Customer Reviews

Body Love

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I kid you not...this (along with an also-excellent second album) is soundtrack material for a porno film by director Lasse Braun. But don't expect cheezy porn loop music here...this is another in several of what are perhaps Klaus Schulze's best works, done during the mid-late 1970s. This might perhaps be the best starting-point for those getting introduced to Schulze's music, as this album has two works that are comparatively short for this period, but also one of his epic spaceworks in the 27+ minute "P.T.O.". A cosmic classic, to be sure.

This is a fabulously crafted album. From composing , through to the choice and programming of sounds, this is one of the finest examples of the 70's electronic music. Klaus Schulze's carreer was, at the time of release of this "Body Love", approaching it's summit, to be reached with "Timewind". It is important to notice that "Body Love" is Schulze's only album that has been re-released with two different remixes and two different covers. Both are works of art and both hard to find. Collector's items, i would say. The sound is inspirational for much more than a porno movie, it creates images in the listeners mind that could range from Dali's landscapes to the depthness of space. The music evolves slowly but steadily to an intensity that one could only find in Wagner or Beethoven. A classic, and certainly one of the best albums to come out of the hands of this «force majeure» in the history of electronic music. Klaus Schulze certainly deserved to have "Body Love" as an Oscar winning soundtrack for something as Titanic or 2001, Space Odyssey. That, would pay justice to the music. As for the film "Body Love"... worth LISTENING!!!

I have no idea what the movie was like, but 'Body Love' as a soundtrack is almost perfect, and it seems very hard to believe anything onscreen could have matched the beauty of Schulze's compositions. I'll admit that I'm not overly fond of 'Stardancer', but perhaps that's because the track that follows it, 'Blanche' is simply the most gorgeous piece of synthesizer music I've ever heard, far too short at just under twelve minutes. The first few times I heard it I don't think that it really sank in, but once it did I became mesmerized by it, and it remains my favorite single track by Schulze from any of his albums. And 'P.T.O.' is a very impressive, nearly 30 minute finale. Certainly not his best record overall, but a very good one that contains one all-time classic track.

BODY LOVE is the soundtrack for a movie by Lasse Braun played by the german synthesist Klaus Schulze. It contains three tracks: Stardancer (13:38), Blanche (11:44) and P.T.O. (27:12). This CD is highly recommended for listeners of excellent synthesizer music from the seventies.

This Cd has been a long time favorite of mine. I orginally owned it in LP from,and was extremely pleased to find it re-released into CD format. Schulze is a master of the keyboard and this CD is shining example of this. The music is soft yet, driving with an arabic beat that is gentle, then compeling and speaks of seduction and mystery. A great background and mood setting CD that is well worth giving a listen too.

Ask most Schulze fans what they consider to be his best period and they will claim it was 1973 to 1979 - a view I completely agree with. So, coming from that period, does this album live up to its chronological stablemates? Absolutely!...

The opening track, 'Nowhere - Now Here', arguably represents the best single piece of music Schulze has ever created. Commencing with a deliciously warm, 'spacey' intro with teasing hints of quiet menace, it builds in classic Schulze style as more and more ideas are layered on, picking up the pace. You get the eerie sensation that that are adrift - "Nowhere" - and yet there is a mysterious, purposeful force drawing you along, controlling you. Without warning something snaps and we are Now Here! The track instantaneously transforms itself into a rollercoaster ride of percussion, sequences, rhythms and melodies. At times it almost gets out of control but Klaus just about manages to keep hold of the reins! Very much of the "medium-weight" rock style that Schulze was experimenting with during '76 to '78, you might think that twenty minutes of this would be unbearable but by the end of it you are left feeling stunned and breathless - yet grinning like the Cheshire cat!

Next up is 'Stardancer II', a "sequel" to the track which appeared on the first Body Love album. It is basically the same piece with extra 'bells and whistles' (figuratively, not literally!), so in that sense it is perhaps a disappointment but it does represent an improvement on the original. The piece opens with synth noodlings, thunder-like effects, sharp percussive slashes and a disquietening, melodic drone. A heavy, percussive sequencer line and accompaniment rises along with a very finely crafted synth melody. For the next eight minutes or so nothing really happens in terms of development but Schulze finally explores little "side-streets" with it during the last five of its fifteen minutes. Overall it's another memorable piece but perhaps needed "compressing" a little time-wise.

'Moogetique' is modelled on the 'Blanche' track from the first Body Love album. Its opening eerie but gentle synth landscape has echoes of Schulze's all-time fan favourite album 'Mirage' (also released in '77) which quickly evolves into a wafting synth melody accompanied by piano deftly used as percussion. Eschewing the assertive piano of its forebear, this is very much a piece to drift away to.

Overall a superb offering - even by Schulze's own unbeatable standards of the time. (Indeed another aspect of Schulze's best work is that it despite over three decades having passed, it never seems to sound dated!)

The CD drops a star in the rating simply because although the sound quality is perfectly acceptable, the mastering/engineering applied is not as good as it should have been (and the first track exhibits a brief but noticeable "wobble"). Seek out the original LP release and you will hear more warmth and richness in the sound.

Indeed, Klaus schulze was on a synthesizer rampage on this album, no dull moments always on the move, very exciting and compelling, you're hook from start to end.

Blanche is the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard, and I bought this back in the 70's. It has long been said the Klaus' music induced a drug-like state in listeners, probably from the repetitive but unfocusable pulses this music induces in the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. Sort of like aural TM. Listen to this and you might understand why Klaus' following in the 70's thought he had transcended into a musical deity.

Body Love is different from Timewind (TW) and Irrlicht(IR), my favourites, in a lot of ways. The music is more focused, it appears that Schulze had a master plan that he implemented well, everything has been calculated before execution unlike the chaotic random music of TW and IR. Now the synth play in the foreground, they are not hiding any more. The music is more loud and daring and of course there is rythm that does not take half an hour to repeat itself.

I will describe the music for the listeners that are interested in this one:

STARDANCER(13:38) Loud synthesizer playing in the foreground vibrant rythms (unlike TW and IR). Musical patterns that make short of sense. The period of recognizable patterns has dropped significantly. It actually sounds like real music! Percussion and beat right from the beginning.

BLANCHE(11:44) Galactic blues for a girl named Blanche I suppose. Nostalgic and romantic. It starts with soft piano, very nice melody drifting in the space. Some space background effects and then a high pitched synth (I am not sure about the exact instrument played) takes the lead until the, rather abrupt, end. Its like a swan-song. Background effects are always on the play. Arguably one of the best moments of space music.

P:T:O: (27:12) The longest piece of this work. Effects, choir, synth at the foreground. Different layers of existence making it to the top and then sink again. A very simple sequenced rythm takes over and sets the scale of the music. Light percussion fits well with the music. Very soon the sounds become very rich, filled with the synthesizers in different levels. High calories music.High pitced synthesizer (reminds of Vangelis Casio horn) driving the way in a monotonous pattern. Dont expect a lot of variation in this one. Its the same pattern for minutes and minutes. The only things that change are the scale and the sound level plus minus a few layers of synth. Very persistent music.

Body Love is similar to substance and structure to Jarre's first 2 albums. The same background effects, same synthesizer feeling, similar percussion. Of course Jarre would never dare to drug a song for 27 minutes but the atmosphere is very similar and it would be interesting to find out if it was Oxygene that influenced Body Love or the other way around. In the official Klaus Schulze page it is stated that Body Love was recorded end of 1976 and released February 1977. Oxygene on the other hand was released in 1976 (I think only in France at the beginning and then worldwide). Could it be that Sculze was greatly influenced by the new Jarre sound ? I leave that for the historians of electronic music. If you have any answers on that send me an email.

As a previews reviewer wrote , Body Love is a good starting point for newcomers to Schulze's universe. But I would not list Body Love among my best Schulzian music. Very good stuff yes, masterpiece no.

This is a fabulously crafted album. From composing , through to the choice and programming of sounds, this is one of the finest examples of the 70's electronic music. Klaus Schulze's carreer was, at the time of release of this "Body Love", approaching it's summit, to be reached with "Timewind". It is important to notice that "Body Love" is Schulze's only album that has been re-released with two different remixes and two different covers. Both are works of art and both hard to find. Collector's items, i would say. The sound is inspirational for much more than a porno movie, it creates images in the listeners mind that could range from Dali's landscapes to the depthness of space. The music evolves slowly but steadily to an intensity that one could only find in Wagner or Beethoven. A classic, and certainly one of the best albums to come out of the hands of this «force majeure» in the history of electronic music. Klaus Schulze certainly deserved to have "Body Love" as an Oscar winning soundtrack for something as Titanic or 2001, Space Odyssey. That, would pay justice to the music. As for the film "Body Love"... worth LISTENING!!!