* 2023 much-needed repress * Reissue of the 2nd Moving Gelatine Plates album, originally issued in 1972; with 5 bonus tracks from 1980. "The World of Genius Hans is often given the nod over Moving Gelatine Plates' self-titled debut album as their defining moment, which is surprising considering both albums are extremely close in quality. Certainly, the second release by this band is a continuation stylistically, perhaps more compositionally refined and taken a step further.

The opening title track showcases the band's ability to craft a lengthy composition of gradually unfolding, substantial development. While the exhilarating jerkiness and trademark tendency to unexpectedly jump from theme to theme is certainly still there, the group seems to rely less on the unrelenting aural assaults and machine gun choppiness of the first record. In general, the band seems willing to take a step back and show a good degree of professional restraint; allowing an impressive degree of engaging thematic development to take place. Tracks like 'Funny Doll' and the sublime 'Astromonster' are quintessential MGP; distorted bass lines, gorgeous horn melodies, fascinating harmonies and amorphous rhythms that never sit still. The former is perhaps the most vocal heavy the band ever got, while the latter encompasses virtually all their strengths, making it the most perfect six minutes on either album. The section in which striking guitar harmonics echo the bass lines from earlier in the song, only to be embellished upon by towering saxophone lines, shows a degree of sophistication the band may have lacked previously. With all that said, it's virtually impossible to pick a favorite from between the two albums, but if forced, a very slight nod would go to The World of Genius Hans. A classic album and perfect representation of the eclecticism of the French progressive rock movement of the '70s." --Greg Northrup