Week of July 10, 2005

Analogy

Personnel:
Martin Thurn - Guitar
Nicola Pankoff - Keyboards
Wolfgang Schoene - Bass
Hermann-Jurgen Nienhaus – Drums
Jutta Nienhaus - Vocals
Rocco Abate – Flute

Albums:

Analogy (Ventotto) 1972
[The original vinyl issue is extremely rare and copies sell for 2,000 DEM]
CD Vinyl Magic VM 017, 1990
CD/LP Akarma AK 093CD/AK 093LP
CD Garden Of Delights 059, 2002

The Suite 1980
CD Ohrwaschl OW 19

This band was based in Italy and had an Italian keyboard player. They formed in 1970 under the name The Yoice. A single, "Sold Out" b/w "God's Own Land", was released in 1971, gaining the young group some attention in Italy. They gradually developed a more "progressive" and experimental style and changed their name to Analogy in 1972. In Milan they recorded their self-titled first album. It was released by the Produzioni Ventotto label in a cover that pictured the group nude out in the fields! Included were magnificent songs as "The Year's At The Spring", "Dark Reflections" and "Analogy". The album is a masterpiece of progressive rock comparable to Circus 2000, Julian's Treatment, Sandrose or Earth & Fire. Analogy's distinctions were Jutta Nienhaus' unique, unrelenting vocals, Thurn's and Pankoff's impressive instrumental skills on guitar and organ respectively and the overall dark atmosphere of their music. All people with a keen interest in early seventies progressive rock will love this album.

Strangely enough, the band remained practically unknown outside of Italy. In 1973, Martin Thurn composed a 30-minute set of thematically-linked musical pieces simply entitled, "The Suite". In this work, Renaissance-period classical music was combined with progressive rock. Analogy played this opus several times live and received good reviews. But in spite of this, they failed to attain support from any record labels and duly disbanded in 1974. Their album is indispensable and highly recommended. ("The Suite" was at last completed and recorded in 1980).

Taken from Cosmic Dreams at Play - A guide to German Progressive and Electronic Rock by Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, Borderline Productions, ISBN 1-899855-01-7


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