Klause Schulze- X

I'm tackling a triple album for the first time ever. A member of Tangerine Dream in its earliest incarnation, then with Ash Ra Temple, Kaluse Schilze has some serious Prog Electronic chops before he made his solo debut in 1972. Just 6 years later he had hit his 10th. It's a semi-concept album, wherein six lengthy tracks are supposed to represent famous Germans. Most of the works run close to one half hour long, eons in the vinyl era.

The album begins with a work called "Friedrich Nietzsche" after the great philosopher. Like the implications of the man's work. the song is sterile. The high pitched twang of some keyboards leads the music along for 24 minutes of a ghoulish pace. There's some heavily distorted organic sounds (vocals and an orchestra) layered down deep within the music, and there is a lot of drum machine. Georg Trakl follows, and it is less creepy but just as minimalistic. Schulze really digs into the Berlin School of near ambient music. There are a couple of 10-14 minute pieces that contain some nice synth waving, but the true gem is the 29 minute "Ludwig II Von Bayern", one of the most incredible prog-electronic works of all time. It combines the orchestra with ARP synthsizers to go fll circle, enfusing the classical traditions with the fururisim that progressive rock truly embodies.

Scenic. Ethereal. Breathtaking. Too damn long. Grade: A-