Neuschwanstein - Battlement
SKU
01-MUSEA4063
The one & only album by this 1970's German band who are a guilty pleasure of mine, and others as well. Why guilty? Because these guys emulate prime era Genesis so much that this is practically is Genesis. Even so, it's tons of fun and quite good.
"It would be unfortunate to dismiss Neuschwanstein as simply another Genesis rip-off, considering that aside from the uncanny vocal similarity to Peter Gabriel, there is just so much more to this music. The main thing about the album is that though they sound a hell of a lot like Genesis, it's by no means a "second-tier" imitation. The musical vibe here is very similar to Wind & Wuthering, or perhaps even vintage Camel, with its warm romanticism and grandiose textures. The band does feature an uncanny Peter Gabriel soundalike on vocals, albeit with a slight German accent, which illustrates the greatest, and most immediate, similarity to classic Genesis. However, the lyrics lack the kind of humorous, wry narrative that Gabriel is known for, instead locking in with the musical palette for a somber, darkly romantic vibe. In fact, the lyrics are usually delivered in an incomprehensible warble, and what does usually pop up doesn't sound particularly important anyway. Instrumentally, acoustic guitar, flute, harpsichord and a variety of keyboards lock together to make an extremely rich and beautiful musical backdrop, with some absolutely gorgeous themes. In fact, the vocals are probably the most negligible part of this album, and most of the weight is definitely carried by the instrumental side."-Greg Northrup/Giant Progweed