By Request, Guildenstern (Germany, recorded 1978-1979)

 

Not much in the database.  Obviously, a concept album based on the story of Hamlet.

On the other hand, lots of material on rym. 

A review from apps with the history of the band, note that everyone gives this release about 3 out of 5 stars, which I think is accurate.

This band from Hessen was formed by ex-Broomstick members Michael Lippert (vocals, bass, guitar) and Claus Lange (drums) in May 1976 along with Reinhard Olschanski (guitar) and Gerd Schmelzer (keyboards), beginning with the writing of a Rock Opera, which they performed live in 1977 without gaining a recording contract.In the meantime another local group, King of Twilight, disbanded in 1976 because of military obligations of members Bernd Scholl (keyboards) and Reiner Muller (drums).When these were fullfilled, Scholl returned to the scene, performing for about a year with Ice, then joining Guildenstern, who were searching for new members, next to singer Gerd Holfelder and Michael Kuplien (guitar, violin).The band played numerous lives with the line-up, but the only saved recordings were released only in 2011 by Garden of Delights as ''Guildenstern''.Most of them were an unusual Symphonic Rock with heavy references to Electronic Music, as Scholl apparently became a leading figure for the band, performing endless synth layers and acoustic piano lines next to a solid rhythm section and a guitarist with a mellow style, which adds a slight psychedelic touch in the softer parts.Nice keyboard-based Prog with spacious overtones and some quite furious and cosmic bombastic sections.The psychedelic tone of the electric guitar links the sound to the other style of the Guildenstern's repertoire, the one close to Kraut Rock, respresented by minor tracks with acoustic guitars, raw electric themes, atmospheric keyboards and acid vocals.Guildenstern called it quits in 1980 with Scholl becoming a composer of Electronic Music and Lippert-Lange playing for the next four years with a group named Masque.

A lot depends on if you have a taste for this symphonic bombastic German style (I don't) with long drawn out keyboard chords, so similar to others before them or rather from the same time period, eg Neuschwanstein (although remember I was quite pleased with their Fine Art album here, I don't think this one in any way compares to them).  I think there's quite a bit too many boring instrumentals with a couple of chords played on the digital strings that eventually go nowhere.

A vocals track caller After the Inquisition:

Sarah Kernochan's 2 LP, plus other requests

I think you could say that in these two albums she reveals a little too much of herself.  At least half the songs, and she seems to be very keen on writing lyrics that are like little stories from a female perspective, are about girls who sleep with the wrong men, or at different places with different men, and so on. Musically, it's all singer songwriter about half on acoustic guitar, half on grand piano. There's some music hall or tin pan alley type compositions, Joni Mitchell-styled stuff as you'd expect. The title track from House of Pain:

Home Away from Home:

Obviously a very attractive girl, pay attention to the song called "Can I get on top this time" that depicts a masochist who 'likes it rough' and ends with a high-pitched note that I guess is simulating an orgasm. This kind of stuff must have been so welcome back in the seventies when women were still so repressed--what a difference a half century makes when female singers today get on stage in thongs and talk endlessly about orgasms in different positions, etc.

Back with Sisyphos and Raw Fish, 1990

 

I mentioned this one as interesting on the basis it straddles the border between their earlier hard rock style and their later prog rock style featured in Moments. And indeed it's kind of half half.

A lovely prog instrumental called Dinosaur:

It's disappointing that they close the album with two improvisations rather than original compositions or songs, as if they ran out of material.  But it's OK, there's enough interesting stuff here and there despite.

Interestingly, there is a new rip of the famed Rhea Sad Sorceress now with a great sound, which doesn't necessarily in my opinion help the music much, compared to the old rip I posted back in 2017. 

The new rip is in comments here.

Some more from keyboardist Peter Robinson: Ablution, Sun Treader, Umberto Balsamo, Medusa

 

I'm guessing everyone has already heard the wonderful Swedish one-off band Ablution (a continuation of former band Baltik) as well as instrumental fusioneers Sun Treader. I was surprised to see they found some lost tapes that were recently released titled The Voyage. As you might and should expect, this is not as good, being looser, more improvised, and with a relative paucity of ideas in comparison to Zin-Zin which I think is a masterpiece of the progressive fusion genre.  The one-off release 1978Medusa from the late 70s is basic rock and commercial pop but features a lovely instrumental solo by Robinson on the arp in the last track, worth hearing.  As well he played keys on the some of the releases from chanson or pop singer Umberto Balsamo.

Recent prog recommendations: Gadi Caplan, Mathematicians, Six North

 

Mostly electric guitar-based instrumental fusion here, with some nice passages here and there, all recently released.

The Japanese group Six North sounds at times like my old favourite Mr. Sirius, consider Enneagram from their 2003 release Prayer, after the first minute and the female vocals start up:

Does anyone have this last one mentioned, Episcopio Vistarama? Review here.