Klaus Schulze: Timewind (1975)

Klaus Schulze - Timewind

KS Canon 5

Track Listing:

1.	Bayreuth Return	30:32
2.	Wahnfried 1883	28:38

Bonus Tracks (CD 2):

1.	Echoes of Time	38:42
2.	Solar Wind	12:35
3.	Windy Times	04:57

Rating: 5 Stars
Bonus Tracks: 4½ Stars

This is Klaus Schulze's fifth solo album. It's dedicated to his biggest musical inspiration, Richard Wagner, as the titles of the tracks also make clear. Both titles refer to Wagner's death. Bayreuth is the town where Wagner lived for most of his later years. He died in Venice in 1883, and his body was brought back to Bayreuth. He was buried in the grounds of his family home, which he had named Wahnfried.

"Bayreuth Return" was recorded in a single take on the evening of 3rd June 1975. The first two bonus tracks were recorded in the same session. "Wahnfried 1883" was recorded several weeks later. "Windy Times" is a studio track recorded in 2000.

This was Klaus Schulze's first album to be released in America. It was highly acclaimed by music fans and critics alike.

These handwritten notes were printed on the back cover of the original LP release. The musical description refers only to "Wahnfried 1883", which was an 8-track recording. Note that Klaus also published his address and phone number on the LP. That was a common practice among German artists in the 1970's.

I'm not a competent music reviewer, so I'll just briefly express my impression of the two tracks. "Bayreuth Return" is a subtle piece of music, whereas "Wahnfried 1883" is pompous and operatic; in a word, it's Wagnerian. I can't say which track I like the most. They both appeal to me, in different ways.