In every genre there are hidden gems; bands or albums as strong as the paragons of their style that, for whatever reason, never rose as high as they deserved. It’s slightly harder to see this with Krautrock, because more than 90 percent of the bands could be considered hidden, but the same pattern is still there. One of the great lost bands of the 60s Krautrock explosion is the psych-rock trio Guru Guru. Classifying Guru Guru as a lost band is slightly easier than some Krautrock acts, as their contemporaries like Can have received enormous critical acclaim and reissues out the wazoo, even though their reach never extended beyond a modest audience. But with a string of solid albums, beginning with 1970’s UFO, it’s hard to see why Guru Guru remains unknown.
The trio of drummer Mani Neumeier, bassist Uli Trepte, and guitarist Ax Genrich (fitting name) were responsible for Guru Guru’s best releases and are known as the band’s “classic” lineup. They played extraordinarily well together, and every song sounds like a improv jam, which it probably was. Neumeier and Trepte have particularly great chemistry, locking into repetitive and groovy riffs which give Genrich ample room to experiment. Genrich’s guitar playing is refreshingly different from most jam bands because he has the rare ability to crank out a million notes when he wants but also blast listeners with feedback and superb note choice when the time is right.
“Stone In” leads off the album with Genrich’s wailing, wah-wah drenched riffs while Neumeier and Trepte battle for control of the rhythm section. After a few lines of chanted vocals, Genrich launches into an extended solo that last for the remainder of the track. It’s a great sludgy jam to start the album and immediately proves you are dealing with skilled musicians. “Girl Call” opens with 40 seconds of silence before rhythmic blasts of feedback lead into another acid-fried jam. Trepte is especially good here, providing driving bass lines that propel the song and allow Neumeier and Genrich room to solo wildly.
Just as “Girl Call” reaches the height of its insanity, it gives way to the extremely catchy “Next Time See You at the Dalai Lhama.” The song isn’t catchy in a pop sense, but Genrich and Trepte’s riffs take on the swagger of classic rock with an experimental twist. Genrich and Neumeier play with reckless abandon as Trepte modifies, loses, and then eventually rediscovers the opening riff. The title track, “UFO,” is an extended noise collage, made from seven minutes of static blasts and three closing minutes of sonic mayhem. “Der Lsd-marsch” strikes something of a middle ground with another dirge like opening that gives way to an awesome outro jam centered on an impressive solo from Neumeier.
With around 40 releases to their name, Guru Guru certainly hasn’t stayed unknown by choice. UFO was their first, but it isn’t the only great release in their catalog that should be sought out by any Krautrock — or even noise rock for that matter — fans. Guru Guru were largely responsible for the shift in Krautrock from a spacey, flute-dominated music to one of the most aggressive and noisy sounds around, and for that fact alone they deserve to be remembered.
