Electric Family, The: The Long March - From Bremen to Betancuria

One of my favourite finds these last few years has been the German psychedelic rock band The Electric Family, made visible thanks to MVD Visual and Sireena Records. I did not the know the band during their first few albums, it was not until 2017’s Terra Circus did I make the band’s acquaintance. Now I have been sitting on this album, titled The Long March, for a while now and it is indeed regrettable on my part as I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this gem. This is a compilation mostly of tracks taken from the band’s first four albums: Family Show (2012), Tender, Ice Cream Phoenix, and Royal Hunt.

As referenced in the liner notes this album should not be considered as a ‘best of’ collection, but rather showcasing a diverse cross section of tracks which further highlights the band’s ability to change their sound from album to album.

The album begins with the eleven minute “Landmark Visions�, an awesome adventure into the Family’s trippy, psychedelic mind. Redecker’s deeply toned lead vocals and the intoxicating jams of stabbing guitar and mesmerizing instrumentation is really something special. Prog fans should appreciate the luxurious builds and changes in tempo. The folk-psychedelic rock of “In The Web� features irresistible vocals and acoustic guitar, rounded out with fine sax (Willi Pape) and guitar solos (Peter Apel). The guitar soars into the heavens, making it one of those spine-tingling moments that is not easily forgotten. With “Space Caravan� the tasty guitar work will take you to the depths of interstellar space and is blended beautifully with acoustic strums. The fluid bass lines, solid drumming, and backing organ provides a comfortable backing for the band to stretch out. “Souls & Coins� is another trippy, melodic concoction, with its creeping tempo, catchy vocals, persistent organ, and wonderful guitar structures.

The booklet includes a short introduction explaining why the band felt the need to rerelease these older tunes, pictures of the band, and extensive information on each track regarding the players and their instruments. It will be very informative for those not familiar with the band.

If you are new to The Electric Family, this album will give you a taste of what will be in store if you decide to take the plunge. The band’s modern take on psychedelic rock music should go down well with many of our readers and progressive rock fans should find plenty to enjoy. The Long March easily earns an excellent 4 stars.

Track Listing:
1. Landmark Visions (11:01)
2. In The Web (4:21)
3. Space Caravan (10:34)
a. Picture Dreams
b. The Treasure Dance
c. The River And The Gold
4. Souls & Coins (6:50)
5. Betancuria (12:21)
a. The Conquest
b. Morro De La Cruz
c. Loveflow
6. Solid Structure (8:20)
7. Ariel’s Hyperdrive (7:28)
a. Amazing Colored Brains
b. Family Tryp
8. Close To The Dustheap (4:02)
9. The Inca Cosma Fudge (8:18)
10. Operation Stardust (Cockpit Edit) (4:43)

Added: May 24th 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 693
Language: english

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