(Progressive rock) CRAVINKEL 1971 - Garden Of Loneliness - FLAC (tracks), lossless

The sleeves of both Cravinkel records only stated their last names and contained no further information about these four guys. 'Cravinkel' (1970) had short tracks with a firm country-rock touch. The album was recorded in London at the IBC studios and produced by Rainer Goltermann (Phillips' "house producer"). It came in a poster fold-out cover which showed the band lazing in a haystack. 'Garden Of Loneliness' (1971) had a single cover (nice psychedelic artwork on the front!), but included a poster. Their music had by then become heavier and more "progressive" (which can be defined as: longer tracks, more time for instrumental work, and generally better albums). Side two had a 20-minute jam session called "Stoned", an apt title! It was quite a change from their first one, but indeed a logical development. This album, too, was a Goltermann production. There is also an obscure single from 1971, "Keep On Running", coupled with "Mr. Cooky" (Phillips 6003 158), neither track having been included on any of the albums.

Cravinkel, lead by one Gert Krawinkel, were odd for a German band in the early-70's, as their sound was often closer to Nordic bands of the era like Culpepper's Orchard, blending in country and folk musics into Anglo-American type rock. We've heard their first album, which was deadly dull. Contrary to general trends, their second GARDEN OF LONELINESS, is reputed to be an excellent progressive psychedelic album.