Record Reviews

BLUE EFFECT ~ 1969-1989 (EXPANDED EDITION BOX SET) SUPRAPHON 5990 (Barcode: 099925599027) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1989 Released: 2009 This wonderful reissue Box Set collects all the recordings by the legendary Czechoslovak ensemble Blue EffectFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Modry EffectFind albums by this artist). It is a brilliant document of the music scene, which thrived in Czechoslovakia (and other so-called "Socialist" Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain) following the 1968 Prague Spring, cut short by the brutal invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pack armies. Although the liberalization and reform that the Czechoslovak People yearned for was crushed by force and had to wait for two more decades to be finally achieved, the spirit of the Prague Spring lived on in People´s hearts and Arts were one of the areas where these feelings could be manifested, albeit carefully in view of the censorship and persecution. Jazz was an escape route to many Eastern European musicians, as it was tolerated and even supported by the Socialist regime (for reasons, which are beyond the scope of this review) and by the early 1970s many Rock musicians collaborated with their Jazz colleagues in order to avoid the scrutiny, which "decadent" Rock suffered from, in contrast to the relative liberal approach to Jazz. This strengthened the Jazz-Rock movement, which at the time was gaining worldwide popularity, with many Jazz-Rock Fusion ensembles active on the Czech music scene from the early 1970s to mid 1980s, with Blue Effect being the best and most important representative of that phenomenon as well as the first Czechoslovak Progressive Rock act. It was formed by guitarist / composer Radim HladikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jiri KozelFind albums by this artist and drummer Vlado CechFind albums by this artist. Both Hladik and Cech remained as the group´s core founding members for the entire duration of their activity. The group was basically a Progressive Rock outfit, but its innovative approach and cooperation with Jazz musicians, like the ensemble Jazz QFind albums by this artist and the Jazz Orchestra Of Czechoslovak Broadcasting CorporationFind albums by this artist were revolutionary at the time and way ahead of their time. This Box Set includes all eight studio albums recorded by Blue Effect and a whole CD of bonus material, which includes an EP, singles and other bonus tracks. In retrospect this is some of the best Eastern European Jazz-Rock / Prog, which should not be missed by any connoisseur of the genre. An essential piece of music history!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ POZOROVATELNA (THE WATCH-TOWER) (EXPANDED EDITION) GAD 068 (Barcode: 5901549197914) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1973 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the 2nd album (but really a debut as the earlier album was recorded with another group called Blue EffectFind albums by this artist) by seminal Czechoslovak Jazz-Rock Fusion band Jazz QFind albums by this artist, led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist, which at the time also included the legendary guitarist Lubos AndrstFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal VrbovecFind albums by this artist. British, resident in Czechoslovakia at the time, vocalist Joan DugganFind albums by this artist, guests on one track and violinist Rudolf ChalupskiFind albums by this artist guests on another. This remastered 2CD edition includes the original album on the first CD and bonus material, which includes early versions of the compositions, radio and live recordings, mostly previously unreleased, on the second CD. Except for one tune, all the music is original and was composed mostly by Kratochvil and the other members of the band. Forty five years after this music was recorded it still sounds remarkably fresh and powerful, standing shoulder to shoulder with the best early Jazz-Rock Fusion albums recorded at the time anywhere on the globe. In many respects this music managed to stay more relevant than many of the most influential albums recorded beyond the Iron Curtain, that are still considered classic of the genre today. The music on the original album presents a coherent ambience, full of mystery and suspension, quite minimalistic in many respects, especially in view of other Fusion albums. The melodic content is moody and subdued, and the instrumentalist perform with great delicacy and reserve, almost unheard of in the Fusion idiom. The overall result is that of a magic journey through space and time, which is fascinating and completely absorbing. In spite of the minimalistic approach the four members of the band present plenty of their virtuosic abilities, with Andrst simply tearing the space-time continuum to shreds. His incredible Blues feel, although not dominant here, is absolutely Godly. The bonus tracks reveal other facets of the quartet, with more vibrant and energetic material, all of which offers a superb sonic quality, which bonus tracks often lack. The material is quite mixed and offers a diverse stylistic ambience, with Jazz, Blues and Fusion pieces all present and which allow the players to show more of their excellent capabilities. As a result these bonus tracks are all worth being present here and listened to and are the antidote of the "filler" approach that so many reissues suffer from. Overall this is one of the greatest albums recorded by Eastern European musicians ever, not only within the Jazz-Rock idiom, but generally. Every second of this music counts and having it back in circulation is an absolute delight. This is an absolutely essential piece of musical history and a must have item in any decent music collection. Congrats to GADFind albums on this label Records again for the splendid and dedicated work of love!

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 13/04/2018

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend