Epitaph
Along with Lucifer's Friend, Blackwater Park, and other bands even more obscure, Epitaph were members of a curious fraternity of '70s German bands that featured British singers. Founded in Dortmund in late 1969 by vocalist/guitarist Cliff Jackson and his compatriot James McGillivray, plus locally bred bassist Bernd Kolbe, Epitaph were originally named Fagau's Epitaph, but decided to shorten it after moving to Hanover, where they eventually signed with Polydor. Second guitarist Klaus Walz joined the fold halfway through the sessions for their eponymous debut (released in 1971), which, along with its successor, Stop, Look & Listen (1972), contained only five lengthy tracks, largely comprised of post-psych progressive rock, spiced with occasional jazz accents and widespread twin-guitar harmonies. Neither LP succeeded at introducing the band to a significant audience, though, and McGillivray had quit by year's end, being replaced by German drummer Achim Wielert, just as Epitaph were beginning to experiment with a more compact and direct hard rock style. This was previewed by the two singles they released in 1973, but Polydor still decided it was time to cut their ties to the group, who surprisingly headed off to America almost immediately, drawn by the promises of a start-up indie label called Billingsgate.
Epitaph wound up recording their third and most critically acclaimed LP, 1974's Outside the Law, in Chicago, afterwards embarking on a tour of the U.S. with ex-Karthago drummer Norbert Lehmann -- only to have it rudely interrupted when Billingsgate went bankrupt. Drained by their string of bad luck and feeling lucky simply to escape back to Germany without being held responsible for Billingsgate's debts, Epitaph called it quits in January of 1975. But Cliff Jackson couldn't resist reviving Epitaph just a few months later, gradually rebuilding their damaged reputation until a revamped band -- rounded out by guitarist Heinz Glass, keyboardist Michael Karch, bassist Harvey Janssen, and drummer Fritz Randow -- finally re-emerged with 1979's Return to Reality album. Now pursuing a semi-heavy metal angle, this edition of Epitaph recorded two more, poorly received LPs (1980's oddly named See You in Alaska and 1981's Live), and then Jackson reunited the Outside the Law lineup for 1982's Danger Man. Also given to heavier rock sounds, and also unsuccessful, the latter finally proved to be Epitaph's, well, epitaph, barring very rare concert reunions thereafter.
© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo
Artistes similaires
-
-
Fire from the Soul (Deluxe Version)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 26 août 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stop Look And Listen
Rock - Paru chez M.i.G - music GmbH le 9 nov. 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Long Ago Tomorrow
Hard Rock - Paru chez M.i.G - music le 26 avr. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Acoustic Sessions (Acoustic Version)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 14 févr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Corona Concert (Live Stream 24.04.2021)
Pop/Rock - Paru chez Fuego le 15 août 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live (Live, 1980)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music GmbH le 25 mai 1981
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dancing with Ghosts
Rock - Paru chez M.i.G - music GmbH le 28 août 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Night at the Old Station (Live)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 28 avr. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Remember the Daze
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 5 mars 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Five Decades of Classic Rock
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 26 juin 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rockpalast : Krautrock Legends, Vol. 1 (Live at WDR Studio-L Köln 02.02.1977, WDR at Studio-L Köln 03.09.1979)
Rock - Paru chez M.i.G. - music le 27 mai 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
See You In Alaska
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music GmbH le 25 mars 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Lost Tapes
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music GmbH le 15 déc. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Still Standing Strong and Back in Town (Live, Hannover, 2012)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 20 sept. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Danger Man
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music GmbH le 30 mars 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Harmonie, Bonn, Dec. 22nd 2004 (Live at Rockpalast)
Rock - Paru chez M. i. G. - music le 11 août 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Songs That Remain Unsung
Metal - Paru chez Epitaph le 2 juin 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo