Birth Control - Plastic People (1975)

The fifth album from this German band.

The band was a quartet on this album with a lineup of guitars, bass, drums, strings, percussion, trumpet, saxophone, keyboards, fx and vocals.
They had help from guest musicians who provided cello, trombone, trumpet, viola, flute, saxophone and a choir.

Birth Control has had a nice development on their first four albums. A development who pointed towards a future as a progressive rock band.

A promise delivered on this album.

I have heard this is the first album of their progressive rock era. And with progressive rock, I mean symphonic prog.

There is some Yes here and some Genesis here. The music is still a lot more muscular than the music those two bands gave us. Yet, this is symphonic prog but the German band.

There is some Eloy here though. But the music on this forty-five minutes long is very complex and multi-layered at times. RPI is a good reference when it comes to complexity.

The music is also pretty catchy with some very interesting details throughout this album.

This is an album who demands a lot from the listener too. It is not easy listening, this album. It is though very rewarding and a good album. I have got a lot of respect for this band and that is cemented by this album.

3 points