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Take 2 brilliant musicians, 2 English rockers ( musically anyway ), put them in a small Bavarian village in the early seventies and what do you have? That’s right a rock group. The people of the village thought the circus had arrived or worse and it was not unusual in the early days to have people peering through the kitchen window to steal a glance at the “aliens “ but we were there to rehearse and write and generally make good music. Mind you it wasn’t all work and no play – this was the seventies, the days of funny cigarettes, peace and love and all that. The house was always full – GIs on the way or just back from Vietnam, the local freaks, girlfriends and babies, dogs, cats, rabbits and even a monkey for a while if my memory serves me well, no wonder the locals were somewhat bemused. We started gigging and although we thought we were pretty good we were in no way prepared for the incredible reaction we received from the off and finally that dream of all musicians – THE RECORDING CONTRACT – sign on the dotted line boys let’s go. So we went, we recorded, we got ripped off, sound familiar? But you know what, people still remember us, still ask about us, isn’t that great! Well we finally split around ’74, broke and disillusioned though I have to say I would do it all again tomorrow. So to all of you who came to our concerts, bought the album and had faith in us thank you all, it was a marvellous time. Ray Brown, November 2006 PS. We recently got together after more than thirty years, sadly without Stuart Fordham who is no longer with us, this recording is dedicated to him.
Ray Brown:
works as a self-employed carpenter in London/ England.
Stuart Fordham: died in 2003
Before his early death he was partner of a London based company that produced electronic audio-equipment for the TV- and radio industry.
Rob Terstall:
plays the guitar and bass in several jazz- and rock-formations in Germany. Lives in Neustadt/Aisch near Nuremberg.
Jeff Beer:
works as a freelance composer, percussionist and visual artist in several disciplines. Numerous concerts, exhibitions and projects within Germany and abroad. Lives and works in Gumpen/ North East Bavaria (www.JeffBeer.de)
The album received remarkable press reviews:
Sounds (5/73):
This record clearly shows a number of influences that provide informa-tion about the current stance of their music. Twice there are associations to the music of Zappa’s mothers – once, in “Tribute to Frank” it is done deliberately – Kevin Ayers has the honour as well and even an early Brian Auger can be detected in places. Most of the time, when listening to the record – and not knowing who is playing – one gets the impression that Brian Auger is playing the organ. This is also a criterion for how perfect the group can sound, whose live
acts are by the way considerably freer and more independent.
Pop Scene Germany:
From the very beginning ODIN have given themselves to hard rock. However, their recently released first LP of the same name shows that ODIN is able to present this kind of rock in a refreshingly extravagant and melodic way.
Music Express – April 73:
The production of German albums seem to be improving very steadily. There are German groups who can equal the talents of their English-American colleagues. A good example of this is “ODIN”, an international line up but nevertheless a German product. On hearing the group’s debut album one is immediately aware of their ability to combine many different elements and mould them into a very personal style. The opening track, “Life is Only” has a catchy melody interchanged with interesting musical improvisations backed by a pulsating unison of bass and drums. The track lasts about 11 minutes, after which follows a very short “Tribute to Frank”, whose music is a big influence on the band. It is basically two typical Zappa phrases introduced in a way that is completely original. Jeff Beer’s vibraphone background is very effective on this track. Robert Terstall’s composition “Turnpike Lane” retains a loose, happy feel in spite of the tight arrangement. The first side closes with a soft acoustic number “Be the man you are”, featuring a three part vocal harmony over a subtle chord sequence rounded off with an impressive lead vocal from Rob himself. Side two opens with “Gemini”, a song which many groups more famous than “ODIN” have attempted. I find this version a lot more energetic than previous recordings, which I personally put down to Ray Brown’s driving bass work. As a “calm before the storm” there follows a Jeff Beer composition, a short quiet simple theme entitled “Eucalyptus”. In my last conversation with the group, Jeff explained that in his compositions be tries very hard to capture his personal mood or moods at the time of composing, and Eucalyptus is a very good example of his ability to do just that. The last track (my personal favourite) called “Clown” starts appropriately with circus music which is gradually blended out into a thrilling dialogue between guitar and organ, broken up by a peculiar Leslie effect, after which comes a two part vocal harmony lead voice. The whole thing flows into a fluttering organ figure. The words of this song have been very well written, dealing with the age old theme of the circus clown hiding an unhappy face behind his “happy” make up. Here the words deal more with his flight from his downfall through alcohol. In general the album has been very well compiled and the overall impression leaves the listener with the suggestion that “ODIN” is a name to watch for in the future.
Rolling Press News (press release of Phonogram GmbH) on release of the album: The ODIN-LP presents a combination of precise beat and interesting harmony, entwined with a penetrable melody and displaying a clearly definable romanticism. However, it is not a romanticism of the traditional, over-ornate kind, but a kind of agreeable intellectual romanticism. Following a famous jazz formation of the past, one is even tempted to speak of ODIN in terms of a Modern Rock Quartet.
Linernotes by Ray Brown
Translations by ODIN, M. Steinheuer, Dr. M. Häusler
Very special thanks to Jeff Beer for his great support
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