For those unaware, for almost 58 years, Mani Neumeier, the enfant terrible of German rock music, and his band Guru Guru have been among the most consistent and innovative groups in German rock history. Far removed from the mainstream, Guru Guru have always gone their own way with their synthesis of experimental rock, avant-garde approaches, jazz variations, and world music influences.

This was also the case with the album Mani und seine Freunde (Mani and His Friends). The year was 1974, and Mani Neumeier had actually disbanded his Gurus at the end of the year. But shortly thereafter, the energetic drummer and singer found himself in the studio with a few friends to record a quasi-solo album, which ultimately ended up being released under the Guru Guru label.

Mani called, and the who’s who of the German Krautrock scene answered his call: Dieter Moebius and Achim Rodelius from Harmonia, Ingo Bischof and Tommy Goldschmidt from Karthago, Helmut Hattler, Jan Fride, and Peter Wolbrandt from Kraan, former Guru Guru guitarist Ax Genrich, guitarist Sepp Jandrisits, bassist Jogi Karpenkiel, who would be part of the next Guru Guru lineup, and - somewhat outside the norm - US blues singer and pianist Champion Jack Dupree.

In keeping with the large number of musicians involved, Mani and His Friends is stylistically very diverse. It ranges from light-hearted, funky jazz rock à la Kraan - most of the pieces were written with the participation of Hattler and Wohlbrandt - to well-tempered ethno jazz rock and Mani’s pun rock Chicken Rock, as celebrated on Tango Fango just under a year and a half later.

The centerpiece of the album is the percussive long track From Another World. After that, 1, 2, 3, 4, Marsch’n’Rock lifts the mood enormously. The track transitions into a radio broadcast of Champion Jack Dupree’s Drink Wine, thus forming the conclusion of a very successful album.

1. Sunrise Is Everywhere
2. Chicken Rock
3. It’s Your Turn
4. Walking, Eating My Hot Dog
5. Fly Easy
6. From Another World
7. Woodpecker’s Dream (Ein Märchen Aus dem Ulfenbachtal)
8. 1, 2, 3, 4, Marsch’n’Rock
9. Drink Wine
10. From Another World

The German rock musician, free-jazz drummer, artist, and frontman opens his new solo album on the upbeat and joyful Sunrise Is Everywhere, the aptly-titled (trust me) Chicken Rock, and then comes the smoothly soulful It’s Your Turn, the funkily-grooved Walking, Eating My Hot Dog, before the decadent Fly Easy is brought forth.

Next up is the organically atmospheric From Another World which is in turn backed by the affectingly ethereal, Asian-hued Woodpecker’s Dream (Ein Märchen Aus dem Ulfenbachtal), the sterner German fare of 1, 2, 3, 4, Marsch’n’Rock, the set rounding out on the rousing old school rocking blues of Drink Wine, coming to a close on a live version of From Another World.

Official Purchase Link

Mani Neumeier @ Facebook