Siddhartha - Weltschmerz a.k.a World Pain (1975 / Garden Of Delights / 1993)
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Artist: Siddhartha
Album: Weltschmerz a.k.a World Pain
Released: 1975/1993
Garden Of Delights - CD 013
Genre: Prog-Rock, Psychedelic, Krautrock
Line-Up:
Martin Morike - Organ, Piano, Vocals
Klaus Hermann - Drums
Gerhard Kraus - Violin, Vocals
Eberhard Muller - Guitar
Klaus Scharff - Bass
Gabi Rossmanith - Vocals (On Track 1)
Iris Rothermel - Flute
Lothar Mattlinger - Tuba (on Track 4)
AMG Biography: Named after a Hermann Hesse novel, Siddhartha was a unique and unusual blend of progressive and art rock, with bits of psychedelic and even proto-punk thrown in. The roots of the group go back to 1971, in a small town outside Stuttgart in southwestern Germany, where keyboardist Martin Morike and violinist Gerhard Kraus practiced constantly in Morike's basement. Eventually they decided to form a band, and they enlisted guitarist Eberhard Muller and drummer Klaus Hermann, fellow students at their university. After rejecting several bass players, they obtained Klaus Scharff through a classified ad.
In 1973, Muller came up with the name for the group and they started to gig locally while the various members continued their college studies. One of their live pieces, also called "Siddhartha," was a very long improvisation over which various members of the band read from the Hesse novel, accompanied by a light show and smoke machines. The group decided in 1975 to release an album as a way to get more live gigs. In early April and again in mid-May of that year at the Ton Studio in Stuttgart, they recorded material with the help of guests Gabi Popmanith on vocals, Iris Rothermel on flute, and Lothar Mattlinger on tuba. After failing to find a label that was interested in their unusual work, they released the album, Weltschmertz, as a 400-copy private pressing near the end of 1975. By the late '90s, this record had become a collector's item worth 500 dollars, and it was finally put out on CD by reissue label Garden of Delights. Siddhartha lasted until the end of 1977, when various members had to move away because of university studies or civil service. - By Rolf Semprebon
Cosmic Dreams At Play: This group recorded a melodic and almospheric album with some nice guitar parts in 1975. Certainly a very rare progtessive rock album!
The Crack In The Cosmic Egg: From the Stuttgart region, Siddhartha's origins go back to 1971, as a few students friends hatched the idea of creating a blend of psychedelic and art-rock musics. In 1973 they became Siddhartha (taking their name from a Hermann Hesse novel) as a part time band whilst continuing studies at university. Siddhartha had an unusual style, with strong nods in a Pink Floyd cosmic direction, yet featuring violin, almost punky song writing along with symphonic and folky instrumental touches, they had a style of their own, but it wasn't easy to describe! Try as they did, they couldn't find a record company interested in their odd music, and thus they issued WELTSCHMERZ as a 400 copy pressing. The band continued until late 1977, but never got to release any other music. - By By Alan Freeman & Stephen Freeman
Album Reviews:
#1: Siddhartha, named after a novel by Hermann Hesse, were formed in 1973 in Korntal near Stuttgart. They performed an intelligent mix-ture of progressive and art rock influenced by psychedelia and folk. Although their 1975 album is called "Weltschmerz" all songs contain English lyrics except for "Weit weg". It was released in a limited edition of 400 copies and is now one of the most sought-after collectors’ items. A thirty minute demo tape by Siddhartha which was recorded after the release of their album has disappeared and has not yet been found. As no live gigs were recorded no additional tracks could be added to this CD issue. One of the best CDs in this series. - Taken From German Krautrock
#2: When Siddhartha originally recorded their only album in 1975, no label would commit to the uncompromising weirdness of the music from these art rockers. Weltschmerz starts off with "Looking in the Past," a track that goes from brash proto-new wave with female vocals, to laid-back psychedelic guitar rock, to hyper, keyboard-driven prog, and then into strange space rock territory with a chorus and finally back to the driving proto-punk. Siddhartha doesn't try to fit any niche too comfortably -- Pink Floyd-ian space rock, to Emerson-like symph-rock keyboard workouts, to psychedelic guitar solos, to haunting violin over a lush keyboard bed, to cosmic folk with acoustic guitar and flute. Siddhartha works against predictability as they pull one musical rabbit after another out of their hat, with strange song structures in between long instrumental passages of melodic beauty. Siddhartha is a difficult group to pigeonhole, if you are so inclined; however, for those who don't like their music pigeonholed, Weltschmerz is a wonderful treat. - By Rolf Semprebon, All Music Guide
#3: I don’t really know what the hell to make of this thing. Garden of Delights reissued it on CD, and from what I’ve read the original vinyl is pretty much a collector’s item, if you can find it at all. I got this from a friend who has a penchant for picking up off-the-wall CDs, but has a tendency to pawn them off quickly if he doesn’t take a liking to them. So I guess considering he didn’t even want any money for this one, I should have been wary. No need to be, as it turns out, because this is a pretty interesting and entertaining album, despite the fact that it doesn’t fit cleanly into any category I can think of. The band was apparently a group of university students who played local venues in Germany in the mid-seventies, and disappeared in the latter part of that decade leaving only this album in their wake.
The first track is quite misleading, as it begins with some kind of new-wave female vocals and poppish accompaniment. This quickly turns psychedelic though, and over the six minutes or so of the track manages to work in a little bit of punk, some twisted blues, and an extended instrumental section that sound like it might have been an attempt at a proggy number. Very weird, but it has grown on me a bit after a dozen playings or so. Very strong electric guitar presence on this track too.
The second track is almost as long, but is more of a blend of swing and artsy keyboards, with a doodling bass line that sounds more like a tuning session than anything else. There’s some echoing footsteps dubbed in for some reason and plenty more guitar, but here the tone is deeper and less pronounced.
“Times Of Delight” might qualify as a symphonic number, but the guitar here borders on Animals-era Pink Floyd before shifting to a strumming acoustic section around the time the violin kicks in. This is a pleasant tune whose meaning completely escapes me.
“Weit Weg” is the most disjointed and confusing track on the album, with a mixture of strumming and picking guitar and violin that doesn’t seem to quite track with the keyboards, and giving way to folkish flute and electric piano and eventually German vocals that also border on folk. There’s also some tuba mixed in midway, but the first couple times I heard this track I wasn’t sure if this was really a tuba, giving this an almost carnival feel. Then again, I always think tuba gives music a carnival feel, much like acoustic guitar picking always sounds like Spanish music to me. So maybe you should disregard that comment altogether.
The last track is “Gift of a Fool”, and the organ is quite prominent here, with the violin mixing with the guitar and vocals to give off a very dated feel. For some reason the vocalist has shifted to English, and the drums move to the forefront for about the only time on the album during the latter part of the song.
I’m not sure what to make of this album, but I suppose it should be considered progressive simply because I can’t think of how else to describe it. A very interesting and eclectic collection of tunes, and recommended if you happen across it somewhere. Three stars. - By ClemofNazareth (Bob Moore, Prog Archives)
#4: I think that unjustly this band like related has been classified prog, for my taste is a progressive band without no doubt.
"Looking In The Past" begins with a powerful song of a female singer, followed by a surrounding keyboard and underground, the subject is developed almost completely instrumental.
"Tanz Im Schnee" is a jewel made by this group of adolescents, enthusiastic bass guitar, with powerful rates, a guitar that perfectly follows the development of the subject, a style support jazz of the battery and the omnipresent keyboard that makes of this subject an intense experience, really is the high point of the album.
"Times Of Delight" is good and mysterious, the bad thing is the poor performance of the male singer in where it is not reached to listen nor to understand what says, besides to have an English very badly spoken.
"Weit Weg" this it is the most complex track of the album, sung in German, diverse changes of rates, is used the violin and tuba giving him to a strange atmosphere of circus and mystery is a great subject although it is not easy to understand initially, but its power catch you and like.
"Gift Of The Fool" the disc finishes with a mysterious song in where it becomes to emphasize the great work of the organ, delicate sound of violin and an appropriate vocal performance.
Finally single it is to say that it is a good discovery of the underground German progressive world of 70's, you do not doubt purchase to it this disc -By ChileProg (Guillermo Ponce Sandoval, Progarchives)
#5: Fastidious mixture from progressive and kind skirt with influences of Psychedelic and Folk. Predominantly English-language, but for the first time here also a German-language piece. Master tape quality (NoNoise).
#6: Sophisticated mixture OF progressive and kind skirt influenced by psychedelic and folk. Mainly in English LANGUAGE, but for the roofridge time there is A song in German LANGUAGE on this label. Master tape quality (NoNoise).
#7: Siddhartha, 1973 in grain valley with Stuttgart based and to the work by Hermann Hessian designated, played a fastidious mixture from progressive and kind skirt with influences of Psychedelic and Folk. Straight available piece particularly contains many Psychedelic elements. Even if the name “world pain” lets other one assume, the plate is away” continuous English-language except on “far. It appeared 1975 in an edition of only 400 pieces and is in the meantime as one of the most looked for pieces of collecting tank hardly to be found. A demo volume by Siddhartha, brought in after publication of the LP and about a half hour long, disappeared for many years and unfortunately until today again did not emerge. Since also no useful Mitschnitte of appearances was present, had to be done to CD with that without auxiliary pieces.
Siddhartha, named after A novel by Hermann Hessian, were formed in 1973 in grain valley near Stuttgart. They performed to intelligently mix ture OF progressive and kind skirt influenced by psychedelia and folk. Although their 1975 album is called “world pain” all songs contain English lyrics except for “far away”. It which released in A limited edition OF 400 of copies and is now one OF the most sought after collectors' items. A thirty minute demo tape by Siddhartha which which recorded after the the releases OF their album has disappeared and has emergency yet been found. As NO live gigs were recorded NO additional TRACKs could added tons this CD issue. One OF the best CDs into this series. - Taken From Diregarden
#8: Siddhartha was formed 1973 in Korntal near Stuttgart / Germany and played a pretentious mixture of progressive and art rock influenced by psychedelic and folk elements. Joined by three guest musicians Siddhartha released their only album "Weltschmerz" in 1975 as a private pressing of 400 copies, an impressive masterpiece of music! As the original-LP goes up in high price-regions today of ¤ 500,- and more, it was really about time for an official reissue. Limited to 500 copies and with nice printed insert.
Track List:
01. Looking In The Past (6:11)
02. Tanz Im Schnee (5:13)
03. Times Of Delight (7:09)
04. Weit Weg (12:18)
05. Gift Of The Fool (6:39)
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