Exposé Online banner

Tetragon — Nature
(Musea FGBG 4138.AR, 1971/1995, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 1995-11-01

Nature Cover artHere is one of those albums revered by collectors, with a pricetag on the original vinyl to match — only 400 copies of this baby were pressed in '71. Yet it's only a fraction of what an earlier album by a three-piece version of this band — Trikolon — goes for, pressed in a quantity of 150. This album may be of special interest because it features a young Hendrik Schaper, who would eventually do five albums with the later edition of Klaus Doldinger's fusion band Passport. Although the recording quality of Nature isn't all that great (your basic two-track), the music on this album is quite good. The album opens with a sixteen minute version of Bach's "Fugue," moves on through three more tracks, including "A Short Story" — a fourteen minute adaptation from West Side Story, then closes with an absolute smoker of a bonus track "Doors in Between." Their sound is nimble, affected by rock, jazz, blues and classical elements, quite heavy on the organ — one could think of Tetragon as a keyboard trio supplemented with a superb guitarist, perhaps influenced by Brian Auger's Trinity or The Nice. Only the seven minute title track features vocals, respectably done, with English lyrics; otherwise the album is entirely instrumental. In all, I wouldn't call Tetragon a classic, yet it's a fine album in the early progressive vein, and definitely worth checking out.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 8, 1995 releases, 1971 recordings

Related artist(s): Tetragon

Latest news

2020-03-24
Bill Rieflin RIP – The sad news reaches us today of Bill Rieflin's death. Rieflin was best known as a drummer in bands ranging from post-punk to industrial to indie-rock to progressive rock, including work with The Blackouts, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Swans, Land, and King Crimson. Rieflin had been battling cancer for several years, and succumbed to it on March 24. He was 59. » Read more

2020-03-17
Cruise to the Edge and Seaprog 2020 Festivals Postponed – The worldwide outbreak of the novel coronavirus has started to produce casualties in the music world, and festivals are not immune. We've had word that both the Cruise to the Edge (originally slated for March 27 - April 1) and Seaprog (originally June 5-7) have been postponed to later dates, with those dates to be announced. » Read more

2020-03-06
McCoy Typer RIP – Word reaches us today of the passing of one of the most influential pianists in the history of jazz, McCoy Tyner. His tenure with John Coltrane in the early 60s includes some of the most treasured recordings of the era, including My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme. After leaving Coltrane's group, he had a long and successful solo career. He was 81. » Read more

2020-02-18
Jon Christensen RIP – Word reaches us today of the passing of Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen, a musician whose sensitive playing did much to help define the atmospheric sound of ECM jazz recordings. His work with Jan Garbarek, Bobo Stenson, Terje Rypdal, and many more was sensitive and varied, adapting to a wide variety of styles while maintaining a distinct identity of its own. Christensen was 76. » Read more

2020-01-21
Gong Announces UK Tour for 2020 – Having spent the last few years touring the world, including dates in Japan with psych legend Steve Hillage, multiple headline European tours and festivals, America’s Cruise to the Edge festival, a South America headline tour, and a headline performance at Tomorrow Festival in China, the band have won the hearts of both traditional and modern Gong fanbases. During this live journey, Gong has delved further into the truly psychedelic, exploratory, and mind-expanding side of the music. » Read more

More news

Previously in Exposé...

Mooch - Gaiaspace – Dripping with glissando and staggering from frequent hamsterish workouts on the pitch wheel, Gaiaspace (not Gaia's pace?) is indeed Space Music, all the way from the strained noun-combo of the title...  (2008) » Read more

Random review

Listen & discover

They're Holding Meetings about You

More recommendations
The Seventeenth Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival 2019

Print issues