Improved Sound Limited - Improved Sound Limited (1971) (Germany, Krautrock, Psychedelic Folk-Rock)<br /><br />When IMPROVED SOUND LIMITED recorded their eponymous double LP with the renowned label Liberty/<br />United Artists in 1971 the young Nuremburgers (all born in 1947) already had a colourful musical <br />past behind them...They started, in 1961, with skiffle music and after a modern jazz phase and <br />under the influence of the rising rock scene they settled with rock and pop music. Before this <br />they were called The Blizzards and during their school holidays in August 1965 were German pop <br />singer Roy Black's backing band playing Elvis, Cliff Richard and Roy Orbison songs. When Black <br />recorded "Du bist nicht allein" (You’re not alone) the boys decided he was and took a new <br />direction. The timing, 1966, was perfect as Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Radio) held a <br />competition called "Meet the Beat" with 80 bands. IMPROVED SOUND LIMITED won and were able to <br />record a single of their winning song "It Is You" b/w "We Are Alone" for Polydor. New doors were <br />opened for the band after winning the rock competition. At the time, society figures often hired <br />rock bands for weddings, which is how IMPROVED SOUND LIMITED met Munich film producer Rob Houwer <br />who put them in touch with director Michael Verhoeven. With a demo presentation the band won a <br />competition to record the soundtrack to his film "Engelchen macht weiter hoppe-hoppe Reiter". <br />The music was released as an LP in 1969 on Cornet. This was IMPROVED SOUND LIMITED’s breakthrough.<br />In the following years they recorded for many other films and in 1969 they released another <br />single on Polydor called "Sing Your Song" b/w "Marvin Is Dead". 10 years after they began their <br />musical careers they released their double LP "Improved Sound Limited" which now appears on CD <br />for the first time (mixing and mastering: Jörg Scheuermann). In a lucid review the Improved <br />musicians were called "Rock Old-timers". This, at first glance disrespectful description of the <br />young musicians turned out with further reading to be a sign of respect. The LP was a stylistic <br />curriculum vitae of 23 year old Rock Old-timers, 10 years live experience in smoky cellars and <br />bars between Bochum and Radolfzell pressed into grooves. A prominent feature of the record <br />production, amazing musical skills aside, was the depth of experience that the band had gained <br />through playing live and in the studio. IMPROVED SOUND LIMITED achieved a perfect blend of <br />spontaneity and creativity together with modern recording techniques: "This album has been <br />recorded with a high level of professional ability". Every note, every word stands on its own: <br />Axel Linstädt wrote the music and his brother Bernd wrote the words. Even the production work, <br />for which bands like the Rolling Stones or the Beatles engage international stars like Jimmy <br />Miller, George Martin or Phil Spector, was done by the band themselves. This is why the sound of <br />the double album, with all its variou
