NA Reserve Review: Paternoster "Paternoster" (1972)

 

The best music captures a feeling, regardless of the style, sound, era, or instrumentation; it's all about the energy. Of course to each of our ears those things become incredibly subjective and dependent upon our upbringing, our cultural surroundings, our education and something else intangible that is most easily summed up by one word: feeling. These qualities manifest what we fill our ears with and point us in the direction of where to dig and what to dig for as we explore the vast array of sonic frequencies available to us in these days of streaming audio and more musical options than anyone could ever sift through.

Rock music, generically defined by me as guitar focused, has many levels and sub genres that all aim to pin things down to a finite box. But these finite definitions don’t serve us as we venture down the rabbit whole of deeper exploration. As a style that has existed for a very long time there is much to ignore and much that just isn’t for everyone. Thus the power of musical choice, why listen to that which doesn’t fill you with joy and excitement? The sweepingly broad declarations of “essential” albums in any style will always have haters who just aren’t feeling the vibe.

My experience with rock music is very peripheral. My ears heard the pop rock of my youth and that of my parents' generation to varied amounts of love. There is respect but often little real appreciation for the style. As I delve deeper and deeper into musical excavation and awareness my openness broadens and my ears continue to evolve. So leave it to a label founded by some crate digging hiphop heads to introduce me to a record I’d probably never come across if not for their excellent work.

Egon started Now Again as a reissue label while he was still managing Stones Throw and building a relationship with the loop digga himself - Madlib. These two bonded over dusty albums and the excitement that comes when you unearth something you’ve never heard before. From the beginning of Now Again it seems like the goal was to share this excitement with others while also properly compensating the creators behind gems that never were truly appreciated or released with proper respect for what was being recorded.

Now Again Reserve was launched towards the end of 2016 as a subscription service for heads that were after those truly elusive gems, records us mere mortals would salivate about if we even knew they existed to begin with and most likely aren’t aware of as their price tags approach a year's rent. In true beat digger fashion the records selected are all over the place sonically and geographically. Sometimes they were pressed in very limited quantities or never pressed at all. The experiment kicked off with Paternoster.

A latin term meaning “Our Father” - don’t let the religious connotations deter you, this is not devotional music. Formed in Vienna in the early 70’s, Paternoster is a four piece outfit consisting of Franz Wippel on organ and vocals, Gerhard Walter on guitar and vocals, Haimo Wisser on bass and Gerhart Walenta on Drums. Together they concocted a hauntingly pristine journey that is at times lively, at times scary and at times groovy. The record ebbs and flows with spirit and energy, loudness and calmness.

The quartet were young hippies in a town that wasn’t interested in counterculture or divergent ideas but did feature an underground scene that nurtured their creativity. Via philosophical conversations and rehearsals in their apartments they started to develop a sonic direction informed by a trio of albums from recent times. Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, Soft Machine’s Third & Procul Harum’s Shine On Brightly were ever present on their turntables. The trio of Wippel, Walter & Wisser were tight knit and connected while Walenta filled in as a much needed drummer but wasn’t as interested in the auditory experimentation the rest of them were after.

Paternoster was recorded in two days. The album hits on many levels. Songs grow and develop in movements of energy and beauty. The organ is a presence throughout the project, while Wippel’s moaning vocals provide a spirit of otherness to the grooves. To my ears, so many rock records fall victim to amazing musical backing with poor singing, not the case here. Franz is not a “beautiful” singer but his voice does convey life and it’s pain. The blues influence on rock music of this era is what comes to mind, even if these guys weren’t listening to it, it had clearly seeped into their consciousness.

While the record carries an ominous tone, it doesn’t play into a spirit of misery or depression. There is much to enjoy and unpack via repeated listening. Walenta may have been an outsider philosophically but he delivers driving rhythms and a constant source of excitement with his drumming across all seven tracks. His playing is subtle when it needs to be and invigorated with perfect timing. “Old Danube '' opens with a wild organ workout coupled with a simple and effective breakbeat before smoothing out and giving Wippel’s voice the spotlight. There are elements of jazz intricacy across his playing along with wild freakouts that bring to mind what was to come via punk in the 80s.

This is the kind of rock music I can get behind. It’s experimental and possessed. There is nothing flat or boring here. Perhaps it’s the remastering job done by Dave Cooley for this reissue, but all the instruments sound crisp and precise. You hear each element on every song clearly and this only leaves openness for your mind to latch on to and pick up different elements upon any given listen. It’s a journey to be absorbed and explored, sat with and digested over time, not rushed through only to nod and say “yeah, it’s good” and move onto the next record.

Now Again and Egon have a reputation, there is no doubt that with their stamp of approval the music is going to be of the utmost caliber. All I can say is that this record is worth your time and ears. It’s filled with vibes of so much of what is beloved by the masses of this time period and yet most likely unheard of by those same masses. However you stumble upon this album don’t be deterred by it’s unknownness. Press play and be blessed with groovy, psychedelia that never received the attention it is certainly worthy of.