Week of June 11, 2006
Personnel:
Ralf Modrow - keyboards
Wolfgang Grahn - drums
Bernhard Liesegang - bass
Jochen Biemann - guitar
Rolf Zwirner - guitar
Dagmar Dormagen - vocals
Album:
LP S/T (Phono Verlag Werner Purrmann) WP 710101, 1971
LP S/T Amber Soundroom AS LP 003, 2004 reissue
CD S/T Garden Of Delights CD 091, 2003 reissue
This obscure group made an excellent album in the
"garage/underground/progressive" mold way back in 1971. Vinegar could be
ranked along with
Mammut
as one of the most important exponents of the genre. For your amusement, here's
a closer look at their fascinating album: "Missa Solis" (12:15) starts
off in a slow, lyrical and sinister way, not far removed from a Floyd-type
depression from 1969. A violin comes in and makes a short solo appearance to
great effect, before the guitar and organ develop the main theme. "Saw Mill
Part I" (5:22) is a garage rock song with Renate Knaup-like vocals that soon
sets off to an outer space of strange sounds - "A Saucerful Of Secrets"
reborn. "Saw Mill Part II" (5:05) is more like Amon Düül II,
driven by violin, organ and guitar. "Der Kaiser Auf Der Erbse" (7:04)
goes in another direction, suddenly drunk Goths enter the studio! The last track
is "Fleisch" (7:04), an instrumental return to the almost classical
themes introduced in the second half of "Missa Solis". In conclusion:
this album is quite fabulous, go out and get it!
Taken from Cosmic Dreams at Play - A guide to German Progressive and
Electronic Rock by Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, Borderline Productions, ISBN
1-899855-01-7