the site lacks any kind of detail ...