Der Plan von Pit Hensel und Claus Kniemeyer, sich mit einer Gruppe selbständig zu machen, reifte Mitte des Jahres 1973. Man gewann die Sängerin Jennifer Hensel, den Schlagzeuger Dieter Becke und den Organisten Werner Littau und prüfte das musikalische Konzept auf lokalen Veranstaltungen.“ Ein erster Versuch, ein Album aufzunehmen scheiterte, weil dem Produzenten das Geld ausging. „Ein Jahr später nahm man – nun auf eigene Rechnung – .The Boat Of Thoughts´ auf. Texter Kniemeyer („Wir singen englisch, weil wir auch im Ausland ein paar Platten verkaufen wollen:“) verpackte in lesenswerter Lyrik Träumereien (wie im Titelsong) und Realitäten (wie die Aggressionen bei 08/15-Gesprächen in ,If You Ask Me`), die von melodiösen aber auch hart rockenden Klängen getragen werden. Bei OCTOPUS gab es hymnische Momente, aber auch massive, harte Gitarrenriffs, den fast melodiösen Rickenbacker-Bass, flirrende Moog-Soli, symphonische Mellotron-Streicher und -Chöre, lange, ausschweifende Instrumental-Passagen, Sakrales, Verspieltes, ¾-Takte und schräge Metren. Bei so viel kompositorischer Virtuosität, die nicht nur Gitarre und Keyboards, sondern auch Bass und Schlagzeug jenseits reiner Begleitfunktionen viel Platz einräumte, brauchte es eine durchsetzungsfähige Stimme. Die hatte Jennifer, die die Rockröhre mit Wut und Aggression bei entsprechenden, zeitkritischen Textpassagen genauso geben konnte wie sie die verträumten Stellen mit fast zartem Folktimbre zu singen verstand. Kein Zweifel – unabhängig vom Erst-Erscheinungsdatum der Musik, gerade heute, da die Fangemeinde der Neo-Progrocker ständig wächst, können solche Klassiker wieder vollkommen en vogue werden und sind oft gesuchte Raritäten im Internet. Ein wahrer Prog-Klassiker der Extraklasse!

 

The plan of Pit Hensel and Claus Kniemeyer, to become an independent band, ripened during mid of 1973. They gained singer Jennifer Hensel, drummer Dieter Becke, and the organ player Werner Littau, and checked the musical concept during local gigs. A first try to record an album failed because the producer ran out of money. One year later they recorded – with own money – „The Boat Of Thoughts“. Kniemeyer, who wrote the lyrics („We’re singing in English because we also want to sell the album to foreign countries.“) wrapped daydreams in readable lyric, like the aggression during meanless talks in „If You Ask Me“, which have been carried by melodic but also harder edge tones.

Listening to „Boat of Thoughts“ thirty years later reminds us to what famous acts? Not even to former leading acts of complex compositions like Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, King Crimson, more likely to Beggars Opera or Camel, somewhat opulent and filigree at the same time and especially interesting in the teamplay of organ, keyboards, accoustic and electric guitar. OCTOPUS had anthem-like moments but also compact, hard guitar riffs, the nearly melodic Rickenbacher-bass, wonderful Moog solo parts, symphonic Mellotron strings and choirs, long passages, sacral, playful, ¾ beat and transversal metren. With so much composed virtuosity, which not only left space for guitar and keyboard but also for bass and drums beyond the usual accompaniment part, it needed a voice which was able to accomplish the band. This was the fact with Jennifer, she was able to sing rock with anger and aggression during corresponding time-critical passages as good as she was able to sing dreamy passages with nearly fragile folktimbre. No doubt – undependent of the first appearance of this music, especially today, where the fans of neo-progrocker steadily grows, such classic songs are completely en vogue and often sought after rares in the internet. It’s astonishing to discover that you can find in the net more pages in English (and even Russian) language, which are engaged with OCTOPUS and „The Beat Of Thoughts“. How do all parties concerned review this ? It would be interesting to ask Claus Kniemeyer, Spiritus Rector, and also the manager of OCTUPUS, today. But Claus suddenly died during 2001 age only about 50. Guitar player Pit Hensel still lives in Hanau-Steinheim, playing in a 12-player soulband, but not as regular job. Frank Eule once had a music-store in Vordertaunus. Jennifer is living again in Steinheim with her husband „Coco“ who is successful as Win Kowa as composer for advertisement from Alete up to Wrigley. Werner Littau is also still active live on stage, but at the moment „only“ with a coverband. But he can still imagine to write new songs in the sense of OCTOPUS together with his daugther, a piano player who already won composing awards in classical- and popular-music, and to present them on stage. Last but not least there still exists interest in this kind of music which is proved with this re-publishing of „Boats Of Thoughts“ on vinyl!

 

Tracklisting:

 

Side One

01 The first Flight of the Owl

02 Kill your Murderer

03 If you ask me

 

Side Two

04 The delayable Rise of Glib

05 We’re losing Touch

06 The Boat of Thoughts