Last one! Always was put off this one - the cover isn't great, W&W were never covered in the text so I didn't really know anything about them to be honest. It was always tucked away at the back of things and never seemed that essential. Well, I'm an idiot because it's an incredible record and really tops off the whole project and closes this weird year.
So seven tracks, 40 minutes. The first track translates as Let's go on the journey - and is quite Donovan like at times. Quite folky, quite trad but with a slight kraut psych twist. It has a beautiful refrain and is really pretty good. The next track is very Donovan, seemingly taking the start of Season of the Witch and extending it out over 10 minutes. It's great, all the elements blending well together, going bonkers for a bit and then calming down and a bit of vocals.
Orienta is a guitar and maybe mandolin jam? One of those great tracks that just builds and builds. All the vocals are in German and really lift the record up and over into quality. Illusion I is a guitar thing with swirly organs all over the place.
Karlchen is the stand out track and fast became one of my favourite kraut tracks. Strumming guitar, cymbals and some recorder but so so much space to let the track breathe. Over this incredibly soft backdrop I presume it's Renee Zucker mumbling on in German. It's arrestingly stunning - her reading is perfect and you know it's probably hippy nonsense but who cares. It's just beautiful. Half way through it goes into a waltz with some brass and then back to the reading. So delicate and so pretty.
Then an English Waltz with some creaky violing before the finale of "Nimm Doch Einen Joint, Mein Freund" which almost spoils the whole thing being a song about smoking. Some people say that Hash makes Lash. Hmmm - it's okay. But overall this is a coherent record and it just works together so well. All my music is gone and is either finding a new home with my folks or is (not quite) winging it's way over the ocean to it's new place. I listened to this record everywhere and often and I never got tired, it has a lot to give.
So that's krautrocksampler.
And perfect timing with a December finish, you don't want Cope dogging you arse way out in Cali. But really: I totally enjoyed your whole run of reviews, and learned a heck of a lot as I followed along. It even seemed like it changed you too, albeit only in those tiny ways that good records do.
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