March 5, 2008 Playlist

Krautrock 101
Pledge Drive!
   
"Tarot" by Walter Wegmüller (1973)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Walter Wegmüller  "Tarot"  1973 (Switzerland/Germany)
The Cosmic Jokers were one of the most legendary groups of the so-called "krautrock" movement in West Germany in the late 1970's, which is the topic of this month's special.  Though ironically, they were barely a group at all -- Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser was a legendary record producer who helmed the Pilz (mushroom) and Ohr (ear) labels before founding the Kosmische Musik (cosmic music) imprint.  It was the latter label that released five "Cosmic Jokers" albums in 1974 -- drug-fueled jam sessions Kaiser and Dieter Dirks edited together, allegedly without the knowledge of the musicians involved!  One of the musicians, Klaus Schulze, sued Kaiser and forced the records to be pulled from the market, although apparently lead guitarist Manuel Göttsching claims the story that he only discovered the existence of Cosmic Jokers when he heard it playing in a record store is false.  (Another rumour is that the musicians were paid in psychedelic drugs and not money, hence no signed contracts!)  Anyway!  Before the Cosmic Jokers albums, the musicians involved (famous members of groups like Ash Ra Tempel, Wallenstein and Tangerine Dream) had recorded a pair of albums backing "spoken word" artists, one with new age political radical Sergius Golowin, and this double album featuring the gypsy fortune teller Walter Wegmüller, which originally came complete with a pack of tarot cards!
Cosmic Jokers biography.
    
Artist Song Album Year Country
The Monks Blast Off! Black Monk Time 1966 USA/Germany
Can Father Cannot Yell Monster Movie 1969 Germany
NEU!
(Michael Rother & Klaus Dinger)		 Hallogallo NEU! 1972 Germany
Kraftwerk
(Ralf Hütter & Florian Schneider)		 Airwaves Radio-Activity 1975 Germany
 
 
Walter Wegmüller
(with Cosmic Jokers)		 Der Narr / Der Magier / Die Hohepriesterin Tarot
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1973 Switzerland/Germany
Ash Ra Tempel
(with Timothy Leary)		 Downtown / Power Drive 7 Up 1972 Germany
Kraan Kraan Arabia Kraan 1972 Germany
   
 
Faust It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl Faust So Far 1972 Germany
Tangerine Dream Sunrise In The Third System Alpha Centauri 1971 Germany
Harmonia
(Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Rödelius & Dieter Möbius)		 Sonnenschein Musik Von Harmonia 1974 Germany
La Düsseldorf
(Klaus Dinger)		 La Düsseldorf La Düsseldorf 1976 Germany
   
 
Organisation
(Ralf Hütter & Florian Schneider)
 Milk Rock Tone Float
 1970
 Germany
Dzyan Magika Time Machine 1973 Germany
Agitation Free Ala Tul Malesch 1972 Germany
Cluster
(Hans-Joachim Rödelius & Dieter Möbius)		 Caramba Zuckerzeit 1974 Germany
 
 
Scorpions I'm Going Mad Lonesome Crow 1972 Germany
Hairy Chapter Can't Get Through Can't Get Through 1971 Germany
Tiger B. Smith To Hell Tiger Rock 1973 Germany
 
 
Amon Düül II Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies
   a. In the Glassgarden
   b. Pull Down Your Mask
   c. Prayer to the Silence
   d. Telephonecomplex		 Tanz Der Lemminge 1971 Germany
A.R. & Machines
(Achim Reichel)		 Echo Of The Present Echo 1972 Germany
 
 
Sergius Golowin
(with Cosmic Jokers and Witthüser & Westrupp)		 Die Weisse Alm Lord Krishna Von Goloka
 1973
 Germany
The Monks Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice Black Monk Time 1966 USA/Germany
      
   
   
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