Sommerabend

Novalis were reduced to a quartet for their next album, Sommerabend. Produced by Achim Reichel, the symphonic record again bypasses the overt complexities of most prog rock of the day. Written by Lutz Rahn, the instrumental "Aufbruch" opens. After the spicy intro, Novalis' large, sweeping and melodic lines take over, propelled by Hartwig Biereichel's powerful drumming. Detlef Job's guitar is at the fore, and Rahn lays his hand on a few more keyboards. "Wunderschätze," written by Job, follows in the footsteps of the previous album, again using a text from Karl Friedrich von Hardenberg for its lyrics. The crowning achievement of the record though is the title track, which encompasses the entire second side. "Sommerabend" contains five discrete sections, ranging from the lightly melodic "Wetterleuchten" and pastoral "Am Strand" to the foot-stompin' "Ein Neuer Tag." Throughout, the sections seamlessly flow together and the band's execution is precise. The album and subsequent tour would be an artistic peak for the band. They then added a vocalist, Fred Mühlböck: an Austrian who made his debut on the 1977 live album Konzerte. Novalis' music then moved into a more commercial realm on the ensuing Brandung, also released in 1977, which featured the popular track "Irgendwo, Irgendwann" ("Somewhere, Sometime"). It's easy going rock for the most part, with some creative instrumentation, such as the extended instrumental sections of "Sonnenwende" ("Solstice"). Rahn released a solo album, Solo Trip for Telefunken-Decca's Strand label in 1978. Performing the entire album on a battery of keyboards and rhythm machines, it's another formidable offering of Rahn's romantic music.