• 4 years ago
Eela Craig - "Eela Craig" (1971) ,Austria, Prog,Jazz Rock,Classical

The debut album from this Austrian band.

Eela Craig was a sextet with a lineup of guitars, bass, drums, saxophone, organ, flute, keyboards and vocals.

The band released six albums before they split .

I first thought this bandname was taken from the piece of rock between Ireland and Scotland. But I have now discovered that rock is called Ailsa Craig. I can almost see it from my house. Based on that mistake, I got a handful of their albums. Something I do not regret.

Eela Craig is listed as a fusion/jazz band in ProgArchives. I have heard others describe this band as a symphonic prog band again. I am confused...

..Well, not any longer based on what I hear on this album. There is indeed a lot of both fusion and symphonic prog. The saxophones dominates the more fusion and jazzy tracks here. The other tracks, the more symphonic prog tracks, are dominated by organs and guitars.

The music is very complex and heavy at times. It is also very eclectic and a bit avant-garde. This forty minutes long album has a lot of good stuff. But this album demand the full attention of the listener and it not an album a casual listener will find any good. Check it out !

The Sound Of Fighting Cats # 2


Tracks:


01. New Born Child (Hubert Bognermayr) - 0:00

02. Selfmade Trip (Heinz Gerstmair) - 7:45

03. A New Way (Heinz Gerstmair) - 18:17

04. Indra Elegy (Hubert Bognermayr) - 25:23 including:

a). 1st movement - From Nowhere
b). 2nd movement - Burning
c). 3rd movement - Elegy
d). 4th movement - To Nowhere



Bonuses:


05. Irminsul (1972) (Alfred Peschek) - 37:07

06. Yggdrasil (1972) (Alfred Peschek) - 39:18

07. Stories (single A-side,1974) (Fritz Riedelberger) - 42:58

08. Cheese (single B-side,1974) (Hubert Bognermayr) - 47:39



Personnel:

- Heinz Gerstmair - electric & acoustic guitars, organ, vocals (01-04)
- Hubert Bognermayr - electric piano (01-08), vocals (07,08)
- Gerhard English - Fender bass (01-08)
- Harald Zuschrader - organ, flutes, acoustic guitar, saxophones (01-06)
- Horst Waber - drums, percussion (01-04)
- Will Orthofer - vocals, saxophones (01-04)
- Joe Drobar - drums, percussion (05-08)
- Fritz Riedelberger - guitar, piano, vocals (07-08)
- Hubert Schnauer - flute, mellotron (07-08)

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