Klaus Schulze Another Green Mile Review by Gary Hill
This is an odd, but quite interesting disc. It's electronic, but it also rocks at times. There are bits that feel like soundtrack music, while other things land in the territory of Tangerine Dream. Some songs have weird operatic vocals. In fact, in one instance that's the dominant factor. This might not be progressive rock, but it is progressive music. It's also very unusual. This is a reissue of an older album with one bonus track added.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Between Twilight And Dawn
This comes in gradually with pretty keys rising ever so slowly. It has a real classical music vibe. This is sparse and rather like a soundtrack as it continues. That said, there are some jazz-like elements moving forward. This piece remains very mellow throughout its' 13 minute plus duration, though.
In The Streets, In The Rain There are echoey operatic vocals as this piece begins. The vocals really take control as they rise up. It's like opera with a bit of a soulful element. The music is really more backdrop type material here. It does get a bit more into a mainstream sound as it works forward, but those vocals are still the driving factor.
The Wisdom of Leaves Percussion is the central focus as this works outward. The music that rises up has a definite world music texture to it. Electronic music is merged with this as it works forward. There is a proggy element here in a lot of ways. This is pretty and tastefully strange. As it rises further down the road, there are some cool melodic prog elements at play.
The Story Does Unfold There are some rather wailing vocals on this cut. In some ways this feels like a continuation of the previous number, with a similar tempo and rhythmic element at play. The vocals take on more of that operatic quality as the piece works forward later. I really love the mellower section that takes over further down the road. Those vocals are beautiful and the whole arrangement is poignant. The melodic stuff that eventually takes it out is really exceptional.
Follow Me Down, Follow Me Down The electronic sounds starts this make me think of Synergy or Tangerine Dream. The cut builds from there. This is an epic piece, weighing in at close to half an hour in length. As it continues there is almost a Kraftwerk kind of element at play. There is a drop back to a mellower section with weird voice-like elements that really earns that comparison. Bits of hard-edged guitar are used as punctuation later. This works toward a fusion kind of sound as it continues. I would say that the Tangerine Dream reference is still valid. The rhythmic kind of electronic elements drive throughout this thing, but other things come over the top. We get more of that guitar and those weird voices later, too. The closing movement is very rhythmic and very Kraftwerk like. That voice bit returns at the very end.
Bonus:
Voice’n’Harmony This has a great moving vibe to it. There is electronic space music here. It's informed by the melodic non-lyrical female vocals. The cut isn't a big stretch, but is very cool. The vocals get lyrical later. It's a powerful piece of music. That said, it seems to be made to segue into something else, and just sort of abruptly ends here. Perhaps a fade down would have been a better plan?
