Bachdenkel - 1973 - Lemmings

Bachdenkel

1973

Lemmings

01. Translation (4:16)
02. Equals (1:52)
03. An Appointment With The Master (5:19)
04. The Settlement Song (11:23)
05. Long Time Living (2:22)
06. Strangerstill (6:56)
07. Come All Ye Faceless (9:06)

Colin Swinburne / guitar, organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals
Peter Kimberley / 6-string bass, piano (2), vocals
Brian Smith / drums, vibes (5)

With:
Karel Beer / organ

Recorded in Paris between 1970-1973

BACHDENKEL was an English rock band that started under the name "U No Who" in 1968. The three piece consisted of bandleader Colin Swinburne on vocals/guitars/keyboards, Peter kimberley on bass/piano/vocals and Brian Smith on drums, with Karel Beer as additional musician, lightening engineer and producer. The band moved to France to live, perform and record.

In the 10 years of excistence BACHDENKEL only recorded 2 albums, the first album "Lemmings" was recorded in 1970, but wasn't released until 1973, the second album called "Stalingrad" (in cyrillic letters) was recorded and released in 1977. in the mean time BACHDENKEL toured small venues through europe (mostly France).

BACHDENKEL started as a Flower Power psychedelic rock band (Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, Beatles, Procol Harum), but developed towards a more symphonic/melodic progstyle for their second album. Their sound is dominated by guitar and drums, with great vocals and occasional keyboard passages.

The band wasn't (and isn't) well known, but that doesn't lesson the experience and thrill you get when listening to their music. The 90's revival of prog resulted in some aknowledgement to their music, and Bachdenkel re-released their two albums on CD, with additional, mostly unreleased, material. Those CD's are very much recommended, also because the additional songs are practically as good as their previously released 'forgotten' masterpieces.

A fabulous band that deserves universal recognition.

Bachdenkel 's French adventures were so different and varied forms that their first album Lemmings, started in 1970, took almost three years to finish and saw the light of day in the summer of 73. By that time (and by living in a remote part of deep southern France), their album sounded quite dated (many traces of 60's psychedelia lingering in the rock), but in all fairness it has aged rather well. The trio, augmented by sound, light, occasional keyboardist and producer Karel Beer played a guitar-oriented prog rock (although both the bassist and guitarist also add some keyboards) that could easily fall under both meaning of Proto Prog

It is clear that the group's roots lay in psychedelia, as the album is filled fuzzed out instruments and vocals, sometimes sounding like a Floydish Beatles (Appointment With The Master), vocally both lead vocalist Swinburne and back up Kimberley sing in late 60's fashion as well. Settlement Song has some slight tinge of the very early Status Quo (Matchstickable Man) but ends in a furious guitar indulgence, the whole group going through a seriesof patterns quite convincingly. A first highlight. With its intro partly pumped on some religious theme, Faceless is probably the heaviest track around on the album and illustrates the back cover artwork with a typical but constantly evolving war-march beat.

The three bonus tracks taken from an EP are more or less in line with the album, and actually melt in the mass of it, so that you barely noticed them after the first few listens other that there a bit wordier and the voices are a bit higher perched.

Although due to its relative lack of notoriety, both their albums have become scarce (no reprints) and sent unreasonably through the roof the prices, but although good, I find Bachdenkel's legend a tad over-rated and would rather direct you towards the more or less legit issues of the Cd, rather than the vinyl (apparently counterfeited