ATLANTIS - Atlantis (1973-2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Atlantis' debut album follows firmly in the footsteps of the earlier Frumpy, with one major difference: shorter songs. Just three of the seven tracks break the five-minute barrier, only one -- the defiantly Deep Purple jazz-rocky "Living at the End of Time" -- approaches ten. But Atlantis rises regardless. The closing ballad, "Words of Love," essentially predicts Heart's entire career, while the funky overtures of "Get Up," colliding with some of Inga Rumpf's finest, gutsiest vocals, would have made a sensational FM radio favorite. The latter portion of "Living at the End of Time," once the band drops the jazz-rock elitism, is spellbindingly fairyland folky, and both "Rock 'n' Roll Preacher" and "Maybe It's Useless" show a Free influence that is quite spectacular. And that, if there is a downside, is where the disappointments lie. At their best, Frumpy's forte lay in their ability to fly off at monstrous tangents without ever losing sight of such notions as melody, cohesion, and discipline. The tangents are less pronounced here, the exploration is less bold and forthright. But the performances are as strong as ever, the songwriting is even stronger, and Inga Rumpf draws out some of her strongest vocals yet to power the band to some brilliant highs. by Dave Thompson  

Tracklist:

1. Get It Up (Inga Rumpf) - 5:24

2. Big Brother (Inga Rumpf) - 5:07

3. Rock 'n' Roll Preacher (Frank Diez)  - 3:42

4. Maybe It's Useless (Jean Jacques Kravetz, Inga Rumpf) - 3:41

5. Let's Get on the Road Again (Inga Rumpf) - 3:33

6. Living at the End of Time (Frank Diez) - 9:07

7. Words of Love (Frank Diez, Inga Rumpf) - 4:52

Atlantis is:

Inga Rumpf - Vocals, Guitar, Percussion

Frank Diez - Guitar

Jean Jacques Kravetz - Keyboards

Karl Heinz Schott - Bass, Vocals

Curt Cress -  Percussion, Drums

Guest Musicians

Rainer Baumann - Guitar

Rebop Kwaku Baah - Percussion, Conga

Jackie Diez -  Background Vocals

Carsten Bohn Bandstand - Drums

Jean Roussel - Keyboards

Claire - Vocals

ATLANTIS - It's Getting Better! (1973-1993) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Atlantis' second album, It's Getting Better, was the first to be recorded with new members Dieter Bornschlegel (later to join Guru Guru) and Ringo Funk, but it remains firmly cemented within the explorative realms that highlighted the band's debut, at the same time prompting the U.K. music press to describe the band as "the most English of all German groups." This was due in large part to vocalist Rumpf's avowed love of jazz and soul. The funky elements in no way outweighed Atlantis' prog instincts, however, with the seven tracks each spreading out in directions that confirmed the heroics of Atlantis and, in places ("Drifting Winds," "Fighter of Truth"), even surpassed it. The opening title track, too, is a triumph, and well deserving of its inclusion on DJ Andy Votel's much-loved Vertigo Mixed anthology. by Dave Thompson

Tracklist:

1 t's Getting Better 4:50
Percussion [Afro Percussion] – Gasper Lawal

2 Drifting Winds 5:06

3 Days Of Giving 7:23
Percussion [Afro Percussion] – Gasper Lawal

4 Changed It All 6:05
Percussion [Afro Percussion] – Gasper Lawal

5 Fighter Of Truth 6:17

6 Woman's Sorrow 3:23

7 A Simple Song 1:59
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Bottleneck] – Inga Rumpf

Credits:

Bass – Karl-Heinz Schott

Drums – Ringo Funk

Electric Piano [Fender], Grand Piano, Organ – Jean-Jacques Kravetz

Guitar – Dieter Bornschlegel

Vocals, Percussion, Lyrics by – Inga Rumpf