Rocksession＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

故Christian Burchard(dr/per/vibe/vo)、Edgar Hofmann(sax/flu)等を中心に'69年結成、AMON DUUL IIの分派バンドとしての側面も持ちつつワールド/エスノ志向の音楽性でも知られ、現在もChristian Burchardの実娘Marja Burchardを中心に活動を続けるジャーマン・ロックバンド、ドイツ:Brainから発表された'73年作がドイツ:MIG-Musicより数量限定のカラー・ヴァイナル仕様限定アナログ盤として'24年再発!

名ジャズ・ピアニストのMal Waldron(ele-p)、Jimmy Jackson(mellotoron/organ)らも参加した、'71年から'72年までのセッション中に録音された楽曲を収録。初期の混沌としたサイケ色が後退する一方で前作のファンク志向がより顕在化。従来のサウンドと融合し、以降の音楽性の軸となるクールなエスノ・ジャズ・ロック/クロスオーバー路線が明確に打ち出された、同時期の世界的なジャズ・ロックシーンの中でもPASSPORTと並んで屈指のユニークかつ洗練された内容を聴かせる、ジャズ・ロックの秀作です!

Progressive rock provides the framework but jazz-rock gives the flavor to this powerfully seductive album-length workout, four extended numbers (on which the vocals who are present are buried so far down in the mix that these are essentially instrumentals) that surge forth with saxophone solos and keyboard runs to rival the best-known English and U.S. prog rock bands -- and Christian Burchard's myriad percussion sounds (outdoing even his keyboard timbres at times) are in a class of their own. The difference between Embryo and their English-speaking rivals is that Embryo are content to take their time, even compared with acts such as King Crimson, getting where they're going, and don't mind going in long, extended detours into the funkier side of jazz. "Entrances" -- which, despite its title, is the second track on the album -- is worth the price of admission by itself for its seeming digressions, which all pull together around Jorg Evers' amazing bass work. And the rest of the record is no letdown, even after the quarter-hour of soaring excursions on that number. It all should have been more widely heard outside of Germany and Central Europe. ~ Bruce Eder