EMBRYO — We Keep On (review)

EMBRYO — We Keep On album cover Album · 1973 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
This album can be seen two ways: the fourth album as a successor to FSHG or their fifth or sixth if you'll include their Brain releases, but anyway it is a companion to RockSessions and Steig Aus, and the album's title is such a delight if you know these three albums. Production-wise WKO is definitely up two notches from the improvisations of the Brain releases, but I wouldn't quite call this a slick production. Released on the BASF label (UA/Liberty dropped them after all) with a superb egg artwork with a cloud almost taking the shape of an Embryo, the group recorded this album is Ascona, Italy under the patronage of Dieter Dierckx. Opening on the Moroccan-laden Abdul Malek fusion track where Embryo sings and scats until heaven arrives. The unusual Don't Come Tomorrow starts out on uneasy Bunka vocals and accompanied by a delightful piano and Mariano's amazing flute, the whole thing underlined by a few tasty licks of mellotron. The following Ehna Abu Late, which the fantastic backdrop music is enhancing to allowBunka to pull off one of Embryo's most brilliant solo on any instruments. Hackbrett Dance is again relying on mid-east or Maghreb-type of adventures

The flipside opens on the 12-mins+ No Place To Go is a 100mph track where the group solo their hearts away, first Mariano, than Bunka, Mariano again (but on sax this time) then ex-Missing Link and future-Missus Beastly Miekautsch's pianos (there is some Traffic and Xohl in that solo) laced in the with Bunka's guitar again. Fantastic stuff. The album closer the 6-minutes Flute & Saz is Magrebin tracks were oimprovs are having the better role.

The Cd version of WKO (on Disconforme label) comes with a superb pair of bonus tracks, both remaining in the wild jazz-rock realm, with tons of sizzling leads, torrid solos, layers of mellotron etc. and both absolutely staying completely faithful in style and quality with the rest of the album, thus ensuring that WKO last another 23 minutes of pure happiness. Yet another astounding Embryo album.
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