Jane: Together 1972 + Here We Are 1973 + Jane III 1974

 

Jane is a German progressive rock Krautrock band, that was formed in October 1970 in Hanover,

Germany. Playing a melodious synthesis of symphonic hard rock, that has occasionally been compared to Pink Floyd, Hanover Krautrockers Jane can trace their origins back to the late sixties psychedelic band The J.P.s (Justice of Peace). Releasing a single "Save Me"/"War" in 1968, the band featured future Jane members Peter Panka on vocals, Klaus Hess on bass and Werner Nadolny on saxophone.
                                                    

By late 1970 The J.P.s had dissolved and regrouped as Jane with Panka on vocals and drums, Hess switching to guitar and Nadolny assuming keyboards. Charly Maucher joined on bass and power

vocalist Bernd Pulst completed the band in April 1971 and their first LP Together was released on the Hamburg-based record label Brain Records in the spring of 1972. Singing in broken English, which helped create passionate effects, a heavy expressive bluesy sound emerged with blistering Les Paul solos and slabs of Hammond organ backdrops, that was consolidated by Peter Panka's almost hypnotic oscillating drum beats, that would characterize Jane's music for almost 40 years. "Together" was warmly received by the German music press including Sounds magazine, who had declared Pulst its vocalist of the year for 1971.
                                                         

The first of an almost continual succession of lineup changes occurred later that year with Pulst departing and Maucher bowing out for health reasons. Former Justice Of Peace guitarist Wolfgang

Krantz joined on bass and guitar with Panka and Hess sharing the vocals, which displayed even more lethargic and stoned out sonic timbres. Applying their proven formula, their 1973 follow up album "Here We Are" was somewhat more harmonious with the addition of synthesizers, that provided spacier atmospheres and produced a fan favourite in the form of the sombre rock ballad "Out in the Rain". Shortly after the album's release Nadolny left to form a new band Lady with the recovered Maucher returning on bass and vocals.
                                                       

Jane's third endeavour, simply entitled "Jane III" (1974), was a scorching guitar blowout and with Krantz on second guitar. The void left by departing keyboardist Nadolny was adequately compensated for with two dueling guitarists as demonstrated by an impressive in-studio jam entitled "Jane Session" as well as a spaced out extended track "Comin' Again" featuring Maucher's harder edged vocals.
                                                                         

Keyboardist Werner Nadolny returned in 1976 for Jane's expansive 33 minute symphonic progressive rock masterpiece "Fire, Water, Earth & Air" (1976). Featuring layers of Hammonds, Moogs, Mellotrons and synths, it was unquestionably Jane at their creative zenith and the Jane album that would hold the most appeal for progheads. Containing somewhat darker conceptual atmospheres, their 7th studio album "Between Heaven and Hell" (1977) once again followed progrock paradigms. Mixed reactions within the German music press did not prevent the album from being embraced by fans, that was at times similar to Pink Floyd's capacious stylings. By this time Jane had become one of the top draws in the German music scene as well as attracting followings in Switzerland and Austria even though they continued to sing in English.
                                                                                                                                                      

In 1996 Peter Panka's Jane (initially referred to as Pano's Jane) recorded the studio album "Resurrection" and introduced ex-Epitaph member Klaus Walz along with Kai Reuter (formerly of Kasch) on guitars with veteran Nadolny returning on keyboards and Mark Giebeler on bass. Tragically,

founding member Peter Panka died as result of cancer in June 2007, which put the band on hold. However, in compliance with Panka's wishes original member Charly Maucher took over as leader and another studio album "Traces" was released in 2009 with the current lineup of Charly Maucher on lead vocals/bass, Klaus Waltz guitar/vocals, Arndt Shulz guitar vocals and Fritz Randow (ex Eloy & Saxon) on drums plus Werner Nadolny on keyboards. Although Werner Nadolny has since left the band, he currently tours with his own Jane tribute band performing vintage Jane material. Klaus Hess' Mother Jane also remains active with a recently released 2009 album titled In Dreams.
                                                                   

Along with other bands such as Amon Düül II, Grobschnitt and Guru Guru, Jane continues to bear the torch of the early seventies Krautrock phenomenon and continues in that spirit to this day in three different guises led by original members.

TOGETHER 1972

                                                                                         

Together is the first official album by the German progressive rock band, Jane, released in 1972 and is a Masterpiece of Progressive Rock.

[AllMusic Review by Mike DeGagne  
Inundated with every characteristic of progressive rock, Germany's Jane combined elements of jazz fusion, space rock, and even heavy metal at times to come up with a sound that was always exciting and never restrained. On 1972's Together, they fabricate a sound that combines the percussiveness of hard rock with the expansive wandering of makeshift melodies, all kept intact by the vocals of Berndt Pulst, who luckily doesn't have to be a great singer thanks to the intricacies of the organ and flute that are widely predominant. Nonetheless, this debut album offers up some engaging prog rock through the freestyled transience of the lead and bass guitars.
                                                             

The full 12 minutes of "Spain" is punctuated with some stellar drum playing via Peter Panka and some interesting singing from bass player Charly Maucher near the end. Showing signs that their music will gain experimental momentum in future albums (and it did), the placid eeriness that is germinated in

"Daytime" and "Hangman" prove that Jane have their roots firmly planted in the space rock and Krautrock genres, only to evolve into other avant-garde areas later in the '70s on albums like Here We Go and Fire, Water, Earth & Air. As one of the most popular bands on the progressively oriented Brain label, Jane's exploratory brand of guitar/organ/percussion based music is well-established throughout these six tracks.]

All songs are written by Klaus Hess, Charly Maucher, Werner Nadolny, Peter Panka and Bernd Pulst.

TRACKS

01. Daytime - 8:10
02. Wind - 4:57
03. Try to Find - 5:27
04. Spain - 11:57
05. Together - 3:46
06. Hangman - 9:30

MUSICIANS

Klaus Hess – lead guitar
Charly Maucher – bass, vocals
Werner Nadolny – organ, flute
Peter Panka – drums, percussion
Bernd Pulst – vocals

MP3 @ 320 Size: 102 MB
Flac  Size: 273 MB

HERE WE ARE 1973 (2007 REMASTERED)

                                                                                                

[AllMusic Review by AllMusic
The second long-player from German band Jane, HERE WE ARE was recorded under very strained

circumstances. Their lead singer had just passed away, their bass player was very sick, and the band was so broke they had to borrow all the instruments they played on the recording. Still, a tasty prog-hard-rock album ensued, following on the promise of their debut if not winning over the fickle music press of the era. This 1973 album was remastered and reissued on CD by Brain in 2007, with informative bilingual liner notes.
                                                        

Although Jane's second LP Here We Are isn't as great as their debut it's till a pretty good record overall. Pretty hard progressive rock disc with some really good material. The sound is mostly guitar driven and there isn't as much organ sound as on their first album.]

TRACKS

01. Redskin (8:53)
02. Out in the Rain (5:38)
03. Dandelion (2:17)
04. Moving (3:53)
05. Waterfall (4:24)
06. Like a Queen (2:38)
07. Here We Are (5:35)

Bonus tracks on 1997 & 2007 reissues:
08. Here We Are (single version) (3:48)

09. Redskin (single version) (2:41)


MUSICIANS

Peter Panka / lead vocals, drums
Klaus Hess / lead guitar, bass
Werner Nadolny / organ, Mellotron
Wolfgang Krantz / bass, lead guitar

With:

Günter Körber / words & backing vocals (1), producer
Peter Heinemann / backing vocals (1)
Brigitte Blunck / backing vocals (1,5)
Ariane Gottberg / backing vocals (1,5)
Miriam Kalenberg / backing vocals (1,5)
Angelika Winkler / backing vocals (1,5)
Dieter Dierks / electronic Fx (6)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 93 MB

Flac  Size: 248 MB

JANE III  1974 (Remaster 2004)

                                                                                          

This third Jane album continues in the same direction as it's predecessor Here We Are. Their style is a mix of prog rock and hard rock and overall the band sounds nice and the compositions are solid.

The glistening "wobbly" guitars and the sparse bass guitar really make the atmosphere. This track especially reminds me of bands like early UFO (without the direct space rock references) and Human Instinct (without the heavy jamming psych) and overall a little bit more progressive. I struggle to consider this as true prog though, probably hard rock (not that it is that hard) with progressive and psychedelic leanings. Props to the band for letting this run out to a nice long length allowing the listener to really get lost in the atmosphere.
                                                           

[AllMusic Review by AllMusic
While it would be easy to tag German chooglers Jane with the often overused Krautrock label, the band have far more in common with the bongwater-soaked riffage of Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad,

than the more academic, experimentally minded sounds of Can, Neu! and even Amon Duul II. This album--the band's third and released in 1974--is easily their high-water mark. Epic guitar solos collide with space-boogie grooves, white blues vocals, and Age-of-Aquarius mysticism to create what is certainly a forgotten classic. That Jane were bona fide rock stars in their native land makes the album all the more interesting. Originally released on the German psych/prog label Head, Britain's SPV reissued it in 2007 with informative liner notes.]

TRACKS

01. Comin' Again    9:40
02. Mother, You Don't Know    5:52
03. I Need You    4:52
04. Way To Paradise   3:28
Piano – Wolfgang Krantz
Vocals – Peter Panka
Piano – Wolfgang Krantz
Vocals – Peter Panka
05. Early In The Morning    5:24
06. Jane-Session    4:20
07. Rock 'n' Roll Star    4:48
08. King Of Thule    0:39
09. Baby, What You're Doin'    3:08

MUSICIANS

Bass Guitar, Vocals – Charly Maucher
Composed By – K. Hess, P. Panka, W. Krantz
Drums, Percussion – Peter Panka
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Klaus Hess
Engineer – Conny Plank
Guitar [Leslie] – Wolfgang Krantz
Liner Notes – Christian Graf (2)
Producer – Günter Körber

MP3 @ 320 Size: 100 MB
Flac  Size: 265 MB

WAY TO PARADISE  LYRICS

I've been the child called Jesus Christ
I've been the monk who burnt himself
But nobody cares
Only crying will be our fate
The way to hell

I'm the sign in everything
I'm the comet in the sky
But people only see the dove, her wings
How lovely, they say, but they don't really see
Make me feel better
Make me feel better

Evolution took its way
We're rocking on the moon
But our mind is no super mind
Animalism will take our place soon
Make me feel better

You Can Find: Fire, Water, Earth And Air + Between Heaven |And Hell Albums HERE