Guru Guru- Hinten

Guru Guru is a little less known than the biggest Krautrock bands, but they defiantly played a role in the scene. Founded in 1968, the band released what is generally considered their best album, UFO, as a debut in 1970. Hinten was the followup the next year, and Guru Guru's classic lineup of Mani Neumeier (drums), Uli Trepte (bass), and Ax Genrich (guitar). They were proponents of the free form freak-out Krautrock, similar to Amon Duul II or Faust. Known as ultra-liberals, they read some political philosophy during some of their concerts.

This album has 4 tracks, all 10 to 12 minutes in length. The opener "Electric Funk" charges right onto the scene with blaring jazz guitar. Going through many back and forth rushes of noise between the speakers, the track would not be out of place on a Jimi Hendrix album. Later on there's some funky bass and drumming with a Jazz rock feel, plus some warble sound effects. This song is followed by "The Meaning of Meaning", which has a slow to moderate tempo, but goes everywhere with screeching from guitars. This one can get a little bit tiring by the end of it's 12 minutes of droning.

Side B gives us "Bo Diddly", which is another long form jam. This one takes on a bluesy feel. It also moves around through some sup rising cycles centering around a few central riffs. This is the most typically Krautrock song here. "Space Ship" closes out the album, and it takes a totally different turn than the other tracks. It begins as tape collage of spacey sound effects, feedback, and electronics. Defiantly not one for the faint of heart late at night.

With an album like Hinten, you're going to either love it or hate it. While many would find its fuzzy, gritty approach off-putting, I think most Prog fans would enjoy it for the depth and alien qualities. This album defiantly has a lot to offer, even if in a strange and withered package.

Straddling the border between Krautrock, Jazz, and Prog, Hinten is worth checking out. Grade: B