Search - Savage Rose :: In the Plain

Reviewed by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Patricia Hall | Syracuse, NY | 02/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most well-known rock groups from Continental Europe, Denmark's Savage Rose recorded a wealth of intriguing and eclectic progressive rock in the late '60s and '70s. In their early work, one hears faint echoes of the Airplane, Doors, Pink Floyd, and other psychedelic heavyweights combined with classical jazz and Danish-Euro folk elements. Their arrangements rely heavily on an incandescent, watery organ that sounds like nothing so much as psychedelic aquarium music. The most striking aspect of the band's sound, however, was the vocals of lead singer Annisette. Her childish wispy and sensual phrasing can suddenly break into jarring, almost histrionic wailing, like a Janis Joplin with Yoko Ono-isms, and eerily foreshadows Kate Bush's style.



Stars in their native land, Savage Rose also achieved a bit of underground success abroad, and several of their albums were released in North America. Between 1968 and 1978, the group released nine albums, moving from vaguely psychedelic rock and the heavily gospel-influenced Refugee to the nearly classical ballet score Dodens Triumf and the folky, nearly all-Danish Solen Var Ogsa Din (their first eight albums were sung entirely in English).



Always a radical band -- the Black Panthers even invited the group to play at a benefit for Bobby Seale after hearing one of Savage Rose's records -- they took the extremely radical step of withdrawing from the studio entirely by the end of 1970s to focus on using their music to support leftist political causes. Although they continued to make music and perform, they were often heard at benefits and free concerts, actually playing in Lebanese hospitals, schools, and refugee camps at the P.L.O.'s invitation. They eased back into recording in the early '80s with Danish-language efforts on small labels, eventually getting back into the mainstream music business with established distribution. Their mid-'90s album, Black Angel, was their first English-language recording in many years, and a substantial Danish hit. By this time the only remaining members from the original band were Thomas Koppel and Annisette (now his wife); Koppel also records and composes symphonic music as a solo artist"

A 1969 Classic!

Morten Vindberg | Denmark | 11/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A 1969 Classic ( actually released in December 1968 in Denmark). What is Savage Rose? An answer could be," A remarkably soulful voice, great classical inspired compositions, skilled musicianship and a touch of "Traffic" and "Pink Floyd".



This album is not as immediately catchy as their 1968 debut, but with outstanding songs like "Long Before I Was Born" ( a little Mott the Hoople" piano on that ), "The Shepherd and Sally" and the hit-single "Evening's Child" you'll soon be caught in."

Savage rose - in the plain

Steven Leszczynski | 04/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always loved their music. The lead singer does sound like betty boop on acid, but the music can rock, with touches of gospel, blues, soul, and everything under the sun."