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Die Engel des Herrn — Live! As Hippie Punks
(Captain Trip CTCD-012, 1995, CD)

by Archie Patterson, Published 1995-11-01

Live! As Hippie Punks Cover art

Some people may be familiar with the name Klaus Dinger. For the uninitiated, he was an early member of Kraftwerk, the founder of Neu! and La Düsseldorf, and current godfather of Die (b)Engel des Herrn (which roughly translated means "Angels of the Lord", in this case a universalist term not theistic). His recorded legacy includes some of the pioneering works of German progressive and experimental music including the first Neu! album and La Düsseldorf's Viva. The self-titled debut by this new band in 1992 was one of the best examples of "progressive rock" in the true sense of the term, innovative musically, conceptual and intelligent thematically. Self-produced, it was sadly little known outside a small circle of fans. Live! As Hippie-Punks is their follow-up effort and is one of the most unadulterated examples of the pure spirit of rock that you'll ever hear. The energy and big beat of La Düsseldorf is ever-present as percussion and shimmering waves of guitar carry the melodies along from one track to the next. The album includes cuts from various La D. records as well as their debut disc. The definite highlight is the 26+ minute anthem "Cha Cha 2000." It contains all the classic elements from chiming guitar chords to fuzzed out solos and a baroque contrabass solo. In addition as always it serves as the centerpiece for the futurist rock concept that lies at the heart of all Klaus Dinger does musically. He is a true believer in the power of rock and roll to save the mortal soul and change the world. For the last 25 years he has kept at it and still maintained his ideals as well as creative musical spirit. Become a convert yourself.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 8, 1995 releases

Related artist(s): Die Engel des Herrn

 

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