Music Banter - View Single Post - I know what I like: Trollheart's History of Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal

Trollheart · 02-06-2021, 10:43 AM

Let’s take one more before we head back into the garden and get back to work. This one will be interesting.

Album title: Output
Artist: Wolfgang Dauner
Nationality: German
Label: ECM Records
Chronology: Second solo, fourth overall
Tracklisting: Mudations/Output/Bruch/Nothing to Declare/Abraxas/Brazing the High Sky Full
Comments: I feel this will be a waste of time, prog-wise. It’s shown as experimental/free jazz, and what that has to do with prog is beyond me, but it’s on Wiki’s history so we’ll give it a go. I assumed the opening track was called “Mutations”, but no, it’s a “d” all right. I do like it though. Very minimalist, very ambient with some nice piano and perhaps guitar? Hard to say but I already like this more than the entire Cressida album. The title track, though, is more what you might expect - sort of abrasive, a little freeform, and, well, just all over the place really. All I hate about free jazz and avant-garde. Sadly this is nearly eight minutes long.

“Bruch” takes its time to get going but when it does it provides more of the same, making this album pretty tough for me to get through if the truth be known. “Nothing to Declare” may finish me as it’s over fourteen minutes long. Still, at least there’s much more of a coherent melody to this; still very jazzy and the horns are annoyingly blaring and aggressive, but better than the last two for sure. “Abraxas” has somehow a kind of Indian feel - sort of the way the sax is played I guess - and does at least slow down the rather manic pace for a few minutes, then it’s back to the kind of stuttering nonsense - sound effects, buzzing, drum hits, no real music - for the closer, with the strange title of “Brazing the High Sky Full”. Er, yeah.

Favourite track(s): Mudations, Abraxas
Least favourite track(s): Everything else
Overall impression: I have no idea what this album is supposed to have done to have been included in a list of records that are said to have contributed to prog rock. It makes no sense to me. It’s nothing like prog, not even space rock or psych. Pure free jazz and experimental, like the man said. But I guess that’s the problem when you head out of the garden: you never know what strange alleyways you may wander down, how many abandoned, boarded-up buildings you might be tempted to enter, how dangerous it can be. Here: take my hand. No, it’s not gay! Oh have it your way then. Just follow me and I’ll lead you back to safety, back to where true prog lives. Watch your feet now. Just a little further...
Personal Rating:

02-06-2021, 10:43 AM	#197 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Let’s take one more before we head back into the garden and get back to work. This one will be interesting. Album title: Output Artist: Wolfgang Dauner Nationality: German Label: ECM Records Chronology: Second solo, fourth overall Tracklisting: Mudations/Output/Bruch/Nothing to Declare/Abraxas/Brazing the High Sky Full Comments: I feel this will be a waste of time, prog-wise. It’s shown as experimental/free jazz, and what that has to do with prog is beyond me, but it’s on Wiki’s history so we’ll give it a go. I assumed the opening track was called “Mutations”, but no, it’s a “d” all right. I do like it though. Very minimalist, very ambient with some nice piano and perhaps guitar? Hard to say but I already like this more than the entire Cressida album. The title track, though, is more what you might expect - sort of abrasive, a little freeform, and, well, just all over the place really. All I hate about free jazz and avant-garde. Sadly this is nearly eight minutes long. “Bruch” takes its time to get going but when it does it provides more of the same, making this album pretty tough for me to get through if the truth be known. “Nothing to Declare” may finish me as it’s over fourteen minutes long. Still, at least there’s much more of a coherent melody to this; still very jazzy and the horns are annoyingly blaring and aggressive, but better than the last two for sure. “Abraxas” has somehow a kind of Indian feel - sort of the way the sax is played I guess - and does at least slow down the rather manic pace for a few minutes, then it’s back to the kind of stuttering nonsense - sound effects, buzzing, drum hits, no real music - for the closer, with the strange title of “Brazing the High Sky Full”. Er, yeah. Favourite track(s): Mudations, Abraxas Least favourite track(s): Everything else Overall impression: I have no idea what this album is supposed to have done to have been included in a list of records that are said to have contributed to prog rock. It makes no sense to me. It’s nothing like prog, not even space rock or psych. Pure free jazz and experimental, like the man said. But I guess that’s the problem when you head out of the garden: you never know what strange alleyways you may wander down, how many abandoned, boarded-up buildings you might be tempted to enter, how dangerous it can be. Here: take my hand. No, it’s not gay! Oh have it your way then. Just follow me and I’ll lead you back to safety, back to where true prog lives. Watch your feet now. Just a little further... Personal Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018