Artist description One might say that Grobschnitt was Germany's "Grateful Dead": they were together for 19 years, played 1,356 concerts and released 14 LPs. Their music still gains new fans even though the band no longer plays together. Drummer/co-founder Eroc - now Germany's premier remastering guru - has taken it upon himself to release the colorful history of the band from a personal collection of recorded performances. Grobschnitt were pioneers. The band was known for their awesome sound (they designed and built their own PA systems) and spectacular light shows (lazers, smoke, explosions - years before these became the norm in rock music shows!). We hope you enjoy these recordings and remember to SPREAD THE WORD! *fj

Music Style Live, improvisational, progressive, eclectic rock.

Musical Influences Jazz, rock, electronic, 60s, 70s, 80s.

Similar Artists Genesis, Yes, Uriah Heep, Santana, Nektar, Man, Pink Floyd, Focus, Gentle Giant, Cream.

Artist History Formed 1970, by Eroc (drums) and Lupo (lead gtr) out of Hagen area's renowned "The Crew", the band became loved by fans and hated by the record industry (what else is new) because of an inability to pidgeon-hole them into a convenient musical category... (no pre-packaged formula rock here, folks). The band played for 19 years, performed 1,356 concerts and released 14 albums (but of course you knew that already, right?)

Group Members Grobschnitt's principal members were: Eroc: drums, percussion, electronic/tape effects Lupo: lead guitar, BG vcls Wildschwein: lead vocals, guitar Mist, keyboards Baer, Popo: bass Toni Moff Mollo: BG vcls, lighting design, acting ... and there were, of course, others...

Instruments Acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, mellotron, synthesizers, tape loops, drums, bass guitar.

Albums Key recordings: Grobschnitt; Ballermann; Jumbo; Rockpommelsland; Solar Music Live; Volle Molle; Illegal; Razzia; Merry-Go-Round

Press Reviews Grobschnitt Jumbo [English Lyrics] The English language lyrics to Jumbo may not be the most profound in the history of progressive rock, but lyrics aren't really the reason anyone, German or English, listened to Grobschnitt. This band earned their many fans for their distinctive sound and refreshing inability to take themselves seriously. The sense of fun is hinted at on the album cover, which shows a host of cartoon characters from European advertising all jammed into a old-fashioned open-cockpit airplane. On the disc are the usual Grobschnitt trademarks - mind-blowing ensemble work on progressive suites led by guitar and keyboards, with soaring vocals by Stefan Danielak and wacky spoken bits and sound effects by prankster-drummer Joachim Ehrig. The long and complex tracks have interesting changes in tempo and time signatures, and measured as individual pieces these are some of the better works by this band. Indeed, "Sunny Sunday's Sunset" is one of the best things the group ever did, reminding one somewhat of Nektar in their very best moments. Grobschnitt was often compared to Yes for both virtuosity and instrumental interplay, and on this album the reason for the comparison is obvious. It is difficult to imagine any actual confusion between the two, partly because Yes never had a drummer who tossed funny voices and animal imitations into otherwise normal songs. If you are looking for Jumbo and can only find the German version, feel free to get it instead as it is musically almost identical and every bit as enjoyable. It may even be a better overall experience, as you are free to listen to the sweeping majesty of "The Excursion of Father Smith" without being distracted by the vague and confusing story line. Note: Progressive rock fanatics may notice an eerie similarity between some instrumental themes in this album and albums released slightly earlier by Nektar and the Welsh group Man. In fact all three albums were recorded at about the same time and all three groups played together at several European concerts. Whether by accident or as an in-joke to fans, all used the same twelve-note solo guitar figure to begin an instrumental cut. ~ Richard Foss, All Music Guide

Additional Info Grobschnitt trivia: Willie Wildschwein, the lead singer whose heavily accented voice you first hate then love, doesn't actually understand the English text he sings... It was Eroc who wrote the words and taught him how to pronounce... (well, tried to, anyway :-))

Location Hagen, NRW - Germany

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