missus beastly

• Format: Vinyl LP, album reissue, stereo
• Vinyl: 180-gram vinyl
• Edition: Limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies
• Bonus Track: “Vlothofluto,” recorded at the Vlotho festival in 1975
• Packaging: Includes an eight-page LP-sized booklet

Missus Beastly’s second self-titled album, originally released by Nova in 1974, marked a decisive change from the raw psychedelic rock of the group’s earlier recordings. Often identified as the “gorilla cover” album, it introduced a substantially revised line-up and a fully instrumental sound centred on energetic jazz rock, fusion and progressive improvisation.

The music is driven by the interaction between Jürgen Benz’s alto saxophone and flute and Friedemann Josch’s soprano saxophone and flute. Their fluid exchanges are supported by Dieter Miekautsch’s electric piano and keyboards, Norbert Dömling’s muscular bass lines and Lutz Oldemeier’s forceful, highly flexible drumming.

“Julia” opens the album with a bright melodic theme and rapidly shifting instrumental interplay, while “20th Century Break” and “Geisha” combine intricate rhythms with extended wind and keyboard passages. “Vacuum Cleaners Dance” moves between restless experimentation and tightly controlled fusion, and the unusually titled “Paranoidl” develops an insistent groove around saxophone, flute and electric piano.

The extended “Fly Away” is one of the album’s strongest performances, allowing the musicians to move naturally between composed themes and open improvisation. “Talle” closes the original album with another concentrated display of the group’s rhythmic precision and ensemble playing.

This Garden of Delights edition is the first official vinyl reissue of the album. It was sourced from the master tapes and adds “Vlothofluto,” a previously separate live recording from the 1975 Vlotho festival sampler. The hand-numbered pressing also includes an eight-page LP-sized booklet documenting the band and the original release.

Track Listing

Side A

1. Julia – 3:54
2. 20th Century Break – 5:02
3. Geisha – 5:23
4. Vacuum Cleaners Dance – 5:17

Side B

1. Paranoidl – 4:20
2. Fly Away – 7:46
3. Talle – 5:40
4. Vlothofluto – 4:58 (bonus track, live at the Vlotho festival 1975)