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- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE
WEEK
- Brainticket "Cottonwoodhill" 1971 (Germany/Belgium/Switzerland)
Cottonwoodhill
is certainly one of the most out-there (like sooo far out man) albums
to come out of the "Krautrock" scene. Brainticket is primarily the
project of Belgian organist Joel Vandroogenbroeck, though on
this, their debut album, the group's secret weapon is legendary Swiss
recording pioneer Hellmuth Kolbe on "sound effects" and engineering.
A jazz and classical musician, Kolbe was also on the cutting edge
of studio technology and electronic music way back in the 1950's,
working with legends like Stockhausen, Bernstein and Boulez. Just how
such a luminary would wind up involved with a freaky head-trip acid
rock band is a bit of a mystery (official sources seem to overlook this
chapter of his career!), but when it comes to freaky head trips, this
is pretty much the ultimate. Most of the album is taken up by
"Brainticket part 1 & 2" which starts where Funkadelic's zany
sound-effect-laden funk jam "Wars Of Armageddon" (released the same
year) ends, then proceeds further out. As the album liner notes state:
"After listening to this album, your friends may not know you anymore.
Only listen to this once per day. Your brain might be destroyed!" (To
be honest, it's actually quite obnoxious, which is probably why it has
not been a CAOTW until now!) Brainticket also made other less extreme
albums, and a new Brainticket lineup led by Vandroogenbroeck has been
touring lately with fellow traveler revival acts like Nektar and
Hawkwind's Nik Turner.
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