Die Grüne Reise - The Green Journey

One of Germany’s rock pioneers, Achim Reichel founded beat-era The Rattles, the country’s equivalent to The Beatles, with Herbert Hildebrandt and Dicky Tarrach in 1960. The band toured the UK with The Rolling Stones, supported The Beatles in 1966 and had an international hit, “The Witch” b/w “Geraldine” in 1970. Military service drew Reichel from the band in 1966 but upon discharge, he continued his musical career with the pop group Wonderland. At the start of the 70s, however, his interests in Eastern philosophies coincided with the burgeoning progressive trend. Teaming with lyricist (and ex-Rattle) Frank Dostal, he launched the just plain weird Wonderland Band. In 1971, Die Grüne Reise (“The Green Journey”) was the first album under Reichel’s new moniker, A.R. & Machines. Billed as a “soundtrack to the intended motion picture,” the album is certainly a trip. Reichel recorded the album by himself, adding vocals, percussion and electronic effects; Dostal wrote the lyrics. “Machines” refers to the tape recorder, an Akia X-330D, that made up Reichel’s signature “echo-guitar.” In layering multiple guitar lines to hypnotic effect, he predates just about everyone that would follow (Robert Fripp, Manuel Göttsching, Günter Schickert, etc.). “Beautiful Babylon,” for example, is resplendent and offers a completely different take on the “kosmische.” There’s also a hippie vibe all through the record that could be seen as a strength (“I’ll Be Your Singer”), or not (“Come On, People”). Yet the album-twangy, metric and definitely psychedelic-is Reichel’s own progressive twist on rock ‘n’ roll, culminating in the whacked-out “Truth and Probability” with Reichel now layering his voice through the tape machines! The album saw release on Polydor.