Ramses - 2 LP
Жанр: Progressive-Rock, Krautrock
Носитель: LP
Год выпуска: 1976, 1978
Лейбл: Sky Records/sky 002/sky 020
Страна-производитель: DE/DE
Аудио кодек: FLAC
Тип рипа: tracks+.cue
Формат записи: 24/96
Формат раздачи: 24/96
Продолжительность: 37:32+36:10=01:13:48
Источник оцифровки: LP Rip & Full Scan LP Cover: Fran Solo
Код класса состояния винила: NM/NM
Устройство воспроизведения: Marantz 6170
Головка звукоснимателя: SHURE M97xE With JICO SAS Stylus
Предварительный усилитель: Marantz 2252
АЦП: E-MU 0404
Обработка: DeClick with iZotope RX3: Only Manual (Click per click)
La Leyla - 1976
Треклист:
A1 Devil Inside
A2 La Leyla
A3 Garden
B1 War
B2 Someone Like You
B3 American Dream
Спектр
DR14
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Analyzed folder: /Ramses - La Leyla (LP)
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DR Peak RMS Filename
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DR14 -1.71 dB -17.01 dB 01 Ramses - LADO 1- Devil Inside.wav
DR13 -1.91 dB -16.75 dB 02 Ramses - La Leyla.wav
DR13 -3.08 dB -17.98 dB 03 Ramses - Garden.wav
DR14 -0.80 dB -18.06 dB 04 Ramses - LADO 2- War.wav
DR16 -0.62 dB -18.61 dB 05 Ramses - Someone Like You.wav
DR16 -0.45 dB -19.47 dB 06 Ramses - American Dream.wav
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Number of files: 6
Official DR value: DR14
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About
It's really strange that this band isn't as famous as other giants of 70' progressive rock. I suppose their biggest problem was lack of "momentum". In 1976 progressive rock music started to significantly lose it's popularity in favor of punk rock, disco and other horrible creatures of late 70' music scene... If "Ramses" started his career few years earlier, now they would be equally famous as other German prog bands like Eloy or Jane and maybe even as popular as Yes or Genesis...who knows?
Anyway let's start the review of their debut - and IMHO - their best record ever. Lots of people unjustified compare them to early British art rock bands which based their music solely on Hammond organ sound. As far as I really love this early 70' British staff, I have to assure you that "Ramses" doesn't sound like them at all. Their music is much different, they offer richer sound with very good analog synths/mellotron arrangements and very important guitar presence (very similar to Frank Bornemann from "Eloy", lots of atmospheric leads and solos without even small sign of show-off).
1."Devil Inside" - very good opener. Very beautiful melodies played by guitarist in a bit sleepy mood are swimming in interesting synthesizer flights and soft mellotron waves. The vocal parts are also very good and atmospheric. No signs of typical "German" accent. I'd never guess that it's German band at all!
2."La Leyla" - this song begin with fantastic, 3 minutes guitar soloing (sounds like 2 electric guitars in the same time) based on rich keyboards (organ & Solina string ensemble) background. In fact keyboards aren't so much "background" in this fragment, it's more like crazy race or even battle between two instrumentalists! Splendid beginning. After 3 minutes music slows down, some flute tunes are presented (mellotron?) and Herbert Natho starts to sing in a very "moody", somehow "romantic" way with slightly falsetto choir in the background. In the second part of this composition Winfried Langhorst shows as also very good, melancholic Hammond organ solo.
3."Garden" - without any long intros (like in previous songs) "Garden" begin straight-to-the- point from Natho's vocal lines. This melancholic mid-tempo ballad which tell as a story about somebody's dream is really good and "catchy" (in a good sense of this word of course!). Your head will surely wave along with Langhorst's melodic synths. In the middle of the song another soft organ solo.
4."War" - the fastest, most dynamic composition with epic feeling (but in fact only 6:30 minutes long). Really memorable organ-guitar riff in the beginning doesn't leave any doubts that it will be very special moment of this album. I like the parts when music almost completely stops and vocalist sing his anti-war (but not in this he hippy-preaching style which I can't stand at all...) lyrics with only bass and drums sleepy background, than suddenly music starts again with all of its power. Refrain "War, everywhere, everywhere look around me" sing on the crunching Hammond's and guitar's riff can really make good impression on every rock lover. I also adore middle part of guitar/organ staccato (bridge? solos?) with very loud noises of exploding bombs and gun shots. Goose bumps!
5."Someone Like You" - the longest song of this record starts from very atmospheric synths and flute sounds which remind me mid 70' Eloy's music. Then electric guitar enters and together with organ waves leads very pretty, melancholic, yet a bit depressing song about somebody who's "too old" for love ("Better Leave me alone You're much too young for someone like me"). Sounds melodramatic and corny? Not when it's played by Ramses! I really dig this mostly slow-tempo track with it's sad lyrics, melancholic voice and almost crying "aaaaa" choir (a bit in the vain of Uriah Heep. And it's the only moment I can think about UH when I listen to this band. Really). As always middle part with beautiful synthesized string, mellotron sampled flute and atmospheric guitar is great.
6."American Dream" - this one seems to be the weakest track. However it also has it's moment. Pretty organ intro and outro, some Solina strings waves sounds good as always. The only problem is that vocal part isn't so interesting as in the previous tracks and it can sometimes drag a little.
To summarize I can say it's a real classic and probably the best German prog-rock album from the second part of seventies. I recommend it especially to symphonic rock lovers who listen to Yes and Genesis but aren't afraid of well arranged but not so long songs. For young progheads which grew on technical prog-metal this album maybe has to slow & melancholic pace to interested, them but I hope they will also find this record intriguing. Full blown, highly melodic symphonic prog rock full of good guitar and vintage keyboards sounds! It can deserves only 5 starts. Not less.
P.S. Their next album "Eternity Rise" is also very good and worth checking. Only melodies aren't so infectious this time.
Review by ozzy_tom, progarchives.com
Personel
Bass – Hans D. Klinkhammer
Design [Sleeve] – Helga Bartkowiak
Drums, Percussion – Reinhard Schroter
Engineer [Assistant] – Petrus Wippel
Guitar – Norbert Langhorst
Keyboards, Vocals – Winfried Langhorst
Producer – Klaus Hess
Producer, Engineer – Conny Plank
Vocals – Herbert Natho
Written-By – Ramses (5)
Доп. информация
Notes
Recorded and mixed at Connys Tonstudio, Neunkirchen - September / October 1975.
(p) 1976
Sky Records, 2 Hamburg 61, Quedlinburger Weg 4
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Rights Society: GEMA
Matrix / Runout (Side A): SKY 002-A SST
Matrix / Runout (Side B): SKY 002-B SST
Scans
Eternity Rise - 1978 (Release: 1976)
Треклист:
A1 City Life
A2 Only Yesterday
A3 Time
B1 Windy
B2 Agitation Play
B3 Eternity Rise
Спектр
DR13
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: /Ramses - Eternity Rise (LP)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR13 -0.52 dB -16.37 dB 01 Ramses - LADO 1- City Life.wav
DR14 -0.13 dB -18.29 dB 02 Ramses - Only Yesterday.wav
DR14 -0.80 dB -18.46 dB 03 Ramses - Time.wav
DR15 -1.90 dB -20.34 dB 04 Ramses - LADO 2- Windy.wav
DR13 -1.68 dB -16.07 dB 05 Ramses - Agitation Play.wav
DR13 -1.37 dB -17.74 dB 06 Ramses - Eternity Rise.wav
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Number of files: 6
Official DR value: DR13
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About
"Eternity Rise" marks a slight improvement in Ramses' songwriting and arranging. The melodies are still strong, but a little less rudimentary than on "La Leyla", and a greater emphasis is placed on other keyboards, including mellotron and/or string synth. This change is felt from the very opener "City Life". Although the theme ie relatively simple, the message is effectively executed in keeping with the back to the land philosophy of 1970 (you will recall that Ramses tended to latch on to fads after the fact). Other strong tracks are "Time", with an excellent beginning; "Windy", which shows the group embracing a more acoustic backing for the moment; and of course the 10+ minutes title cut featuring most of what makes Ramses interesting, and a superb finale including martial drums and, of course, great organ sounds.
Review by kenethlevine, progarchives.com
Personel
Bass – Hans Dieter Klinkhammer*
Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Reinhard Schroter
Engineer – Manfred Neuner
Engineer [Assistant] – Ralf Haupt
Guitar [Electric], Acoustic Guitar – Norbert Langhorst
Keyboards, Vocals – Winfried Langhorst
Lyrics By – Ramses (5)
Producer – Ramses (5)
Vocals – Herbert Natho
Доп. информация
Lacquer Cut At – Tonstudio Pfanz
Distributed By – Deutsche Austrophon
Published By – German News Musikverlag
Recorded At – Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein
Recorded at Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein/Nurnberg July & August 1978
Sky Records, Nordhauser Weg 16, 2000 Hamburg 61
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A): SKY ? 020 ? A? PF
Matrix / Runout (Side B): SKY ? 020 ? B? PF
Rights Society: GEMA
Label Code: LC 4435
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发表于 2020-9-24 11:35:15
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