Walter Wegmuller - Tarot (1994)

Basically this is another Cosmic Joker/Couriers album, as the album is credited to the Swiss artist Walter Wegmuller, but Berkers, Dollasse, Grosskopf (all three from Walenstein), Schulze (after his TD and ART days but not yet into his solo career proper), Henke & Gotsching (both from Ash Ra Tempel) and Westrupp (of W&W) are all present on this double album (and double Cd as well). Please read my friend Phillipe Blache’s excellent intro on the Kosmische Muziek on the Wegmuller entry-page for more on the ramifications of this German movement that was one of the specificity of the Krautrock movement.

In either case, this lengthy double concept album (you guessed it about Tarot) is one of the most expensive album around in its full original form: indeed the vinyl came out with a full deck of cards drawn buy Wegmuller himself from 68 to 74 partly in association with Sergius Golowin, another driving spike of the Cosmic Joker/Courrier thing. While Wegmuller takes on vocal duties (more often reciting duties really), the music is really up to the all star line-up ion the album, recording in the well know Dieter Dierks studios and released on the legendary Ohr label. The music is just as suitably spacey as you could ever wish it to be, and while not fascinating, it is often enthralling, even if the concept is rather hard to follow (unless you grasp German good enough), but who cares, anyway? Tarots are not one of my passions, anyway. But there is a storyline explained in two languages, but I never paid attention to it as the album can be enjoyed without that side of the oeuvre. As you can easily guess, there are imperfections and lengths, but nothing to scare anyone, even the most demanding progheads.

While there are more essential Cosmic Couriers projects, this one is also much worthy of your investigation, but forget looking after the original vinyl, though. The Spalax reissue (in digipack) is an excellent bet. Hard not to give its fourth star.

Walter Wegmuller was a Swiss painter who was an expert on the subject of tarot cards.He is not a musician,but is on this double album to offer up his thoughts on each tarot card with his spoken and whispered words.He has an all-star cast playing the music here including Manuel Gottsching and Hartmut Enke both from ASH RA TEMPEL,Jurgen Dollase,Harald Grosskopf and Jerry Berkers from WALLENSTEIN and Walter Westrupp from W&W and Klaus Schulze.These guys were also known as THE COSMIC COURIERS and THE COSMIC JOKERS.Dieter Dierks and Rosi are also listed as guests.For more background info and the subject matter of this recording i would highly recommend you read the bio here at ProgArchives and Sean Trane's review.The spoken words are all in German which suits me fine as it is all about the amazing music.Speaking of which this is such a great example of what krautrock was all about."Tarot" is a cosmic trip with mellotron,synths and electronics creating a spacey base, while the guitar,bass,drums and percussion create a variety of sounds and styles to make your trip both an exciting and relaxing one. I'd like to touch on some of my favourite tracks. Disc one opens with the only english on the recording as the band is introduced one by one as an uptempo melody is played.Nice."Die Hohepriesterin" features slowly spoken words as waves of mellotron and sound drift along.Great sound. "Der Herrscher" has some fantastic guitar playing front and center from Manuel as spoken words come in.This is one of the few tracks that isn't spacey.Love the guitar that goes on and on. "Der Hohepriester" has this beautiful piano melody with intricate guitar as whispered vocals and flute come in.Simply an emotional,uplifting song that has to be heard. "Der Wagen" opens quietly but the sound is building.Very cool.Spoken words before 2 minutes.Some prominant drumming on this one as spacey sounds are shooting around.A wall of sound before 3 minutes.Spacey winds are blowing before 5 minutes."Die Gerechtigkeit" is dark and serious with haunting spoken words.It's like impending doom is near.While the next song "Der Weise" is light with piano,mellotron and fragile spoken words.Gorgeous song. "Die Kraft" features tribal-like drumming as Gottsching lights it up with his guitar. On disc two "Die Massigkeit" opens with spoken words as the guitar rips it up big time.Eerie sounds 2 minutes in as guitar is still on fire.Organ replaces guitar late. "Der Teufel" features dual guitar melodies,whispered vocals and flute. "Die Zerstorung" opens with piano as softly spoken vocals come in then waves of mellotron.Explosive sounds before 3 minutes as drums go crazy. "Die Sterne" builds slowly as guitar and spoken vocals come in.Drums 2 minutes in before synths and mellotron washes arrive before 3 minutes.Spacey,cosmic winds 5 1/2 minutes in. "Das Gericht" features beautiful,heavenly sounds(mellotron etc.) as spoken words come in.Heaven must sound like this. The final track is "Die Welt" and it ends this double album in fine style.Marching-like drums early as guitar makes some noise.A great rhythm comes out of this with psychedelic guitar playing over top.Awesome sound.Spoken words and spacey waves with mellotron come in.Percussion 3 minutes in.It gets so intense 5 minutes in as Manuel is absolutely on fire! Drums continue to pound.A wall of spacey sounds can't contain the blistering guitar.In the end though the spacey sounds win out as the song and album drift away. Essential for krautrock fans in my opinion.This is the stuff that legends are made of. 4.5 stars.