пятница, 5 сентября 2014 г.

Blackbirds - Touch Of Music 1971

Blackbirds hailed from Puettlingen, Germany, formed around singer/guitarist Werner Breinig in 1965.In 1968 they made their debut ''No destination'' on Saga Records' parent label Saga FID, featuring Helmut Vigneron on drums, Heinz Koop on bass and Hubert Koop on keyboards. By 1970 they signed a contract with BASF's sublabel Cornet, which proposed them to change their name to Blackbirds 2000.The new line-up comprised of Breinig, Heinz Koop, Peter Bely on keyboards and drummer Eckhard Gross. A couple of singles later BASF decided to end the contract with the band, disappointed by the limited sales and Blackbirds returned to their original name. Breinig set up a fresh crew with keyboardist Bely, Wolfgang Bode on bass and Charles Sikora on drums.They made an impressive return for the OOP label in 1971 with the album ''Touch of music''. The Blackbirds were going in a much more prog rock aligned direction on their second and final album. That much is evident from the opening instrumental, "Praladium," which sounds kind of like Emerson, Lake & Palmer with a dusting of bubblegum pop, as ludicrous as that sounds. The cathedral-like aspects of the organ were amplified upon on this outing, and at times it seems like it might actually be a subtle satire of the kind of pomp rock being ground out by ELP and others during the era. It's got more cheer, verve, and a gutsier edge than typical keyboard-dominated progressive acts. At the same time there's a quasi-religious vapor to some of the proceedings, as though they're performing a prog rock mass of sorts. Like much prog rock, the instrumental parts of the songs do tend to go on longer than necessary, which is why this album rates lower than its predecessor, although it's still stamped with some alluringly sorrowful melodies and vocals.

Line-up / Musicians

Peter Bely/piano,organ,vocals
Wolfgang Bode/bass,vocals
Werner Breinig/guitar,violin,flute,vocals
Charles Sikora/drums,vocals

Discography(Album)

Touch Of Music 1971