Moving Gelatine Plates - The World of Genius Hans 1972

On their second album, the Moving Gelatine Plates revisit much of the musical territory established on their debut. The World of Genius Hans is a solid offering of jazz-influenced progressive rock, but it gives the impression that the band used up their best ideas on their first record. Many of the melodies aren't as alluring as those on the debut, and others sound like half-hearted rehashes of earlier songs. One example is the title track, in which the band recycles a theme from "Gelatine" off of their debut. Despite these flaws, The World of Genius Hans does have some redeeming moments. "Moving Theme" blows by with shifting tempos and frantic melodies simultaneously delivered by saxophone and electric guitar. While most of the album moves along at a more modest pace, this track captures the energy that made their debut so impressive. The Moving Gelatine Plates also begin to incorporate more elements into their music that are akin to German Krautrock. The snarling distortion and atonal percussive elements on tracks like "We Were Lovin' Her," as well as the vocal stylings throughout the album, bring to mind German bands like Faust and Amon Duul II. Although The World of Genius Hans isn't quite as fresh or engaging as the band's debut, it does make for a better listen than much of the like-minded progressive rock from the period. AMG.

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