Wednesday 15 January 2020

Real Ax Band - Move your ass in time/Nicht Stehenbleiben, 1977, limited time only







Here's one that really knocked me off my feet (to quote from the great Stevie).

From discogs:

German ProgRock band, late 1970s.
A collection of Embryo affiliates venturing on to pastures new with a more accessible music than most Schneeball jazz-based bands, drawing on Latino, Afro and funk styles.

There's a wonderful energy that travels through the whole LP like a classic shiny new 1970s Concorde with its isosceles wings and pointed down snout, filled with acid, pot, groupies, colourful whiskeys and aperitifs, and the concomitant resulting happy vibes, racing across the Atlantic to some concert with half-naked women, who sing here and there too with the men, presumably, with all of the male members (I'm talking about the band here).  Funky electric guitar riffs smash through the instrumentals, original ideas and chords everywhere.  Similar German albums are Peter Wolbrandt's So Weit (1979), or Alto's great first album from 1978, or some passages in the previous Carsten Bohns.  Consider the fantastically titled track Women and Children First, and notice that the quite Zappaesque vocals start up after a few minutes of interesting hard riffing,





I mean there's so many great ideas in there.  First of all the echo effect of the electric guitar then electric keyboard playing the upgoing arpeggios.  The riff played with the third interval added, like Jimmy Page always loved to do (e.g. Black Dog).  The way it suddenly modulates after the 2nd riff, moving on to yet another, a third riff.  Then the shocking appearance, just before the vocals, of diminished chords played one after the other, like Beethoven loved to do.  Back in those symphony days, that were unfinished.  Then of course the aforementioned slowed-down basso chanting, like Zappa loved to do.  An incredible track.  That one, worth the price of admission to this concert for sure.  But believe me, there's plenty more good stuff in there, just like on those Air France Concordes the Ledded Zeppelin loved to fly on.
Just to finish up with the band, I believe they went on to make more albums, all of which I found disappointing.
Enjoy this one.

9 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Nice share, can't wait to get back to my sound system at home to listen.

    Two more requests if its not too much. Any chance you have these in lossless still?

    https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2017/09/back-again-to-rheas-sad-sorceress.html#comment-form

    https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2014/10/german-trial-in-arts-fairy-tales-flute.html

    https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2014/09/golds-night-ride-from-1979.html#comment-form

    https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2015/06/cbj-670s-barigozzi-fabor-synthetronics.html#comment-form

    It appears I missed a lot of your lossless releases!

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  3. many thanks for this share julian..new to me..not got many teutonic revellers..
    can you re-up this again please as i was not aware of your blog back then....Miyako Chaki, 1978 – Rainbow Chaser
    many many thanks

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    1. here it is, Rainbow Chaser:
      https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/yhvymz

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    2. thank you julian,got her other 2 albums...

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  4. I'll do it when I get home later today

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  5. Bless you julian,no rush,just accept my most grateful thanks as always.

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  6. A lot of energy in this band! Some cool stuff but not really my kind of music, I DLed only to give it a try.

    Thank you very much for sharing though Julian!

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  7. Like an unexpected psilocybe rush up the spine - Blamo!!!
    And that otherworldly uber-beautiful Lp cover art!!!!!! (Just WOW! 5D Art!!!! Dancing with my dream....can't thank you enough for this one bro)
    The lucky listener is catapulted into higher harmonic realms without delay - Pick Your Feet Off The Ground indeed!!
    We dissolve into an avant-prog wild bliss :) :) :)
    ...does the chorus on 'Sticks & Stones' start going "Don't go to school"?!
    I love it!
    "I'm Checking My Problems Out" - killer - the raw exuberance you can almost see come out of your speakers!!!
    Enthusiasm of expressing one's true passion through exceptional Talent!!
    'Madwurszth' ....crazily original songs like this spawn entire musical genres - or they used to! ....ear-to-ear smile music :) :) :)
    'Move Your Ass In Time' - like The Mothers ate The Muffins during The Seventh Wave and said Ha! Death May Be Your Santa Claus!!! Bravo!!!!
    Shove me off from shore and cut all ties to Land :)
    The Greatest Adventure has to have a start!
    Let's Go!!

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