3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential and quintessential., July 9, 2008
This is the first record by the "classic" line-up of the Dave Pike Set which includes Volker Kriegel on guitar and sitar, J. A. Rettenbacher on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums. It is one of the great records of the era that displays the open-minded approach and varying influences that were shaping jazz on both sides of the Atlantic. The album effortlessly blends an amalgam of styles, on each of which the band leaves its signature imprint: from the groovy "I'm On My Way", the classic sitar funk of "Mather", the bossa-ish "Regards...", the pensive title track, and the psychedelia meets free jazz of "Mother People" and "Walking Down the Highway..." The band's unmistakable personality is never compromised by its diversity and the pieces, like on all the records this line-up of the band made from 69-71, can (and often do) take unexpected turns into unfamiliar territory. Kriegel's songwriting and guitar playing are always worth a listen and, due to the lack of reissues of his own work, sadly difficult to come by. To this listener, hands down one of the finest bands as a cohesive whole and the individual parts of that era or any era. Highly, highly recommended.
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