Customer Reviews

UFO

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Uncle "CID" visited Germany just a little later than London, but he freaked out just as many hippies as anywhere else. Krautrock had an analogous band for almost every band in London, and this is the band that were suppose to sound like CREAM. But they dont. There isnt a whisper of psychedelic blues on this album. Instead, their sound reflects free form rock along the lines of "Bear melt" by Jefferson Airplane, with a heaping serving of Berlin's EARLY experimental "Cosmic" music scene, on the second half. Consisting of a drummer/bass/guitar rock trio, what sets this band apart from unbearable guitar noodling, drum bashing, and bass plucking, is their ability to "TAKE OFF", especially with their less dated sounds, their freak out ambient soundscapes. While they scratch bass strings, modulate white noise, and work on various echo effects, drones, and such, the album reveals its originality, not to mention its UFO connection. In fact, the song UFO is on that compilation SPACEBOX 1970 and BEYOND. (A great boxset that connects Krautrock's top bands, with Hawkwind, Porcupine Tree's early work, anbient trance, and Gong.) GURU GURU started as one of the "TOP 10" of the Krautrock bands, and remained there for a 30+ year career, due in part to the status of this, their first album.

UFO has no vocals. Side one has the rock trio sound, messy, fluid but without the technical wizardry of LED ZEPPLIN, Hendrix, or Clapton in CREAM. The first half of the album merges endless drum rolls into guitar noodles. If nothing else, they conjure TRUE garage psychedelic punk, like the instrumental stuff on IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES' first album. These guys are not what you might call "schooled". Whereas bands like CREAM or ZEP could do blues covers, or west coast psychedelic bands extend folk/country covers, these guys completely commit to musical acid anarchy. Whether they rock out, or space out, its with a D.I.Y. punkish vibe, and humor (they would develop both their humor and musical technique as they matured). So actually, they were breaking some new ground with this album, at least with what was commercially available. (Lots of bands dropped acid, and played this way. These guys recorded their experiment.) If your taste for music runs towards experimental punk freakouts, mixed with nascent KOSMISCHE Krautrock, you'll love every minute here. However, if your sense of psychedelia depends in any way on vocals, song structure, technical prowlness, or sophistication of some sort, you may find this album a bit over indulgent. Perhaps connecting to a later GURU GURU album, or better yet, discovering their sound in KRAUTROCK samplers like the XYZ compilation album "THE WORLD OF KRAUTROCK" (Amazon sells it), may be a better first step. Like Orange-Peppermint flavored Schnapps, not all German tastes are for everyone.

Originally released in 1970,this was the group's debut effort.This is said by many to be probably one of the better krautrock lp's ever put out.After hearing this CD reissue,you'll understand as to why Guru Guru pretty much remained a cult band.A total of 37 mind-blowing minutes containing a total of five tracks that's SURE to more than satisfy any true fan of this genre.The title cut "UFO" is most likely the best tune on the entire disc.Then comes "Stone In" and "Girl Call".How would one describe Guru Guru to a curious fan that's never heard of the long running ensemble?Try Jimi Hendrix on steroids.If you're wanting to really expand your collection,check out their archive live release 'Live Essen 1970' on the Garden Of Delights label.First rate head music.A must have.

This is the sound of pure THC revolving around your head. It is a super creative attempt at taking the experimental aspects of Hendrix and ripping down all forms of song structure. The guitarist, Ax G., lets loose what seems to be improvised semi-melodic feedback laced riffs with lots of WahWah , while the drums (drummer has decent chops but plays VERY quirky and doesn't seem interested in replicating a typical drummer) pound away and sort of grooves on in the background. Drums have lots of banging and splashing away at cymbals and various objects which lend themselves to sounding foreign, industrial, and even electronic. And the bass is what seems to hold everything in check. Because the guitar and drums are pretty much free form. But believe it or not, the album is catchy as hell, you'll find yourself listening to it over and over to discover all the little subtleties that are there to be discovered.
If you like fresh, HOT, psychedelic, creative stoner rock, which grooves at a slow (music constantly falls apart then picks itself up to what can be described as only orgiastic feedback climaxes!) and sometimes rapid tempo, then you'll love this. Very original!!! Very Intense and Very Heavy!!!
(Later albums do not really compare to UFO.So get it!)

This is the music your parents AND your children complained to you about.

This is the sound of pure THC revolving around your head. It is a super creative attempt at taking the experimental aspects of Hendrix and ripping down (most) all forms of song structure. The guitarist, Ax G., lets loose what seems to be improvised (although prob. not) semi-melodic feedback laced riffs (lots of WahWah) , while the drums (drummer has decent chops but plays VERY quirky and doesn't seem interested in replicating a normal person on a drumset) pound away and sort of grooves on in the background. Drums have lots of banging and splashing away at cymbals and various objects which lend themselves to sounding foreign, industrial, and even electronic. And the bass is what seems to hold everything in check. Because the guitar and drums are pretty much free form. But believe it or not, the album is catchy as [heck], you'll find yoursef listening to it over and over to discover all the little subtleties (and there are plenty) that are there.
If you like fresh, HOT, psychedelic, creative stoner rock, which grooves at a slow (music constantly falls apart then picks itself up to what can be described as only orgiastic feedback climaxes!) and sometimes rapid tempo, then you'll love this. Very original!!! Very Intense and Very Heavy!!!
(Later albums do not really compare to UFO.So get it!)

"UFO" is the sound of revolution, three Germans with a sick sense of humour on extremely strong acid, and feedback-fueled freakouts in an era filled with terrorism á la Baader-Meinhof.

My first impression of this album was that is was totally unlistenable. No structures or anything, just noise, noise and more noise. I began to think things like "What the...!? Are these guys serious?" and "Maybe they're trying to make fun of the listener?". But after several listenings, the album began to unfold itself. I still couldn't decide if it was great or awful... Now it's actually one of my most treasured CD's.

The 5 songs (or "songs") on this album are mainly screeching guitar, distorted bass and very, very loose and free-form drumming. There are no catchy choruses or melodic vocals, except for some demented screaming way in the background from drummer Mani Neumeier.

The title track, "UFO", is the weirdest of them. A 10-minute piece featuring hums, buzzes, feedback, eletronic effects and the sound of a photo-flash attached to the microphone of an electric guitar. You'll have to hear it, as it's rather hard to describe. Hell, just call it sonic terror or something. It'll do.

I would recommend this CD for fans of industrial music, noisey krautrock (think "Soup" by Can) and people who'd like something to clear the room with at parties.

Imagine a hybrid of Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix that took even more acid than those guys combined and you have Guru Guru's UFO, a monster of gritty, improvised, early Krautrock. The sound is very raw and stripped down - only one guitar, bass and drum kit can be heard. No keys, wind instruments or extra strings. The songs sound more like jams. Sure, there are certain riffs and licks that are pre planned but much of this stuff sounds like it was made up on the spot, the three musicians playing off one another and driving the music forward until it peaks. The second half of the album is even darker and less accessible than the first - feedback squeels, random smashes and crashes and no discernible music (depending on your definition of musc) to be heard half the time.

If you like raw, improvised rock music, UFO is what you need. Never ceases to captivate me.

This music honestly reminds me of early Black Sabbath, but on the heaviest acid you can imagine. Every "song" is just a monster. Worth a purchase for fans of early Sabbath, Deep Purple or even the Stooges.