(Symphonic Progressive) Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen - 1977, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stern Combo Meissen (SCM) started way back in 1964. After numerous changes in musical style and personnel, they settled on classically influenced prog in the mid-1970s. Finally, after 13 years, their first eponymous album was released in 1977, which is actually a live recording from that same year. Highlight of the album is the opener "Kampf um den Sudpol" ("Battle for the South Pole"), about Scott and Amundsen's race for the South Pole. As most of their music, it is characterized by a strong keyboard presence. Even though ELP are cited as an important influence, most of the time the keyboard sound owes as much to Wakeman as to Emerson, I would say. The most notable exception is side two of this first album, with some true ELP-style organ work, especially on the first track "Eine Nacht auf dem kahlen Berge" ("A Night on Bald Mountain"), which is (again in true ELP style) a Mussorgsky adaptation.

Stern Combo meissen's first LP is a gem of an LP in a field - East German Prog - not exactly bursting at the seams with masterpieces (unlike Italian Prog). But this great debut is worth checking out, blending Hawkwind-lie space-rock with prog dynamics. On "Der Kampf um den Sudpol" the first side opens with atmospheric wind effects until an icy Rick Wright-type organs starts snaking out of the ether in a sublime Eastern modality, while synths fizzle and fart in the background, oscillating their way into the stratosphere. SCM sing in German, which also sets them apart from a lot of german bands (Eloy, Jane), but I think in the end this is better as the German vocal inflection often struggles around English language lyrics (see Grobschnitt's "RockPommels Land"). Stern Combo Meissen's LP's suffer from a bad vinyl pressing like many Eastern European rock LP's but the energy of their arrangements overcomes this one minor quibble. "Eine nacht auf dem Kahlen Berge" opens Side Two with some great keyboard work - its the keyboards that really shine on this LP as the six-man line-up boasts three keyboardists!! Thomas Kurzhals moog work is first rate, reminding me of the style of SBB from Poland. LP closer "Licht in das Dunkel" finishes in style with a great extended Yes-like dynamic, lots of moog-riffs and great swathes of string backing on organ and string-synth (although the sleeves dont' discern - it sounds like SCM use Solina string synths rather than Mellotron's giving them a Tangerine Dream like texture). Overall, a charming little addition to the German Prog collection - a band with a very varied sound taking in influences from Wish You Were Here-era Floyd, ELP, Hawkwind and Yes. A great mix of space-rock and prog and a keyboard players dream

01 - Der Kampf um den Sudpol.flac
02 - Der Alte auf der Mullkippe.flac
03 - Mutter gehen fort ohne Laut.flac
04 - Eine Nacht auf dem Kahlen Berge.flac
05 - Licht in das Dunkel.flac
art
flac-Stern Combo Meissen - Stern Combo Meissen .m3u
flac-Stern Combo Meissen.CUE
Stern Combo Meissen - Stern Combo Meissen .m3u
Stern Combo Meissen .log
Stern Combo Meissen.CUE
tau.txt
art\alt-cover.jpg
art\front-back.jpg
art\front.jpg
art\tray-back.jpg

EAC extraction logfile from 10. June 2007, 5:50 for CD
Stern Combo Meissen / Stern Combo Meissen
Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GSA-4167B Adapter: 1 ID: 1
Read mode : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 667
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo
Other options :
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Track 1
Filename J:\Torrents-up\Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen (1977) [FLAC]\01 - Der Kampf um den Sudpol.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:02.00
Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 02C6A43B
Copy CRC 02C6A43B
Copy OK
Track 2
Filename J:\Torrents-up\Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen (1977) [FLAC]\02 - Der Alte auf der Mullkippe.wav
Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 99CCE065
Copy CRC 99CCE065
Copy OK
Track 3
Filename J:\Torrents-up\Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen (1977) [FLAC]\03 - Mutter gehen fort ohne Laut.wav
Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 09DCC941
Copy CRC 09DCC941
Copy OK
Track 4
Filename J:\Torrents-up\Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen (1977) [FLAC]\04 - Eine Nacht auf dem Kahlen Berge.wav
Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 13B907D0
Copy CRC 13B907D0
Copy OK
Track 5
Filename J:\Torrents-up\Stern Combo Meissen - Sterm Combo Meissen (1977) [FLAC]\05 - Licht in das Dunkel.wav
Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 3B73386A
Copy CRC 3B73386A
Copy OK
No errors occured
End of status report

1213507147 94209404 01 - Der Kampf um den Sudpol.wav
3159159992 52473164 02 - Der Alte auf der Mullkippe.wav
2347519902 47820908 03 - Mutter gehen fort ohne Laut.wav
958143508 109344524 04 - Eine Nacht auf dem Kahlen Berge.wav
230556952 141966764 05 - Licht in das Dunkel.wav
auCDtect: CD records authenticity detector, version 0.8.2
Copyright (c) 2004 Oleg Berngardt. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2004 Alexander Djourik. All rights reserved.
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Processing file: [01 - Der Kampf um den Sudpol.wav]
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This track looks like CDDA with probability 100%
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Processing file: [02 - Der Alte auf der Mullkippe.wav]
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This track looks like CDDA with probability 100%
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Processing file: [03 - Mutter gehen fort ohne Laut.wav]
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This track looks like CDDA with probability 100%
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Processing file: [04 - Eine Nacht auf dem Kahlen Berge.wav]
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This track looks like CDDA with probability 99%
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Processing file: [05 - Licht in das Dunkel.wav]
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This track looks like CDDA with probability 99%
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Final Conclusion:
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These tracks looks like CDDA with probability 100%