Improved Sound Limited - Improved Sound Limited (1971) (Germany, Krautrock, Psychedelic Folk-Rock)

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