Guru Guru - ' Don't Call Us We Call You ' (Revisited
Records)
Catalog number: SPV 305322 DCD
From Aural Innovations #39 (May 2008)
Looks to be Guru Guru's fifth 'actual' album release - originally put out in
late 1973. Meaning that 'Don't Call Us' was likely guitarist Ax Genrich's final
LP with the long running progressive krautrock band. First observation you're
likely to make here is that at this point, Guru Guru leans more toward the progressive
direction. Fans of ' UFO ', ' Hinten' and ' Kanguru' should still get plenty
out of this 2-CD expanded reissue. Disc one is, of course the original album.
With the well played "Africa Steals The Show", "Round Dance"
- that starts out experimental and later gets tribal, the almost commercial
sounding " 200 Cliches", the out-there - yet tripping " Das Zwickmaschinchen"
and the Ax Genrich - twelve-minute penned "Guru Guru Ltd." (sort of
reminds me of Gong or perhaps a Daevid Allen solo piece with some good banjo
playing). Disc two really more than makes this 2-CD expanded reissue an absolute
must-have. It's of a fan recorded bootleg from a September 1973 gig that took
place at the Krefeld Festival. I read somewhere the overall sound of this live
recording was cleaned up a bit, and I for one thought it captured the spirit,
vibe and the feel of an early Guru Guru concert perfectly. Loved checking out
live performances of the previously mentioned "200 Cliches", the unbelievable
34-minute "Ooga Booga", the awesome freak out jam of "Der Elektrolurch"
and a medley that I was totally unfamiliar with - "Rocken Mit Eduard /
Something Else / Weekend". I know of several long time Guru Guru fans that'll
likely be drooling over this Revisited Records pressing. Line-up: Mani Neumeier
- drums, keyboards, cymbal, gong & vocals, Ax Genrich - guitar, banjo &
vocals and Hans Hartman - bass & piano. A great addition to your collection
of Guru Guru CD reissues or just krautrock in general. Look around on the Internet.
This title is usually available at a great price.
Visit the record label web site at: www.insideout.de
Reviewed by Mike Reed