Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Eloy
Label: Philips Records
Released: 1971
Rating: 2.5/5
Alongside Tangerine Dream, Eloy were easily the most popular and important German progressive rock band. They always operated outside the usual German electronic framework of the so-called krautrock scene, and with their sound full of esoteric symphonic waves and their esoteric/sci-fi lyrics, they were closer to British prog rock bands like Yes or Pink Floyd. It’s mostly the influence of the latter that they have to thank for their evolution into one of the leading and longest-lived space rock acts, known among other things for their more or less original sci-fi lyrics and concepts. Even their name was taken from the futuristic race of the Eloi in H.G. Wells’ beloved sci-fi novel “The Time Machine”, although at the start it was more a reflection of the revolutionary-utopian philosophy of most of the band’s members. The standout instrumentalist among them was guitarist and singer Frank Bornemann, who established himself as the band’s boss after the release of their self-titled debut. I’d say he was one of the best German (prog) rock guitarists of his time, and it’s his contribution that drags this album out of its otherwise beginner-level mediocrity.
At the time of their debut, Eloy were a sonically very different band from what they’d be on their later space rock albums. Their style was closer to the eclectic hard rock (or art rock, if you prefer) of bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Wishbone Ash or Uriah Heep, with plenty of punchy guitar and organ passages, and that hard rock influence lingered in places on many of their following albums too. Some of Frank’s punchy riffs are so close to the edge that you could almost call Eloy one of the pioneers of (German) heavy metal. The lyrics show naive idealism and revolutionary zeal, which is no surprise, since that incarnation of the band was part of the German student left-wing scene, and some members, led by singer Erich Schriever, even lived in communes. So it’s only logical that radical stylistic changes after the debut were unavoidable.
After a psychedelic opening caprice, “Today” slides into energetic hard rock with a melancholic vocal and an absurd lyric. The song’s main attraction is Boernemann’s guitar playing, which serves up plenty of punchy riffs and some great soloing, while Schriever pulls out his “nanana” vocals, which he more than obviously borrowed from Uriah Heep. A solid opener, even if not exactly original. “Something Yellow”, at over eight minutes the longest piece on the album, is another one packed with classic hard rock motifs from the Uriah Heep school, especially on guitar and keyboards. After a fairly dramatic intro on Wieczorke’s piano, in kick energetic riffing and a rhythm that no hard rock/heavy metal act of the time would have been ashamed of. Schriever sings here with an accentuated soul vocal, which is rather average by his standards but pretty good by typical German ones. The finale brings a longer bluesy jam with tasty guitar passages. Next comes the title track “Eloy”, which starts off as a solid hard rock anthem with an interesting riff and a Heep-style vocal. The song’s main peculiarity is an unexpected instrumental section with percussion and a very good drum solo. On the rather dark “Song Of Paranoid Soldier”, which obviously refers to the Vietnam War, Eloy again serve up heavy guitar riffs, mighty drum transitions and a dramatic vocal. A pretty average effort, but Frank once again delivers a juicy solo. The closing section after the last transition is so brutal that you could safely call it genuine heavy metal. “Voice Of Revolution” is yet another energetic hard rocker with a naive lyric, where they can’t hide their more than obvious blues/hard rock influences, especially in the vocals and guitar. On the epic half-ballad “Isle Of Sun”, which is in my opinion the best piece on the album and the closest to their future space rock direction, keyboardist Wieczroke finally gets properly stretched out too, providing gorgeous symphonic organ passages that weave beautifully with Frank’s guitar lines and create an epic atmosphere. Schriever shines especially here, delivering the best vocal performance on the album, though he can’t hide the influence of David Byron. This is where Eloy finally come alive as a promising (progressive) rock band and offer the greatest dose of originality against the classic hard rock that dominates the record. The closing “Dillus Roady” is once again a solid classic rock/blues rock piece under the Uriah Heep spell. The lyrics are about one of their roadies. Here they surprise with a very good bluesy guitar riff and an interplay between the Hammond sound and the rhythm. The result is a slightly similar motif to the one in the Uriah Heep classic “Gypsy”. The dramatic section with a scorching riff, Hammond and melancholic vocal will please all fans of blues/hard rock. The second half of the album is somewhat better than the first, which suggests the songs were probably written and recorded in the same order they appear on the album, since you can notice growing compositional progress from one to the next.
Even though it’s a solid debut, one that largely rested on Frank’s command of the electric guitar and boasts the status of a key album for discovering the roots of German hard rock/heavy metal, “Eloy” is still a long way from the later space rock style that I like much more. Besides the lack of originality and the more than obvious influence of other bands, with Uriah Heep at the forefront, most of the compositions on the album are far too fragmented, in places as if they couldn’t decide between hard rock directness and experimentation, which doesn’t always pay off. Still, it’s a solid start to their long journey and a better debut than many better-known bands of the time managed, one that will please all fans of good classic hard rock. After Schriever and drummer Draht left, Boernemann also became the lead singer, and by the time of the next album, which was a big step forward, Eloy had thoroughly overhauled their sound and lyrical identity.
Lineup
Erich Schriever – vocals
Frank Bornemann – guitar, backing vocals
Wolfgang Stöcker – bass guitar
Manfred Wieczorke – keyboards
Helmut Draht – drums
Production
Peter M. Freiherr Von Lepel
Tracklist
1. Today (5:56)
2. Something yellow (8:15)
3. Eloy (6:15)
4. Song of a paranoid soldier (4:50)
5. Voice of revolution (3:07)
6. Isle of sun (6:03)
7. Dillus roady (6:32)
Album length: 40:58
