Mickie D's Unicorn
Band members Related acts
|
line up 1 (1979) - Mickie Duwe -- vocals, guitar, synthesizers - Helmut Hattler -- bass - Jan Fride (aka Jan Fride Wolbrandt) -- drums, percussion - Manfred Opitz -- synthesizers
supporting musicians (1979) - Manuel "Mano" Göttsching -- synthesizers - Michael "Sunshine" Shrieve -- drums, percussion
|
- Agitation Free (Mickie Duwe and Manfred Opitz) - Ash Ra Temple (Mickie Duwe) - Automatic Man (Michael Shrieve) - Bröselmaschine (Jan Fride) - The Chicken Hunters (Manfred Opitz) - Cool and the Girl (Manfred Opitz) - De-Phazz (Helmut Hattler) - Feldfarben (Helmut Hattler) - Flyers (Manfred Opitz) - The Glass Menagerie (Michael Shrieve) - Group 65 (Manfred Opitz) - Heartware (Helmut Hattler) - Helmut Hattler (solo efforts( - Highdelberg (Jan Fride) - HSAS (Michael Shrieve) - The Volker Hugo Band (Manfred Opitz) - Kraan (Jan Fride and Helmut Hattler) - Kungan (Manfred Opitz) - Lagoona (Manfred Opitz) - Lilienthal (Helmut Hattler) - Lili Berlin (Manfred Opitz) - Metropolis (Mickie Duwe and Manfred Optiz) - Morgenrot (Manfred Opitz) - The Outs (Manfred Opitz) - Santana (Michael Shrieve) - Doko Saubach (Manfred Opitz) - Tab Two (Helmut Hattler) - Tequila Sunrise (Manfred Opitz) - TrioVeto (Manfred Opitz) - Ulli und die Grauen Zellen (Manfred Opitz) - WestBerlin (Manfred Opitz) - Wired (Helmut Hattler) - Zarathustra (Manfred Opitz) - Stomu Yamashta's Go (Michael Shrieve)
|
|
Genre: progressive Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Mickie D's Unicorn Company: Innovative Communications Catalog: IC
58 064 Country/State: Berlin, Germany Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $20.00
|
Following stints in Ash Ra Temple, Agitation Free and Metropolis, 1978 saw singer/multi-instrumentalist Michael Duwe strike out in pursuit of his own career with the band Mickie D's Unicorn. The rest of the band featured Metropolis partner Helmut Hattler on bass, Kraan drummer Jan Fride, synthesizer player Manfred Opitz.
1978
saw Duwe and company become the first act signed and recorded by former band
mate Klaus Schulze's Innovative Communications label. The group's 1978
debut "Mickie D'
By the way, I still don't have a clue what the Arnd Maibaum cover art is supposed to reflect. By the way, I still don't have a clue what the Arnd Maibaum cover art is supposed to reflect. The liner notes say "The painting is titled "The Two Elements: Air and Rock". There are a lot of parallels between the painting and the music; the space, the combinations of rock and sky, and the gentle oriental touch." Can't say that helped me much.
"Mickie
D's Unicorn" track listing: 1.) In Times of the Unicorn (Michael Duwe) - 6:14 rating: **** stars Blowing wind sound effects; creepy '70s synthesizers, squealing, effects-treated guitar ... what's not to like? Duwe's voice was a little on the thin side. The J.R.R. Tolkien-esque lyrics weren't going to be for everyone. Still, the atmospheric opener 'In Times of the Unicorn' had a surprising amount of appeal to my ears. Kraan drummer Jan Fride Wolbrandt provided some thunderbolt drumming throughout. 2.) The Witch (Michael Duwe - Robert Smith-Diesel - Mary S. Applegate) - 4:54 rating: **** stars Thanks to Manfred Opitz's synthesizers, 'The Witch' was almost funky. It certainly always makes me smile. Part of that has to do with the song's goofy lyrics which are funnier than ominous. The other thing that makes it funny are Duwe's vocals. He sounds like he was trying to pull off a slice of David Byrne-styled weirdness. He doesn't really pull it off. Extra star for what was Duwe's prettiest guitar solo. 3.) Sundayborn Child (Michael Duwe) - 2:40 rating: **** stars A pretty twelve-string powered ballad 'Sundayborn Child' showcased Duwe's fantasy lyrics amidst the album's prettiest melody. 4.) The Searcher (Michael Duwe) - 5:31 rating: **** stars Opening up with some power chord rock guitar, 'The Witch' came off as the album's most conventional and FM radio-friendly performance. Curiously, Duwe's accented vocals were much more prominent on this one. Didn't mean I liked it any less ... This one was tapped as a single in Italy:
- 1979's 'The Searcher' b/w 'Black Riders' (WEA catalog number G 18089)
(side
2) I suspect Nile Rogers would have approved of 'Little Red Riding Hood.' Whereas 'The Witch' was almost funky, with a great Helmut Hattler bass line and a touch of reggae rhythm, 'Little Red Riding Hood' was funky. 2.) Black Riders (Michael Duwe) - 5:06 rating: **** stars Powered by some icy '70s styled sequencers, 'Black Riders' was the first track that had a true Krautrock flavor. Added in the treated vocals and this one had kind of a Tangerine Dream vibe going for it. It was also a good setting to check out Duwe's effects-treated lead guitar moves. Very impressive performance. 3.) West of the Moon (Michael Duwe) - 3:35 rating: **** stars And just as I thought I was getting an handle on Duwe, along comes the almost pastoral 'West of the Moon.' Yeah it took a minute to get acclimated to the forced falsetto, but the combination of beautiful acoustic guitar and tasteful synthesizer washes was almost hypnotizing. 4.) A: Elbereth (Michael Duwe) - 6:08 rating: **** stars The closer was a pretty, synthesizer powered ballad that sounded like an effort to meld Krautrock moves with a touch of Pink Floyd angst. I really liked the results.. I know the title has a Tolkien link - something to do with an Elvish hymn to the Varda ... Gods? Some Tolkien fan will send me an angry email showcasing my lack of insight.
Duwe has a small web presence at: Einhorn media & entertainment GmbH - Home
|
BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
s
Unicorn" also saw Schulze step in as co-producer. Sung in
English, material like the title track, 'The Searcher'
and the closer 'A:
Elbereth' reflected
a J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired concept piece, though the plotline's rich
collection of dragons, elves, fairies, and witches was largely lost on my
ears. (Yes, I read The Lord of the Rings.) Duwe had a
decent voice (the falsetto on 'West of the Moon' was an acquired taste),
though his performances were frequently covered up in production
effects. He was an impressive guitarist, though virtually every track
slapped a "spacey" effect on his work. I've seen a comparison to
the sound Steve Hillage is famous for and I can see the
comparison. I've also seen this one cataloged
as "Krautrock". With the exceptions of the icy synthesizer
propelled 'Black Riders' and the closer 'A:
Elbereth' that's
not really an apt label. Exemplified by tracks like 'The Witch', 'The
Searcher' and the pretty ballad 'Sundayborn
Child' the collection was actually fairly mainstream, late-'70s rock.
It's a strange and surprisingly mesmerizing debut; but even after multiple
spins it's difficult for me to get my ears around. Certainly worth
checking out since you can still find cheap copies.