essen 1970

Essen 1970 captures Guru Guru at the third Essen Pop and Blues Festival, held in the city’s Grugahalle in October 1970. The classic trio of Ax Genrich on guitar, Uli Trepte on bass and Mani Neumeier on drums delivers three extended performances from the group’s earliest and most uncompromising period.

“Stone In” develops through distorted guitar, restless bass movement and Neumeier’s forceful percussion, while “Der LSD-Marsch” turns a heavy, repetitive theme into a long psychedelic improvisation. The closing interpretation of “Bo Diddley” reshapes the familiar rhythm through Guru Guru’s raw, unpredictable interplay. Recorded directly from the mixing desk, the surviving tapes were carefully prepared for this archival release without removing their original live character.

Track listing

1. Stone In – 12:00
2. Der LSD-Marsch – 14:22
3. Bo Diddley – 11:27

Archival live CD with 36-page colour booklet

Recorded: Third Essen Pop and Blues Festival, Grugahalle, Essen, Germany, 25 October 1970

Recording source: Direct soundboard recording