Germany [Plus/Schallplaten Plus 1 & Plus 2]
Prog Archives
Review by Sean Trane (Hugues Chantraine)
3 stars This is one of the most over-rated album of all times in the collectioner world . Do not believe all of those dythirambic reviews as T's G is a good rock band with progressive leanings but this is absolutely no masterpiece. I have read less reviews since this was re- released but I find it a shame that they could fit those two short vinyls onto one CD , which tells you a bit of the expoitation that some want to make out out of a rare and slightly above average vinyl.
This is really too bad as the music is a good bluesy prog not unlike the better known Affinity and is also fronted by a goodlooking and good singing broad.
Review by proghead0
3 stars TOMORROW'S GIFT was an early German prog rock band, totally avoiding the Krautrock sound like many of their contemporaries (CAN, AMON DÜÜL II, etc.) and going for an early, rough, unpolished prog rock sound, much like JETHRO TULL. The band featured female vocalist Ellen Meyer, who apparently had a very poor grasp of the English language. If you thought ELOY's Frank Bornemann had trouble with the English language, wait until you hear this lady. Another notworthy member is guitarist Carlo Karges. He was later a member of NOVALIS (only on their self-entitled second album from 1975), and in the 1980s, was found playing for Nena (the lady who gave us that worn-out synth-pop hit, "99 Red Balloons", or as it's known in German, "99 Luftballoons"). Well, don't let the Nena connections scare you off, 1984 was a totally different world from 1970, and it really isn't too much different from comparing what GENESIS did in 1970 ("Trespass") to what the did in 1983 (their self-entitled album with "Illegal Alien").
Anyway, the self-entitled album from TOMORROW'S GIFT was their debut, and a double album released on a very short lived label called +Plus+ (owned by IKARUS member Jochen Petersen). Here you get early prog, much in the British style, with only the ridiculous accented vocals of Ellen Meyer herself to reveal this isn't British. "Prayin' To Satan" is that prime example, get a load on how she sings the word "Satan"! There's some gems here too like "Breeds There a Man" and "King in a Nook". The former even features the use of clavinet, I guess that shouldn't be any surprise, since Hohner, famous for accordions and harmonicas, made clavinets, and the company was based in Germany. But then this album also has its pitfalls. Double album but not enough good material to warrant anything more than a single album set. The most problematic is "The First Seasons After the Destruction". At 13 minutes, it degenerates in to a pointless wankfest, and that boring drum solo sure doesn't help manners any. The other lenthy cut, the 8 minute "Sandy Concert" is another pointless piece, with Jochen Petersen guesting on sax here. It's basically a sax solo with a riff repeated ad nauseum.
Not the best album on the +Plus+ label (that goes to the self-entitled IKARUS album from 1971, who was definately a better band). Anyway, this album would be a masterpiece if they rid of the wankfests on the lengthier pieces, other than that, only a good, not great early prog album.
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GEPR
I heard their contribution to the Hamburg 70 festival album. A very long track, about ten minutes at least. Joining the omnipresent grinding Hammond organ were prominent flute, good guitar work and a female vocalist. Their first album is supposed to be in this style. Goodbye Future features only the keyboardist and bassist from the original lineup, and is apparently much different. Keyboardist Manfred Ruerup later formed the fusion ensemble Release Music Orchestra, guitarist Carlo Karges turned up in Novalis.
-- Mike Ohman
Second Battle is one the longest running and best respected CD reissue labels, specializing in mostly German psych/hard rock/progressive titles from the early 70s. They've got about 30 albums in print to date; these are our favorites to date, but we will be adding more. Tomorrow's Gift were an obscure German group, who released a debut double LP in 1970 . Lead by the rather heroically wailing vocals of Ellen Meyer (bringing to mind the better moments of Italy's Circus 2000), the group behind her provided a pummeling backing of vintage 1970-style progressive psych via guitars, percussion, bass, keyboards, drums and flute. The tracks are long, just complex enough to keep you motivated and are recorded to raw & devastating effect by Dieter Dierks.
TOMORROW'S GIFT was an early German prog rock band, totally avoiding the Krautrock sound like many of their contemporaries (CAN, AMON DÜÜL II, etc.) and going for an early, rough, unpolished prog rock sound, much like JETHRO TULL. The band featured female vocalist Ellen Meyer, who apparently had a very poor grasp of the English language. If you thought ELOY's Frank Bornemann had trouble with the English language, wait until you hear this lady. Another notworthy member is guitarist Carlo Karges. He was later a member of NOVALIS (only on their self-entitled second album from 1975), and in the 1980s, was found playing for Nena (the lady who gave us that worn-out synth-pop hit, "99 Red Balloons", or as it's known in German, "99 Luftballoons"). Well, don't let the Nena connections scare you off, 1984 was a totally different world from 1970, and it really isn't too much different from comparing what GENESIS did in 1970 ("Trespass") to what the did in 1983 (their self-entitled album with "Illegal Alien").
Anyway, the self-entitled album from TOMORROW'S GIFT was their debut, and a double album released on a very short lived label called +Plus+ (owned by IKARUS member Jochen Petersen). Here you get early prog, much in the British style, with only the ridiculous accented vocals of Ellen Meyer herself to reveal this isn't British. "Prayin' To Satan" is that prime example, get a load on how she sings the word "Satan"! There's some gems here too like "Breeds There a Man" and "King in a Nook". The former even features the use of clavinet, I guess that shouldn't be any surprise, since Hohner, famous for accordions and harmonicas, made clavinets, and the company was based in Germany. But then this album also has its pitfalls. Double album but not enough good material to warrant anything more than a single album set. The most problematic is "The First Seasons After the Destruction". At 13 minutes, it degenerates in to a pointless wankfest, and that boring drum solo sure doesn't help manners any. The other lenthy cut, the 8 minute "Sandy Concert" is another pointless piece, with Jochen Petersen guesting on sax here. It's basically a sax solo with a riff repeated ad nauseum.
Track listing
Record one (32:36):
1. Riddle in a swamp
2. Prayin' to Satan
3. One of the narrow-minded thoughts
4. Tenakel Gnag
5. The first seasons after the destruction
Record two (30:26):
1. How you want to live
2. Gray aurora
3. Ants
4. Breads there a man
5. King in a nook
6. Sandy concert
7. Enough to write a song about or two
8. Second song
Total Time: 62:52
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