Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Eloy
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1983
Rating: 3.5/5
“Performance” was the moment when Eloy, after two conceptual space rock masterpieces, which both of the previous albums, “Planets” (1981) and “Time To Turn” (1982), undoubtedly were, decided to come back down to earth a little. That means they noticeably simplified their sound and made it a bit more accessible, even to people who wouldn’t normally count themselves among prog rock listeners. They did it by cutting back on the complex arrangements while steering the other sonic elements into somewhat heavier, more hard rock waters. A few new wave influences seeped in too, mostly in some of the rhythmic touches and the keyboard textures. Above all, though, Eloy moved closer again to their early hard rock roots on this album, dressed up in modern production, of course, and blended with their trademark space rock finesse, which still gave them a rich helping of that characteristic esoteric atmosphere they’d always been best known for. For a band that played an important part in the development of German hard rock in its early days, this step was a fairly logical move at a time when heavy metal was enjoying its heyday. They also wanted to get noticed by new generations of listeners who had missed the years when Eloy started shaping the history of German progressive rock.
Luckily, this move didn’t lead to a sonic sellout, but to a welcome refresh of their still-recognizable sound through some elements they hadn’t tried on their albums until then. They simply couldn’t keep making highly complex, esoteric-sounding, sci-fi-inspired concept albums forever. When it came to crafting individual arrangements, too, something new and untried had to be created. I’d say the combination of traditional space rock, hard rock and a pinch of new wave worked out well for them on “Performance”. The result was noticeably less ambitious and sonically deep, but it was still an extremely solid and very listenable album that fans of many kinds of rock music, not just prog, can still enjoy without any trouble today. Compared to the likes of Genesis, Yes or Kansas of that time, Eloy were still the very embodiment of complexity on “Performance”. The guitar lines between Frank Bornemann and additional guitarist Hannes Arkona flow together beautifully as usual and can sound punchy and subtle alike. Keyboardist Hannes Folberth, alongside Frank’s guitar mastery, remained the main carrier of their rich, multi-layered, ethereal arrangements. The lyrics, written by Frank’s friend, the German American Sigi Hausen, are also noticeably less poetic-epic than usual and more personal, and occasionally quite socially critical too.
The opener “In Disguise” already proves this is an album with a noticeably different approach from what was usual for the band up to then. A bouncy but rather monotonous disco rhythm is soaked in steely guitar passages and a protective, booming wall of layered keyboards, mostly electronic synthesizers, which give it a bit of that signature space rock origin. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are excellent and add a lot to the dramatic mood. Even though it’s a pretty solid piece, it has almost more in common with Judas Priest than with Pink Floyd. On the even punchier and more dramatic “Shadow And Light”, which blends elements of prog and hard rock, they carry on with hard rock, almost metal guitar riffing. It’s all laid over refined keyboard textures, whose sound leans a bit toward what Canadian art rock champions Rush were using at the time. The rhythm section is considerably better here than on the previous track, with Randow’s mighty and varied drum fills as the individual keyboard passages come to an end. On the authentic space rock instrumental “Mirador”, a slow, monotonous rhythm and layered synth palettes dominate. Here, rhythm guitarist Arkona also steps in to help Folberth on the Moog synth. The synth passages create a cosmic atmosphere while the rattling bass keeps the composition at a mid tempo. Quite a solid space rock piece with an emphasis on electronic keyboard sounds, but nothing dramatically special.
“Surrender” is, in my view, one of the most interesting sonic experiments of their career. It’s a fun mix of space rock, pop and funk. Rich, layered synthesizer textures run through fiery guitar passages, while a lot of sound effects over a funky rhythm can be heard in the background. Frank’s vocals deliver a philosophical lyric here that’s a critique of organized religion and excessive rationalism. Later on, and especially in the chorus, the track takes a really interesting turn, as refined symphonic synthesizer arrangements flow wonderfully with the guitar lines and, together with the vocals, form a simple but triumphant melody. The intro to “Heartbeat” is incredibly similar to the Pink Floyd classic “One Of These Days”, mostly thanks to the line of rattling bass and the similar echo effects on the keyboards in its opening section. You can also hear some recorded speech from unknown people in the background. Soon after the transition, through an onslaught of layered synths, the guitar and vocals wander into more complex waters, although the arrangements stay melodic throughout. In places the vocal harmonies are pushed through a special effect.
“Fools” is another rather odd, atypical experiment between prog, hard rock and new wave, with an almost-disco rhythm combined with layered guitar lines from the Bornemann/Arkona department, interacting with the electronic synthesizer sounds of both Hannes. Of course, there’s no shortage of a punchy, dramatic hard rock chorus either. In the middle section of the composition you can clearly hear the two guitarists combining effectively. While Frank pulls a dramatic slide solo from under his fingers, Hannes joins in with scattered chords, and together they go on to create some lovely twin harmonies. With the closing epic masterpiece “A Broken Frame”, which is also the best piece on the album in my opinion, Eloy prove they were still masters of complex space rock compositions, plenty of unpredictable twists and turns, and a magical atmosphere. Ethereal synthesizer sounds and a mysterious vocal in the intro effectively set the stage for the dramatic continuation. Then comes an excellent transition and the entrance of the rattling bass mixed with booming synth textures and a dramatic vocal. The epic-romantic chorus is great and sits perfectly in the overall futuristic mood. Frank’s vocal performance deserves praise too, and it’s the best on the whole album here. His weeping slide guitar passages are key to the incredible expressive power of this composition. I’d call it an Eloy classic, one that in my ears and eyes ends up noticeably raising the final rating of this album.
The reissue of “Performance” also includes three live tracks from this album, namely “Shadow And Light”, “Heartbeat” and “Fools”. All three come from the 1983 tour. It might not have hurt if they hadn’t done so much studio polishing on them, because to my taste they sound far too much like their studio versions and you can barely tell they were played live.
By Eloy standards of the time, the rather direct “Performance” certainly didn’t come anywhere close to the sonic and conceptual perfection of most of its predecessors, which could boast flattering titles like space rock masterpieces, but with it they still made a very solid album at the least, if not a very good one. In my opinion it was fully worthy of the name of a band that never made any big sonic compromises in its music and, under Frank’s careful supervision, made music for its own heart. Something many of their contemporaries in the 80s could only dream of while they churned out hit after hit and, indirectly, sounded less and less like their best sonic days. With “Performance”, through a very effective union of their traditional ethereal space rock arrangements, sharpened hard rock and a barely noticeable, completely harmless pinch of new wave, Eloy got a sonic refresh that was very much needed at the time, while still managing to keep the space rock finesse that defined their recognizable sound. That way, its release managed to attract more interest even from those who weren’t among their traditional listeners, so I can recommend it with a clear conscience to all listeners open to exploring some of the heavier forms of rock music.
Lineup
Frank Bornemann – vocals, guitar
Hannes Arkona – guitar, keyboards
Klaus-Peter Matziol – bass guitar
Hannes Folberth – keyboards
Fritz Randow – drums, percussion
Production
Frank Bornemann
Tracklist
1. In Disguise (4:29)
2. Shadow And Light (5:17)
3. Mirador (3:44)
4. Surrender (5:38)
5. Heartbeat (6:26)
6. Fools (5:10)
7. A Broken Frame (8:10)
Album length: 38:54
Bonus tracks from the reissue (2005):
8. Shadow And Light (live 1983) (5:08)
9. Heartbeat (live 1983) (6:00)
10. Fools (live 1983) (4:49)
