Big Ears

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

First, that Inga Rumpf has a masculine voice, which is, by turns, bluesy and psychedelic in style. Second, Jean-Jacques Kravetz's keyboard playing is amazing and the overall feel is very dynamic.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

The dissonant slide guitar and Hammond organ of Good Winds is redolent of Yes's much later Shoot High, Aim Low, making one wonder if the latter stored away memories of their support act for future reference. Inga Rumpf's voice is almost masculine in its depth and psychedelic in the use of echo, while also being buried in the mix. At around 3:40 minutes, the noisy first part gives way to a lengthy instrumental passage beginning with the classically trained keyboard player Jean-Jacques Kravetz's church organ-like Hammond. After two minutes, he is allowed free reign, with a rising solo sounding like a combination of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. Rainer Goltermann's production adds dynamism and the passage is propelled by the rhythm section of Carsten Bohn and Karl-Heinz Schott. Kravetz is joined by Rumpf's aaah-ing and the section culminates in a guitar solo. Rumpf closes the track with a final chorus.

If Good Winds predicts eighties Yes, the next track, How the Gypsy Was Born, reflects Stones of Years from ELP's contemporary Tarkus, although Rumpf is bluesier and grittier than on the opener. A cult figure of German heavy rock, Rumpf's raw blues technique seems partially at odds with Kravetz's symphonic progressive leanings. Kravetz and guitarist Rainer Baumann, on the other hand, play solos off of each other in a similar style to John DuCann and Vincent Crane of Atomic Rooster. At the halfway mark, Good Winds, appropriately enough, becomes a heavy version of Paul McCartney's Eleanor Rigby, before becoming another whirling Hammond and Jon Lord-style 'Space Truckin' workout. Bohn's bouncy drumming compliments the organ perfectly.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

Kravetz hits the ground running on Take Care of Illusion, which continues where Good Winds left off. This is Rumpf's show and she provides a powerful performance, enough to send shivers down the spine of this listener. Baumann adds a great guitar solo, before the track closes on the vocals following the keyboards.

Rumpf gives a folk-blues feel to Duty, a song about a deserter betrayed to the Nazis by his parents. Kravetz compliments her with a touch of mellotron strings. Whereas Take Care of Illusion belonged to Rumpf, this is Baumann's tour de force, on which he plays an extended, but tasteful, guitar solo with plenty of wah-wah - in a Jimi Hendrix/Robin Trower/Tony McPhee style. By the second half he is soloing over a basic beat, which sounds like a cross between The Groundhog's 3744 James Road and Roxy Music's Bogus Man (both of which came later). The keyboards re-enter giving an indication of what it would sound like if dancehall star Klaus Wunderlich were to join the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Carsten Bohn and Karl-Heinz Schott's playing is particularly original and devoid of cliche on the closing track, but they deserve credit for being the driving force of the band. Bohn went on to work for jazz-rock lumineries, Jan Hammer, Jack Bruce and Colin Hodgkinson.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

As strong as they are, Inga Rumpf's vocals do not quite fit with Frumpy's symphonic approach.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

No instrumentals on this album. With the modern trend of releasing instrumental versions of tracks as bonuses, it would be interesting to hear these without vocals.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Better if anything, but it is pretty incredible from the start.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

They are like folk songs, but given a blues feel. I found them fascinating and I tend not to pay attention to lyrics as a rule. They are made all the more astonishing, when one considers that English is Inga Rumpf's second language.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

I loved them.

9. What did you think of the production?

Exciting and brought out the best in the band, although it is occasionally murky.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

I had heard of them, but never heard them. In the late seventies I was aware of continental bands like Guru Guru, Jane, Birth Control, Accept, etc. But, how Frumpy passed me by I will never know.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Heavy progressive with a blues feel.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

This album is a revelation to me and it just keeps getting better.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

Difficult to choose, but probably How the Gypsy was Born, for the Jon Lord-style Hammond and the belting rhythm section. It sounds like the organ was put through a wah wah pedal, or is that a guitar?

14. And the one you liked least?

Not applicable. I loved the whole album.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

It was their second, but stands as their benchmark.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

After hearing Frumpy 2, I set about listening to as much Frumpy, Atlantis and Kravetz solo as I could get my hands on.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

I do not know if the band has ever explained the pastoral and WW2 references in their songs. I would be interested in reading about them.

18. Did the album end well?

Duty is an intriguing and strong piece to close the album. The reel-to-reel tape effect at the end would have sounded futuristic at the time and serves as a reminder of the good old days.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Inga Rumpf's vocals do not quite fit with the rest of the band, but she's one hell of a singer. I am tempted to suggest a list of alternative singers, but then again, perhaps not.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

It seems that Inga Rumpf's blues passages are separate from the progressive instrumental sections, although they are part of the same track. But, she is a powerful singer nevertheless.

Overall Album Rating: 9 out of 10.

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