One of Savage's Rose's Finest, However...
K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 07/05/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the third Savage Rose album I listened to since discovering them, and one of my favorites. If you are one of those folks who have just started becoming familiar with Savage Rose, just a note that the majority of this album is instrumental. BEAUTIFUL instrumental music at that, but that also means there is very little of Annisette's hauntingly beautiful vocals.For those of you who have never heard of Denmark's Savage Rose before, this is one of the greatest groups you have never heard about. Thomas & Annisette Koppel have been the nucleus of the band since they formed in the 1960s, and are one of those rare groups who seem fearless to experiment with their sound and style from one album to the next. I can't conjure up a close North American marital comparison to Thomas & Annisette, but when I think of them, I picture a couple with the independent, creative, and cohesive spirit of Fred "Sonic" & Patty Smith. If you're looking to buy your first Savage Rose album, this is a good start. The other recommendation I would give is "In The Plain," which is, in my opinion, the best album they have ever produced."
A fantastic instrumental album from Savage Rose
Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 12/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My first exposure to the Savage Rose (from Denmark) was through the Supernatural Fairytales box set. I generally liked the track presented (Dear Little Mother) and went out and bought this 1972 album, which as it turns out is 99% instrumental (vocals on Dear Little Mother only) and excellent. My understanding is that keyboardist Thomas Koppel wrote the piece as a musical accompaniment for the Royal Ballet's performance of Dodens Triumf (Triumph of Death).
The concept underlying Dodens Triumf is pretty heavy and reflected in the cover painting which is meant to represent an old and oppressive society that was disappearing like the sinking sun. This concept was clearly stated in a passage originally printed on the cover of the 1972 Polydor LP which was taken from the Algerian writer Franz Fanon and his book "The Wretched of the Earth". It is a pretty strong statement and has been reprinted on the inner pages of the CD reissue booklet.
The musicians on this instrumental album include vocalist Annisette (she has a brief wordless vocal and a vocal part on Dear Little Mother only); Anders Koppel (Farfisa? organ; harmonica; flute; and percussion); Thomas Koppel (piano; harmonium; percussion); Alex Riel (drums; percussion); Rudolf Hansen (acoustic and electric guitars; bass guitar); and Ole Molin (acoustic and electric guitars). The musicians are all pretty good although this music is more about texture and atmosphere than mind-blowing ensemble work. The music is organ and acoustic piano saturated with a great deal of percussion. In general, acoustic instruments are favored more than electric instruments, although the electric guitar does poke its head out every so often. One last note - Annisette has the most unusual voice I have ever heard. Although this is really unflattering (and maybe a little unkind), her voice reminds me somewhat of Betty Boop. The liner notes even quote the late Lester Bangs (one of prog rock's greatest enemies I might add) describing her vocal style as "Minnie mouse on a belladonna jag". You get the idea.
This music is symphonic, pretty gloomy, and there are some supremely haunting moments. All of the tracks flow together into a single, multi-movement suite and as such there is great continuity. There are elements of classical (which reflects Thomas Koppel's classical training), what sounds like traditional folk music, and some rock music. Apart from an interesting drum/percussion solo on Soldaternes Dod (Death of the Soldiers), this is a very quiet album dominated by the unusual organ sound that Anders manages to get and the classically influenced acoustic piano work of Thomas.
Although only 500 copies of Dodens Triumf were initially released, eventually something around 250,000 copies were sold. In fact, the sheer success and the classical, instrumental nature of the album tore the band apart and this would be the last recording with the original lineup. All in all this is yet another fantastic album of experimental rock from Continental Europe and is very highly recommended."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1