Various Artists — Under and Above the Clouds – Yacht Rock Grooves Fr

The phrase "yacht rock" will instantly conjure up a sound, vibe, or image in anyone's head these days, but it wasn't until the mid 2000's when it became a classification. We like to picture these artists crafting their jazzy rock and light funk while sailing the seas in search of lascivious good times, when in reality, they were just enjoying the pure sunshine emanating from their riffs. While Germany and Austria are very far from the southern California coast, through music, everything is possible! Mixing folk influences into krautrock and eurodisco outer fringes, the tracks on Under and Above the Clouds span a fertile and underheard twelve year period. As they're a bit varied in tone, time, and style, running through each of the ten tracks on their own gives the clearest picture.

 

"Because" by Reflection opens up the compilation with its California highway vibes very reminiscent of early/mid 70's American folk/soft rock. Playing like a more lounge-centric version of "Sister Golden Hair," the music is bright and forward feeling, but lacking punch. The vocals don't really help the languidness of it, but the organ/synth solo in the middle is a highlight and helps to reinforce the European lifeblood flowing through the track.

 

Ara Pacis' "To The Westcoast" is no stranger to Musique Machine, as The Artless Cuckoo's re-release of the 7" was reviewed here in 2019. Today, as back then, the song brings about a sunny, almost late summer feeling, its relative coolness brought about by the straightforwardness of it all. Not to say that this song lacks feeling, but it is just a bit more rigid than the American scene, and really, comparing the two forty plus years later is naive on my part. Ara Pacis has wonderful harmonies, arrangement, and like the organ solo in "Because," the solo in the last third of the track brings it to a really strong finish.

 

Breaking from the folkiness of the previous two tracks, Mainpoint's "Frisbee" is intent on getting you out on the tiles to cut it up. Upbeat, funky, and full of energy, this one captures the party aspect of Yacht Rock wonderfully. The keys in the back are relentless and play against the shuffle like drums while the vocals keep the track moving forward with they're quick cadence. Another heartfelt pair of solos help to show how different the American and European scenes are, and how different influences and evolutions can shape musical movements.

 

Memorable vocal hooks seem to be a big part of Yacht Rock, but Nuages proves that you can make a classic groove with instruments alone. "Strange Weekend" is the only instrumental on Under and Above, and what an instrumental it is. A mixture of light funk, jazz, and rock, the first half of the track is smooth as silk, but reminiscent of luxury, leisure, and the finer things in life. It's a top down cruise around town with the excitement of a destination in mind. Then, the music is stripped away and only the bassline remains, bridging into the second half where Nuages really flex their muscle. Like day and night, the two halves work together, oppositely, to bring about one heckuva feel good jam. If "Strange Weekend" doesn't get your head moving and smile going, check your pulse.

 

Dieter Heyduk's "Austrian Sky" is a quick hitter, definitely built for radio airplay, and sounds a lot like the opener, "Because." That's no coincidence since Dieter wrote the music and lyrics to both. The most recent song on the compilation, the recording is the cleanest and loudest here, which kinda makes it stick out like a sore thumb. It's a nice track, but the most uninspired feeling on the album.

 

Bongo beats punctuate and percolate in Gavin James' "River of Laughter," a British-German joint that is bluesy, funky, and a bit darker than the rest. It's the nighttime bite of cruising the river, wrapping up a day spent basking in the sun. The double vocal lines muddies the delivery a bit too much and lessens Gavin's impact on the song, but the excellent work by Black Cat Bone behind him keeps "River of Laughter" moving and growing. 

 

Funky, jazzy, and jamming, Top Spin's "Bikin" explodes with basslines, horns, and synths, giving the vocalists a perfect launching pad for their bike riding tale. The most adventurous track on the collection, "Bikin" definitely checks off the Yacht Rock boxes but could work on so many other compilations. Whether you're enjoying the horns, the synths, the bass, or the guitars, there is plenty of each and the listener is given quite the funky buffet from Top Spin.

 

Jan Pack Band's "Cable Dance" is almost like a Yachty version of Gang of Four (in my weird mind, at least), letting its funk play through the colder, mid-80's filter. A bit new wave, a bit of The Clash, and a bit of funk, this one is an interesting and fun little number.

 

Probably as surprising as Aerosmith covering it, Goldfinger do their rendition of "Walking in the Sand." Minimal and reggae inspired, this cover certainly feels like walking in the sand, with its sluggish pacing and uninteresting instrumentation. While I appreciate the work and different interpretation here, this one really crashes the album's flow and pretty much scuttles the experience for me.

 

Closing everything out, Major Seven follows with "Silverboat," a crooning little night time number that uses its velvety atmosphere to bring about the love and lust, ending the compilation on a high note.

 

Ten tracks of "Yacht Rock" from Germany and Austria? Yes please. Under and Above the Clouds is a great compilation of an underappreciated scene, coming at a time when everyone is clamoring for the fun in the sun, beer in the breeze vibes that the rockers of old presented to us. What may have originally been tentpoled by nostalgia and a longing for the past, the appreciation spread and the strength of the works stood on their own. With Under and Above, we're able to hear this time period and vibe interpreted through completely different lenses and can further distill what it means to be "Yacht Rock."