Collaborators/Experts Reviews
Proghead
(Ben Miler)
PROG REVIEWER
For their third album, the band decided to go for a more "jam band" approach. I of course, don't mean the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND or PHISH (or for the era this album came out, the GRATEFUL DEAD) approach, but taking the guitar/Hammond organ approach that the band explored on "Inside" and more concentrate on lengthy jams. Examples obviously goes to songs like "The Light From Deep Darkness", "Castle in the Air", and "Plastic Girl".
The band had featured a minor lineup change with bassist Wolfgang Stöcker being replaced by Luitjen Janssen. That of course, didn't affect the band's sound any. Without a doubt the album's high point is "The Light From Deep Darkness". This is without a doubt the song where the jams work the best. I especially dig Manfred Wieczorke's spacy organ solos here. There are a few passages that bring to mind the Krautrock bands of the time, especially the strange guitar effects. "Plastic Girl" is the first ELOY song to feature some synthesizer, some Moog and that's it. Wieczorke wasn't even credited to playing synths on this album, as the Moog was a new purchase just as the recording of the album was being wrapped up, making "Plastic Girl" the final recording session (although of course, not the last song on the album). Of course Wieczorke would explore the synths much further on their following album, "Power and the Passion".
I also dig the surrealistic sci-fi artwork on the cover, done by Frenchman Jacques Wyrs (same guy responsible for Klaus SCHULZE's "Picture Music"). No doubt about it, both "Inside" and "Floating" are ELOY's best early albums.
Report this review (#3159) | Posted Thursday, April 29, 2004 | Review Permalink
Cesar Inca
(César Inca Mendoza Loyola)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator Following in a very similar path than its predecessor “Inside”, the repertoire contained in “Floating” has a plus point, and that is an increased sense of rocking energy: that is pretty obvious from the very first blow of sound that starts the opening, namesake track, and things keep on going hot and intense all throughout the forthcoming numbers. Definitely, the band enjoys jamming and that’s what they mostly do in this album, pursuing to captivate the listener and make them part of the special fun of music: at times the guitar riffs and organ lines make my mind associate this sound to some of the stuff that early Nektar and early Uriah Heep did. Nevertheless, truth is that there are also two noticeable drawbacks here: one in the decrease of compositional creativity, and the other is the lack of variations and nuances which would have undoubtedly helped to make “Floating” less repetitive. Perhaps this emphasis on the energetic jamming comes out as a solution to the fact that there are not enough musical ideas to fill a whole album coherently. To be fair and state my opinions in a clearer way, let me add that this is not a filler collection nor a boring album. It’s only that I find it slightly disappointing when compared to “Inside”, and comparisons can’t be avoided in this case, since the common family features are evident in both albums (although the lead guitar is more prominent here, indeed) - the promise of “Inside” got a bit worn out in this record, instead of matured and capitalized. Having stated what I feel about the pros and the cons of “Floating”, I’ll mention tracks 2 and 3 as the highlights of this album: the 14+ minute ‘The Light from Deep Darkness’ incarnates the major virtues of the album with full hard rocking splendour in a prog frame; ‘Castle in the Air’ exhibits a major dose of rocking enthusiasm with an Arabic-like twist in the dual guitar parts and a rhythm section that perfectly founds and completes the overall air of exotic joy. ‘Plastic Girl’ comprises the most interesting organ work by Wieczorke in the album: amazing chord progressions and soloing, as well as cleverly built layers with a Gothic-like twist. The closure ‘Madhouse’ pretty much recapitulates what has been done in the previous 4 tracks: a logical closure it is, but also incarnates the minus points I’ve mentioned earlier. While not excellent, “Floating” is still very recommended album from one of the biggest 70s prog acts from Germany.
Report this review (#3166) | Posted Saturday, November 20, 2004 | Review Permalink
erik neuteboom
(erik neuteboom)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
New Progrock Bands Specialist In the second half of the Seventies a record store in The Hague started to sell Krautrock albums, within a few months I had doubled my progrock LP collection!
This album is still one of my favorite Eloy albums (it contains five melodic compositions) because of the powerful blend of bluesrock, symphonic and psychedelia . Frank Borneman plays a lot of inspired harder-edged guitar soli, often wah-wah drenched. Keyboard player Manfred Wieczorcke delivers compelling Hammond organ runs and his interplay with the guitar from Frank sounds very tasteful. The highlight on this album is the long track "The light from the deep darkness" (almost 15 minutes), this is early Eloy at their best with flowing shifting moods and very compelling soli on guitar and organ. The echoes from Pink Floyd are obvious but Eloy avoids to sound as a derivative.
RECOMMENDED AS A STARTER!
www.progwalhalla.com
Report this review (#42374) | Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2005 | Review Permalink
philippe
(Philippe Blache)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Content Development & Krautrock Team Far from Eloy's classic period with eloquent symphonic spacey suites ("Ocean" and "Silent Cry..."), this album can be disconcerted for its most heavy rock parts. Generally the musical tendance is more basic but well, very catchy and dynamic. The opening "Floating" is a heavy rock improvisation based upon an efficient melody. A lot of inventivity and changing moods in this composition (alterning relaxed, percussive atmospheres to a speed rock 'n roll with epic guitar solo and Hammond organs). No real vocals, just a simple line to sustain the main melody. "The light from Deep Darkness" is a conceptual musical theme about the time of creation. It starts with a mysterious, calm melodic introduction, and then the climax turns into a heavy "trip", always mixing a dialogue between Hammond organ and aggressive guitar rhythms. The track contains some nice improvised organ solos. A masterful composition which culminates the album. "Castle in the air" is an other efficient heavy rock track with cool "heroic" tone. "plastic girl" introduces us into an inter-galactic organ universe with repetitive dark guitar arpeggios. "Madhouse" is a freak 'n roll song. A "detached" interlude divides the track after an absolute mind blowing guitar break which starts the second part. An important album in the band's discography and a must for fans.
Report this review (#78576) | Posted Thursday, May 18, 2006 | Review Permalink
Joolz
(Julian Mackrell)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Data Standards Manager In the 18 months elapsed since recording their second album Inside, Eloy had exchanged bass players - Stöcker was replaced by Jansen - but the central core sound was still in evidence. For Floating, their third album recorded early in 1974, organ and guitar would continue to compete for attention, but now the band was more refined in all areas: better playing and singing, more developed Symphonic-style arrangements, recording techniques are more polished, and they play together as a tighter unit. Greater quality but inevitably less primeval oomph!
Perhaps it is significant that Floating was recorded at the same time as Bornemann produced an album for Heavy Rock band The Scorpions. It may be pure coincidence, but Eloy too would record much heavier material than on Inside. While a stylistic family resemblance with Inside is quite evident, and so remain the Pink Floyd and Hawkwind analogies, three of Floating's five tracks could best be described as Heavy-Rock Prog, likened to contemporary Deep Purple or Uriah Heep. Production values too, while transparent and detailed, favour a heavier feel and many of the riffs and guitar phrasings are structured more as heavy rock than the simpler form of space-jams.
As before, the band play principally as a straight guitar/organ/bass/drums four-piece, with some uncredited synth work on Plastic girl as the only digression. This time Bornemann's guitar has the edge as the lead instrument, both a cause and effect of the heavier direction, with some seriously good riff work. The solos are still there of course, but now a little more selective and structured than before, though I could have done without the pair of short drum solos. Special mention must also be made of Jansen's exemplary bass playing, both melodic and powerful as the need arises, and with a lovely rounded tone.
The key song on this album is The Light From Deep Darkness, a stunning 14½ minute masterpiece of Space Rock as good as the very best. It has everything: chiming guitars; big organ chords; a brilliant early groove with a wonderful fat rubberband guitar/bass riff; changes of mood including an ethereal section with bass taking the lead for a while; some heavy rock riffing; and its crowning glory - an ecstatic full-on Hawkwind-like trance-inducing space-jam complete with weird Syd Barrett guitar effects and driving pulsating riff. Five minutes of sheer bliss which demands to be heard very loud!
The other standout song is Plastic Girl which settles into a smooth delicate riff with muted toms and organ before abruptly crashing into a noisy full band arrangement with a strange 'speeded up' organ sound swamping Bornemann's vocals. It too slips into a superior hypnotic groove before finishing gently as it began. Madhouse is the best of the rest as its heavy riffing gives way to an instrumental workout featuring a chugging guitar rhythm using what sounds like an Echoplex, but no keyboards.
The keyword for this album clearly is "heavy", yet this doesn't mask its obvious Prog Rock qualities. Had Castle In The Air and Floating been up to the same high standard as the other tracks then it might have received an unconditional recommendation. The Y2K remastered edition continues the style of packaging from Inside and contains three bonus tracks recorded live in September 1973, but the quality is only so-so and is only really of value to committed fans.
Report this review (#83568) | Posted Wednesday, July 12, 2006 | Review Permalink
Modrigue
(Nico)
PROG REVIEWER
ROCKING PSYCHEDELIA !
Floating is one of the most underrated or forgotten album of Eloy. The music here is simply a top-notch combination of heavy metal psychedelism and space rock ! Few vocals, very catchy melodies and energic guitar playing. It ressembles by moments to a fight between Deep Purple (due to Manfred Wieczorke's organ solos) and Pink Floyd, but, of course, with the german's band own style and spirit. . Furthermore, Floating is very consistent, the listener never loses his attention on the music.
The record opens with the title song, a true easy rider ballad to space. The tune is very powerful, vocals are trippy. This is an excellent introduction which lets you expect more... and the "more" arrives with the 15 minutes magic epic The Light From Deep Darkness. The beginning is very mysterious, in the vein of Land Of No Body, then the rythm changes suddenly and gets angrier, but always in a mystical feel. Alternating peaceful and powerful passages with efficient guitar improvisations and special sound effects, the song is evolving, enchanting, stoning, and announces Eloy's future direction towards space music. The next track, Castle In The Air, is much more rock- oriented, very melancholic to become surprisingly trippy and rocky, in the spirit of Gong's You (released the same year). Mindblowing ! The calm comes back with the delicate melody of Plastic Girl, before putting you in a galaxy far away with Bornemann's powerful solos. The disc finishes with Madhouse, which at first glance ressembles to a classical 70s' heavy metal tune. But this is without counting on the talent of the german space rockers, who summon planet collisions and sonic deflagrations with their instruments. An excellent spacy conclusion which will let you in the sky !
Apart from other Eloy's albums, Floating is not often cited, but it's one of their best records (with Ocean of course). Less symphonic than their later albums, the songs featured here are the rockiest composed by the band. The music is very refreshing, never outdated and will appeal energic space rock as well as 70's heavy metal fans ! Stoner Rock !
Report this review (#114833) | Posted Sunday, March 11, 2007 | Review Permalink
laplace
((I/L)olo Iamnhnia)
PROG REVIEWER
Eloy's third disc has a very misleading title because it makes you expect a whimsical, delicate album full of magical spells which lift you up among the stars. What they actually deliver is more akin to a rocket engine - yes, it still gets you into space, but that's where the similarities end.
Apologies if a previous reviewer has used the above metaphor but it was too juicy to ignore.
So pick up "Floating" if you're looking for a spaced-out hard psyche experience. It's a pity that "Mysterious Monolith" was used as a song title on "Planets" because it would be the perfect moniker for this giant slab of organic rock.
Report this review (#116738) | Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 | Review Permalink
ZowieZiggy
(Daniel)
PROG REVIEWER
Very strangely, the opening track reminds me the early..."Santana" (no, I'm not drunk). Sound of the keyboards are as furious as those of Gregg Rollie and the percussions are not far from "Jingo". A good but surprising number I must say.
"Eloy" gets back to a more classical psychedelic style with the long "The Light From Deep Darkness". The band is trying to redo "Land Of Nobody" from their previous album but IMO, just fails short. Again, the influence of early "Floyd" is dominant. Just listen to "Let There Be More Light" (from "ASOS"). This cannot be a coincidence, can it? The spacey moments are my preferred ones and, as usual Manfred Wieczorke is great on the organ. It is the highlight of this album even if the second part is very close to a jamming session.
Unfortunately, the next two songs ("Castle In The Air" and "Plastic Girl") won't be on par. Too monotonuous, repetitive and flat. But thanks to "Madhouse" the good level of this album is secured. Superb and wild guitar in this powerful number. The second best. Totally disjointed.
There are three live bonus track of which one unedited (at least at album level). "Flying High" is a pure hard-rock tune : great rhythm and huge guitar work. The rhythmic section is incredible. The highlight of this live part is "Future City" from their second album "Inside". A psychedelic / hard-rock combo. Very pleasant. The version of "Castle in the Air" is also more interesting in this live rendition. Energetic to say the least.
All in all, it is a good album; not yet grandiose but "Eloy" will get there. Three stars because the live tracks add a certain flavour to the original work.
Report this review (#143725) | Posted Thursday, October 11, 2007 | Review Permalink
kenethlevine
(Ken Levine)
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Prog-Folk Team "Inside" was a brilliant introduction of the new Eloy sound, and "Floating" tried to replicate that formula. In some ways the jams are even more compelling than on the previous album, and wordless vocals seem fine when there really isn't much to say anyway. The problem lies with the compositions or lack thereof. This album really sounds like it was thrown together on a weekend binge. I say this because there will be those who actually prefer it to Inside on that basis alone. But in terms of refinement, arranging, and subtlety, it places a distant second.
If you are in the mood for loads of well played organ, riffs, totally stoned vocals, chunky bass and rhythm section, and Bornemann's lead guitar off the leash, then you will enjoy tracks like the title cut, "Light from Deep darkness", and "Castles in the Air". Personally, while I enjoy all of this in small doses, it really isn't what gets me going, so I have to rate it accordingly. 2.5 stars, rounded down.
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