Record Reviews

KATARZYNA GARTNER / CZERWONO-CZARNI ~ PAN PRZYJACIELEM MOIM: MSZA BEATOWA GAD 086 (Barcode: 5903068120183) ~ POLAND ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of an album by Polish composer Katarzyna GartnerFind albums by this artist and the Rock group Czerwono-CzarniFind albums by this artist which was the first of its kind attempt in Poland to create a Christmas Mass within the Rock rather than traditional sacred music environment. The album comprises of an eight-part Mass and three additional Carols, performed by the group and an instrumental ensemble conducted by the composer. The album was recorded and released in 1968, a time when Poland was under a Socialist regime, which was naturally opposed to the deeply religious inclinations of the Polish People, and the fact that such an innovative project like this one was allowed at all was a miracle of sorts. Gartner was inspired by her visit to the US, where she witnessed church music performed in a colorful and unconventional way by the Afro-American community. After several attempts to reconstruct the same approach in Poland, she finally managed to convince the group to take part in the project and record the material against all odds. The album is to this very day one of the most unique achievements in the history of Polish Classic Rock and remains in the collective memory of the generation that witnessed its original release as a historic event. Regardless of the political and social aspects of this album, the music it offers is remarkable in every way, as are the vocal and instrumental performances. Considering (again) the fact that this music was recorded behind the Iron Curtain, it is surprisingly advanced for its time and is definitely up to par with what Classic Rock artists in the West were recording at the time. As usual GADFind albums on this label Records made an excellent decision to reissue this album, which truly deserves to be revisited and remembered, being both an important piece of Polish Classic Rock history and a delightful piece of music. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 07/02/2019Posted: 07/02/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

POLANIE ~ POLANIE MUZA 1268 (Barcode: 5907783422683) ~ POLAND ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2009 Only album by the excellent Polish Beat group PolanieFind albums by this artist founded and led by organist Wieslaw BernolakFind albums by this artist, which also included guitarist / vocalist Piotr PulawskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wlodzimierz WanderFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew BernolakFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej NebeskiFind albums by this artist. Founded by members of two other famous Polish Beat groups: Niebiesko-CzarniFind albums by this artist and Czerwono-CzarniFind albums by this artist, they were the first Polish super-group. They played superb original material (sung in Polish) as well as covers of then contemporary international material (sung in English) and displayed an incredibly high level of musicianship, what was completely in par with their British or US counterparts. They were largely modeled after The AnimalsFind albums by this artist, which they supported during the group´s tour of Poland, using the same organ / guitar Bluesy sound. The lead singer had almost no foreign accent and their interpretations of songs by British groups sound as good as the originals, if not better. In retrospect this is one of the most important albums in the Polish Rock history and still sounds great after all these years. This new edition includes also the only EP released by the group, which is an extremely rare collectors´ item. Wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend