2008er Studioalbum des wandlungsfähigsten Chamäleons in der deutschen Musikszene. Nach Alternative Country, Voodoo und Soul hat die inzwischen als Septett agierende Band um Sänger Red (man hat inzwischen einen Schlagwerker, einen Bassisten und einen Perkussionisten fest integriert) die Freuden am gemeinsamen, Session-artigen Liedentstehungsprozeß entdeckt und so entstanden die 10 Songs im Studio-Kollektiv, was ihnen ein wundervoll fließend-intuitive Atmosphäre verleiht. Die Lieder zwischen knapp 2 und bis zu 8 Minuten Länge werden durchweg geprägt von einem süffig-sündigen Groove, der sich gleichermassen aus Soul und Bar-Jazz, Salsa und Latin speist, gleichzeitig aber wird die Brücke zu frühen deutschen Klangwerkern wie Kraftwerk oder Neu geschlagen, eine schier unerschöpfliche Fülle an Keyboards in allen erdenklichen Farbschattierungen lässt das Klang-Spektrum leuchten und gleichzeitig spürt man die Spiellust, die die sieben Beteiligten im Entstehungsprozeß gespürt haben. Und so erschafft Missouri einen unwiderstehlich verführerischen Pop, der hierzulande einzigartig ist.
(cpa, Glitterhouse)
Missouri's musical journey goes from their beginnings as an Alternative Country two-piece, via an experimental phase to the quartet of the VoodooRama era, through several collaborations up to a groovy Soul record. Around that time Missouri started to play live for the first time as a six-piece band with real drums and bass. The concerts were so convincing that the two added live musicians (Andreas Voß and Patrick Goebel) were invited to record new material at the band's own Lonestar Studios. Now having 6 people contributing to the development of the new songs called for an entirely different approach.
At this time the band would go to the studio around mid-day with no preconceived ideas, work out the basic structure of a new song, record it in the afternoon and have the singer do his job in the evening to finnish things off. After some time Alex Sticht, an old friend of the band, came in to do percussions and additional backing vocals. The result of this process (besides chronic pill abuse, ruined friendships, a Wireless connection for the studio, several new computers) are 10 Pop songs which evolved from nothing and were made into immortal Missouri hymns by 7 musicians. Just listen to Barcelona Sunrise! "Love is here, love is here, it shines brighter than the Brigthon Pier. And if the Barcelona Sunrise is a blast, then to love you baby is a must".
The old Missouri strategy to never do the same trick twice and to let go of old things was once again confirmed by this concept. 10 intense Pop songs with more Pop inside them than Missouri ever had before. They developed their own style out of bits from the first few records: Voodoo, Soul, cryptic and romantic lyrics which this time revolve around a fictitious band that goes through the highs and lows of the modern music business.
A concept album, possibly? Sure, why not. It's the concept of having 7 people create a song from scratch that enjoys continued existence in the modern Pop-Biz. As always, they are self-ironic and angular with lots of quotations from music's vast and varied history. "Sleighride" for example is a clear homage to Neu!, "Revisited" shows Billy Joel in a different light and "Bands missing in action" has not only had a good sniff of the Meters' flair but is also concerned about this particular band's whereabouts. This acts as an example for every band out there, because they will all eventually go missing someday.
"Summer Festival" is the story of a fellow band set to music. Business as usual, one could say: Missouri in ever changing new disguises but still always Missouri. This is all the more astonishing, considering that there were 7 musicians involved who all have their own individual understanding of music. Another thing that's new is the Label. The good and longstanding friends at Micropal Records liked the idea of putting out a recorded document of this period in time just as much as Missouri themselves. Cheers for that! Missouri on this record are: Red, Frank Mollena, Wuschi Ebert, Carter Cain, Andreas Voß, Patrick Goebel and Alex Sticht. The female voice on some of the songs belongs to Nina Kraensel.