Record Reviews

YEHUDA POLIKER ~ ASHES AND DUST (20TH ANNIVERSARY EXPANDED EDITION) NMC (ISRAEL) 450362 (Barcode: 7290011998516) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1988 Released: 2008 3rd album by Israeli singer / songwriter / guitarist Yehuda PolikerFind albums by this artist, one of Israel´s most important and unique artists, which in time achieved the status of one of the most important musical projects recorded in this country. Poliker, whose parents were Holocaust survivors from the Greek town of Thessaloniki, presents here a deeply moving, troubled and often shocking document about one of the most significant social / psychological phenomena common in the Israeli society – the Second Generation Holocaust Syndrome (SGHS). Many thousands of Israelis, children of Holocaust survivors parents who immigrated to Israel from Europe after WW II (myself included), grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust, often completely unaware of their parent´s traumas and psychological devastation. Every child of Holocaust survivor parents bears in his personality a deep scar, inherited from his parents, even if this syndrome is hidden for many years. By the 1980s the SGHS was becoming painfully apparent in Israeli society and many of its victims were in need of psychological treatment to overcome its destructive effects. Poliker´s songs, which have lyrics written by another Holocaust Survivors child, Yaakov GiladFind albums by this artist, take this issue head on and for the first time ever right in the open and their impact on Israeli society was enormous, way beyond the musical statement this albums makes. Although Poliker started out as a rocker, playing great guitar, writing songs and leading the group BenzinFind albums by this artist in the early 1980s, he slowly returned to his Greek musical roots, the music he heard in his parents´ house, and from the mid-1980s on he incorporated them in every musical statement he made. A master bouzouki player, he was soon notified beyond Israel, especially in Greece of course, and some of Greece most revered musicians collaborated with him on many projects, including George DalarasFind albums by this artist. Poliker recorded several albums, which included his interpretations of Greek songs, which were immensely successful. The "Ashes And DustFind albums with this title" project started in 1986, when Poliker´s parents participated in a radio program, which was broadcasted during the Holocaust Memorial Day, where they talked about their experiences in Nazi Concentration Camps. Poliker wrote several songs, which served as the musical background for that program, and later on led to the recording of this album. Following the release of the album, a Holocaust documentary entitled "Because Of That WarFind albums with this title" was filmed, which used Poliker´s music as a soundtrack. The music, brilliantly crafted, is a mixture of Rock, ethnic elements (Greek and Middle Eastern) and ambient / psychedelic effects, which takes some time to get used to, but is quite overwhelming. Even for listeners, who do not understand the Hebrew lyrics, the powerful statement of sadness, loss, and confusion is clearly audible. Poliker´s guitar and other instruments he plays are often subdued, but there are many passages when his brilliant performances can be savored. This expanded edition includes the original album as well as an additional CD, which includes the 1986 Holocaust Memorial Day broadcast and several vide clips filmed to accompany songs from the album. Beautifully packaged, this well researched and tastefully prepared package pays the homage this musical milestone truly deserves. Side Note: Yehuda Poliker´s parents´ house in Kiriat Haim, a quiet and sleepy (at the time) suburb of Haifa, was only two minutes walk away from my parents´ house, one of several new housing apartment buildings constructed to house the wave of immigrants which arrived in Israel at a steady flow since the establishment of the State of Israel. Our family immigrated to Israel from Poland in 1967 and this was out new home. I was 16 at the time and already a music addict, up to date with every development of the burgeoning Hippy Heaven, so naturally I was immediately on the lookout for kindred souls nearby. It didn´t take me long to find out that a kid a few houses away is a music lover and a guitar player and soon enough Yehuda, a few other music buffs and myself were spending hours together listening to music (which I supplied, being the only one with the latest arrivals like "Disraeli Gears" by Cream or other guitar heaven LPs like those by Jimmy Hendrix), often skipping school in the process. Yehuda was always quiet and contemplative, but he could immediately duplicate any guitar lick by Clapton or Hendrix, much to our amazement and of course envy. He did swallow up everything I knew about music then, and I kept of course encouraging him wholeheartedly when he started to make his first professional musical steps. Sadly our paths separated when he moved to Tel Aviv in order to pursue his career as a professional musician and in retrospect I´m sorry we never kept in touch over the years, but I always followed his career closely and admired him for his perseverance, independence and musical integrity. I remember seeing the number tattooed on his father´s forearm, same as it appeared on my father´s forearm, but we never discussed the Holocaust – it was something the young generation did not talk about. When this album was released, twenty years after we first met, I understood how deeply Yehuda was influenced by his parents´ past, same as me and so many others.

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend