The amazing Julien B's First Snow from 1978 / 1981

First of all let's start with the hype / hope, move on to the real.

From Popsike:
 
Julien B/Welcome/Circus SUPERRARE SWISS PROG. ROCK LP
JULIEN B - First Snow (Germany - Telex B30002) 1981, Switzerland, with 3 promo inserts!    M/M-

SUPERRARE AND FANTASTIC SWISS PROGRESSIVE ROCK LP BY JULIEN B (AKA. GEORGE HENNIG) THE LEAD GUITARIST OF CIRCUS, AND WELCOME!! IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PROGRESSIVE ROCK LP FROM THE EARLY 70S! THIS IS EVEN BETTER, AND ALSO MUCH RARER THAN ANYTHING BY CIRCUS AND WELCOME! THERE WERE POSSIBLY AROUND 500 COPIES OF IT MADE, BUT ONLY VERY FEW COPIES OF THIS OBSCURE AND OVERLOOKED LP HAVE SOLD AT THE SHOPS. MOST OF THEM WERE PROBABLY TRASHED!

Telex B30002 1981 or 1978 ?
http://georgehennig.com/portfolio/julien-b-first-snow/

According to newspapers at the time, 18 year old George Hennig was acclaimed as Basle’s answer to Jeff Beck & Mike Bloomfield. Regardless of all this praise - this exceptionally talented local hero decided not to follow the virtuoso-soloist route. In discovering his passion for Anglo-inspired song-writing whilst working together with many other well-known talents of the generation, he went on to evolve into an accomplished and versatile musician with deep comprehensive poetic & artistic credentials.

During the 70’s, a record-company based in Hamburg responded to his demo-recording and produced the Hennig album ‘First Snow’ for release in Germany. Due to popular demand, a second pressing of the album was subsequently ordered. Positive reviews, many live performances and studio jobs for mainstream musicians followed. Fitting into this busy schedule he also collaborated on soundtracks for TV and film whilst also producing his own albums ‘From Grey To Gold’ in 1981 and ‘Jewels In The Gutter’ in 1989.

The last decade has seen him working with fellow musician-travellers from the 70’s, ‘The Zodiacs’, local musical legends - writing songs for the band whilst continuing his own lifelong project exploring the interfaces between psychedelic and Celtic musical styles. He occasionally unites with the Zodiacs for rare stage appearances. George is currently living a peaceful but musically very busy life in the countryside, keeping mostly out of public view.

Over the years, producers, musicians and fans alike have all said George Hennig possesses an exceptional unique talent and personal style - falling somewhere between Ray Davies and Jeff Lynne. But whatever people may have said - I suspect George will continue to carry on playing in his own remarkable musical style as long as he is able.

After his self-produced 2007 album ‘The Definition Of Face’ on which he played all instruments, followed the 2010 album ‘GHOSTS’ - a collection of sometimes unconventional folk-pop songs which lie closer to his Celtic roots than his other favourite and often revisited ‘Swinging London’ 60’s style.

And now - seven years later - he returns with a new intriguing Pop Album ‘Of Piers & Repose’ - drawing inspiration once again from along the musical fault-line somewhere between the musical capitals of the world, Liverpool & London. Twelve songs & stories about transformation, philosophical final journeys and final goodbyes, the ‘innocence’ of his Sixties memories, and the ultimate philosophical question, whether love is finally able to overcome all adversity.

For insiders, it’s a comeback - for others perhaps the breakthrough of the year.
But for George Hennig himself, his ambition & destiny may have finally caught up with him.

Alan Kelly 2017


Now let's move on to the reality of this record.
It's a really good record-- for a complete obscurity, along the lines maybe of Memo's Capt. Thunder in quality, though not in sound, so I think everyone who enjoys 70s rock will like this and likely listen a few times, at least.  Some will hate it, and some will resent there's not more progressive material to hang one's critical hat on.  For me there are a handful of songs I've overplayed and actively enjoyed over and over again, including this last track called, Harlow:





I really love the otherwordly sound of it with the strings and the falsetto, similar a bit to Greek master-artists of the prog vein, Pete and Royce.  Part of the psychic magic of this song (in my opinion) is the way he, tidelike, switches from C minor melody to E minor (leading to G major) chorus.

When you look on the database, note that there is no credit either with the name Julien B or George Hennig regarding guitarist of Welcome or Circus (whose guitarist actually is Roland Frei), just a mention on a VA album under Wishing Well.  So I'm not sure if that business is part of the over hype typical of these rare records.
Doesn't matter-- this is fantastic stuff. And rare as hell.

Credits
Release 1978
All Songs written and composed by George Hennig, except “Anthem” by Peter Rusch and George Hennig
Produced by Harald Blobel and Silvio Panosetti
Recorded and mixed by Harald Blobel and Silvio Panosetti at Inter Music Studios Bottmingen
Photography: Régine Wetterwald
Artwork: Régine Wetterwald for Boosti-Design