This double disc set is a re-release of the first two LPs by the duo of Goebbels and Harth, which marked the beginning of their long and fruitful collaboration. They would go on from here to record as the Sogennantes Linksradikales Blasorchester with Christoph Anders, and to found Cassiber with Chris Cutler.
In interview Goebbels has stated that Hanns Eisler was perhaps responsible for his becoming a musician, so it is fitting that the first of these discs, Hommage/Fier Fäuste für Hanns Eisler, is named for Eisler. Using keyboards (piano, accordion, organ) and reeds (tenor and soprano saxes, E-flat, B-flat and bass clarinets), Goebbels and Harth power through a sort of jazz and punk take on European Cabaret music, at times reminiscent of a mad circus or particularly lively soundtrack for some old silent film. Some tunes run through changes of mood with every new musical motif: drinking songs, cartoon marches, folk melodies, snatches of Canterbury prog and free jazz all pass by rapidly. Some of the melodies are maddeningly familiar, and Harth's reeds conjur memories of Lol Coxhill on soprano or Albert Ayler on tenor in equal measure. Surprises come with the changes of instruments, with the pairing of clarinet and accordian yielding some interesting timbres. The inclusion of what sounds like birdsong (a whistle?) on "Der Ruf Der Vogel" and Goebbels breaking out his own tenor sax on another serve to keep things interesting.
The second disc, Von Sprengen des Gartens, is the more subdued, with more quiet ballad-like tunes, and is at times (as on the opening title suite) even a bit stately. Perhaps this is the more "mature" disc, as having shown that they could rock they wanted to stretch out a bit on their second report to show what else they were capable of. Harth's sound is more inclined toward Han Garbarek here, more romantic overall, though that's not to say that the out playing is gone, there's just a bit less of it. There are some new approaches here as well, on "Almelo" the sound is gospel-like from the tenor, and gothic from Goebbels organ, and "Rezitative" plays around with a Bach theme, as a sax duet. The second disc also has a bit warmer sound than the first, though I cannot comment on the re-mastering job, as I have not heard the original albums.
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