Thrice Mice
Thrice Mice! Philips, Germany,
1971, £400 Formed in Hamburg by brothers Werner (guitar) and Rainer (bass) von Gosen, Thrice Mice initially came together as a three-piece beat group in the mid-60s. Their first real break came in winning a 1967 ‘beat competition’ hosted by a Hamburg newspaper, which led to an appearance on an EP alongside the other contestants.
As the 60s drew to a close, their musical ambitions began to expand, gradually incorporating elements of classical, jazz, blues and rock. As a result, Thrice Mice became a sextet, adding sax, flute and organ. By 1970 they had become justified contenders on the German progressive scene
Thrice Mice! is an excellent and wildly eccentric album, consisting of four long tracks. Jo Joe brings to mind proto-prog legends such as Raw Material, Web,
Czar and Van der Graaf Generator.
Their 11-minute instrumental adaptation of Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto In D Minor is a mind-bending mix of wahwah guitars, improvised organ and dual sax workouts, with only the beginning and ending following a recognisable path.
Twelve-minute Torakov is the high point. Apparently it tells the tale of a free-love/ drug encounter between a band member and a strange Finnish girl. It builds and moves with spooky/distorted vocals, eerie organ and laid-back drums, between mellow atmospheres and heavy boogie sections, before climaxing with gloriously distorted acid guitar.
Thrice Mice! is a classic collectable from the Krautrock era. LD
‘Thrice Mice! is an excellent and wildly eccentric album.’