Joy Unlimited - "Minne"
(Garden of Delights 2008, CD141
Joy Unlimited - "Minne"
(Garden of Delights 2008, CD141
From Aural Innovations October 2009 update
From Mannheim Germany, evolving from their precursor Joy and the Hit Kids, Joy Unlimited originally released this album in 1974. ORIGO yes, very trippy underwater bloops...MINNE WUNDER KANN DIN GUETE uh oh, sounds a bit like the intro to a
Saturday morning German kids show. Very un-rock'n'roll...MONOGAM-POLYGAM now
here comes the rock!! One cool thing about these "Garden of Delights"
re-issues is they have lots of great booklets with lots of information and band
photos!!! CINCTURA VIRGINAE the funk movie soundtrack music, pretty authentic
for pale boys, some ELP keyboard flourishes. SWER GIEHT, DAZ MINNE SUNDE SI
/ ABRUPTIO each track sounds like a different genre of music, this one has orchestral
pop rock with recorder and uber sensitive German vocals/lyrics. Some very anglo
guitar work then the ELP freakout section, yeah let's get funky...then a sudden
change to the reflective looking out a rainy window section..VENUS now some
heavy breathing and late night sax, what's it all mean? AL MIN FROIDE now onto
Ye Olde Renaissance Faire in German! I have to say this CD goes into 70's rock
territory that is not my favorite, a far cry from late 60's Krautrock like Amon
Duul II etc...THERMAE this one's a bit better but still very commercial creepy!
It's like an Insurance Ad jingle...gets into a nice groove later, very nice
clear production! ROTER MUND WIR DU DICH SWACHEST more Ren Faire but nice so
far, the vocalist reminds me of Greg Lake. In the band photo they all look very
swell in their nice new expensive sweaters and mod feathered hair; this caused
punk rock! BACCHANAL sounds like the band Chicago, yeah! An instrumental so
far! Very heavy then soft, a fern bar dream...FLOS LIVIDUS I...like watching
the sun come up on the set of a porn movie! Some nice mellow guitar moments!
FLOS LIVIDUS II...more 1974 lovliness, when revolution finally gave way to plaid
bell bottoms, yes, very profound. ATLANTIC this song starts the early material
bonus tracks, this one's from 1971, a bit like generic movie soundtrack rock
music. RHINOZEROS..tv sitcom music, where's Chico and the man? JAGUAR funky
with horns, nothing that would imply Germany about this. Some Chicago/Blood
Sweat and Tears horn rifffage. Very well executed....SPIRALNEBEL flutishness,
quite lovely! I've often wanted to time travel back to the early 70's Krautrock
scene but not here please! EARLY MORNING MOANIN..yes, it's very American funky,
come on now, trying so hard to sound like another countries music is never a
good artistic move! Good maybe for immediate sales but not good for being remembered
as being artistically or socially relevent! PROUD ANGELINA commercial early
70's white funk pop!!! Yeah!!! Conjurs up memories of the Sonny and Cher show!!
ACHTIGALL nice flute, I'm skipping thru a field of daffodils!! Very nice track!!
GERD KOTHE: TIME MACHINE some nice harsh sax, cymbal flourishes, soundtrack
music?! Now is the Goofy outro, yes very 70's!! GERD KOTHE:ELECTRIC CIRCUS..more
funk rock, what to say?...it's the last song......
Check out the Garden of Delights web site at: http://diregarden.com
Reviewed by Carlton Crutcher