Wind (Germany) - Seasons, 1971 [2009, Long Hair]

The Crack in the Cosmic Egg:

Originating from Erlangen as a beat group in the mid-1960's, playing mainly at US air bases in Southern Germany. By 1969 (and after many name and personnel changes) they'd become the art-rock band Chromosom, heavily influenced by the American West Coast sound.

After the addition of Bernd "Steve" Leistner on vocals, and the new name Wind, they recorded their debut album for the new progressive arm of the budget label Miller, namely +Plus+. SEASONS offered a richly textured progressive rock, lyrical yet also very musically involved, and certainly very Anglo-American inspired (hints of Vanilla Fudge notably), but with that German oddness typical of such bands. Their poetic and complexly crafted songs were filled with extensive instrumentals and unusual diversions. In recent years it's become hailed as a classic.

Although only a year later, MORNING was a vastly inferior, rather straight rock 'n' soul album (the type favoured by CBS) with short songs and little adventurous musical involvement. Only a couple of tracks shone at all. Without gaining the commercial success that was obviously planned for, the band split in 1973. Lucky Schmidt unsuccessfully tried to resurrect the band in mid-1974, and thereafter went on to work with Aera.

Note: There was a pop band on Ariola that shouldn't be confused with these!