Gaa- Auf Der Bahn Zum Uranus[1974]

There's supposed to be an umlaut over the middle "A" in the name. That would be pronounced "Gaia". Gaa were never very successful on the Krautrock scene, but it's actually a lot more accessible than giants like Faust or even Can. The german vocals were probably a turn off. But you know, if you don't listen too close, you might almost understand it.

 Auf Der Bahn Zum Uranus isn't as experimental as some of their contemporaries- in fact, there's nothing too revolutionary here at all. Gaa excels, however, in blending similar styles to create a somewhat familiar, while still highly unique sound.

"Uranus" sounds pretty similar to the quieter bits of Thick as a Brick or Tarkus, with some German spoken-word business about death and the planet thrown in on either end. "Bossa Rustical" features some vaguely latin guitar work, eventually bringing in a nice bass groove and some echo-laden congas that kick into a sort of psychedelic bossa nova, backed by a sloppy, yet very Neu!-esque backing beat. "Tanz Mit Dem Mond" is pretty standard early-prog, with loads of big harmonies and echoes. "Mutter Erde" is probably my favorite on the album, and to be honest, it sounds a lot like some major western acts of the period(Deep Purple or Uriah Heep, mostly because of the great Hammond work)."Welt Im Dunkel" continues the organ trend, but brings the congas back for a groovy midsection and a pure space-rock outro.

So there. First post, nothing too revolutionary, but a fun listen with lots of great hooks. A good stopover between the big names in Kraut and some of the less immediate acts like German Oak or Broeselmaschine.