Eloy - 1971 - Eloy

Eloy

1971

Eloy

01. Today (5:56)
02. Something Yellow (8:15)
03. Eloy (6:15)
04. Voice Of Revolution (3:07)
06. Isle Of Sun (6:03)
07. Dillus Roady (6:32)

Total time 40:58

Bonus CD from 1997 Second Battle reissue:

01. Walk Alone (2:43)
02. Daybreak (2:41)
03. Second Battle-Interview With Manfred Wieczorke 12.8.1997

Erich Schriever / lead vocals, keyboards
Frank Bornemann / guitar, harmonica, percussion
Manfred Wieczorke / guitar, bass, vocals
Wolfgang Stöcker / bass
Helmut Draht / drums

Early-70's progressive rock was filled with bands that began their career in an entirely distinct genre. Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, and even King Crimson (Eloy - 1971 - Eloyas Giles, Giles & Fripp) all released decidedly "non-progressive" debuts- dated slices of late-60's rock that are now ignored by many doctrinaire prog fans. Although they appeared several years later than most of their British counterparts, Germany's Eloy weren't immune to this phenomenon. Eloy's eponymous debut is a record that stands apart from the rest of the group's discography. Not only does it catch the band before they would embrace their trademark brand of spacey progressive rock, it's the only Eloy album to be fronted by someone other than Frank Bornemann. The end result, rather predictably, functions more as a historical curiosity than as an impressive record in its own right. Eloy certainly isn't a poor release, but it gives little indication of the band's future greatness and is likely to be of limited interest to casual Eloy fans.

Stylistically, Eloy is a 70's hard rock album with obvious nods to early Deep Purple and the heavier side of late-60's psychedelic rock. There's also a clear Krautrock influence in the extended instrumental segments, whereas the lighter tracks (especially "Voice of Revolutions") invite comparisons with Stand Up-era Jethro Tull. These secondary influences give Eloy a somewhat broader sonic palette than most hard rock of its era, but to call this an adventurous album would be a huge mischaracterization. There are a handful of extended tracks, but those runtimes are only obtained via the inclusion of relatively unstructured jamming. Even the spacey, organ-driven meanderings of Inside are absent: I'd love to say that Eloy contains glimpses of the band's future sound, but this is a distinctly backward-looking release. These atypical qualities are heightened by the vocals of Erich Schriever, whose melodramatic style is reminiscent of Rod Evans or Jack Bruce. Schriever certainly isn't a poor singer, but he sounds absolutely nothing like Frank Bornemann.

Eloy is well-performed and features its fair share of interesting moments, but its melodies are forgettable in the extreme. I wouldn't even say that Bornemann's guitar parts are particularly memorable, and apart from a handful of the grooves ("Something Yellow", "Song of a Paranoid Soldier") there's nothing to his playing that's significantly more ambitious than your usual Deep Purple worship. I also don't particularly care for Schriever's singing. Schriever is a relatively talented vocalist, but his arena-ready style is constantly at odds with the otherwise jammy/Krautish arrangements. Say what you will about Frank Bornemann's awkwardly-accented elocution, but his more relaxed singing would prove to be a much better fit for the surrounding music. Eloy does work slightly better when it tries to break out of the Deep Purple formula, but many of the album's most promising moments are squandered by overly repetitive riffage or bizarre detours. For evidence of the band's lack of focus, look no further than that extended percussion solo that tanks "Eloy".

All of this makes Eloy into an album that the vast majority of Eloy fans can certainly live without. I'd also hesitate to recommend the release to lovers of Krautish German hard rock. The record's appropriate audience is devoted Eloy fans who are curious about the band's roots, although even those listeners are bound to be underwhelmed by a large chunk of the release. If you're approaching the record from Eloy's later LPs, I'd suggest starting with the comparatively Krautish "Song of a Paranoid Soldier" and the Cressida-esque proto-prog of "Isle of Sun". If you're intrigued by the Deep Purple connections, you may also want to check out "Today". I'd only make time for the remainder of the album if you're entertained by those three tracks.