Record Reviews

MAREK GRECHUTA ~ MAREK GRECHUTA & ANAWA POMATON 724352774029 (Barcode: 724352774029) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2000 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his first of the two albums with the group AnawaFind albums by this artist, which he founded during his student years in Krakow together with fellow architecture student, pianist / composer Jan Kanty PawluskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The version of Anawa playing on this album was sextet, which included also cellist Anna WojtowiczFind albums by this artist, viola player Tadeusz KozuchFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek OstaszewskiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Tadeusz DziedzicFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians also played on the album, including drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek JackowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Zbigniew PaletaFind albums by this artist and others. The album includes ten tracks, seven composed by Pawluskiewicz and three composed by Grechuta. Grechuta wrote lyrics to three of the songs and the remaining seven are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Adam MickiewiczFind albums by this artist, Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist, Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist (closely associated with the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and others. Musically the album is light-years ahead of its time and completely different from anything else that was happening on the Pop / Rock scene at the time in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. It amalgamates seemingly conflicting elements like contemporary Classical music, Psychedelia, chanson and cabaret, Jazz and very strong Folklore and World Music influences. In addition there is also the omnipresent Polish melancholy, emphasized by the poignant lyrics and sensitive delivery. Although the Music & Poetry movement existed in Poland earlier, mostly in the intimate cabaret environment, Grechuta took it forward making a milestone step towards perfecting the genre and no less importantly popularizing it by bringing it to huge crowds rather than to the limited Avant-Garde / intellectual audiences of small clubs and student hangouts. Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The entire band performs simply divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is simply one of the best Pop / Rock albums ever recorded in Poland and absolutely nothing recorded since comes even close to its perfection, except of course for the next album he recorded with the same group called "Korowod", which is considered even stronger than this one. It is completely untouched by time and constantly gets better in contrast to most music created today. It is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music and no collection of Polish music will be complete without it. This expanded and remastered edition includes twelve bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio or in concert, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. Perfection incarnate!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MAREK GRECHUTA / ANAWA ~ KOROWOD POMATON 724352774227 (Barcode: 724352774227) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2000 This is the second album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his second and last album with the group AnawaFind albums by this artist, which he founded during his student years in Krakow together with fellow architecture student, pianist / composer Jan Kanty PawluskiewiczFind albums by this artist. Anawa was an octet, an unusually large ensemble on the Pop scene, and included also bassist / flautist Jacek OstaszewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek JackowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Eugeniusz MakowkaFind albums by this artist, cellist Anna WojtowiczFind albums by this artist, viola player Tadeusz KozuchFind albums by this artist and violinist Zbigniew PaletaFind albums by this artist. The album includes nine tracks, five composed by Pawluskiewicz (including one instrumental), three composed by Grechuta and one by Jackowski (the instrumental intro opening the album). Grechuta wrote lyrics to three of the songs and the remaining four are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Jan ZychFind albums by this artist, Konstanty Ildefons GalczynskiFind albums by this artist, Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist (closely associated with the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and Tadeusz SliwiakFind albums by this artist. Musically the albums is light-years ahead of its time and completely different from anything else that was happening on the Pop / Prog scene at the time in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. It amalgamates seemingly conflicting elements like contemporary Classical music, Psychedelia, chanson and cabaret, Jazz and very strong Folklore and World Music influences. Anawa was among the earliest ensembles to be influenced by World Music and it´s not surprising that Ostaszewski and Jackowski would soon after create OssianFind albums by this artist, the first full-fledged World Music ensemble in Poland. In addition there is also the omnipresent Polish melancholy, emphasized by the poignant lyrics and sensitive delivery. The short instrumental suite composed by Pawluskiewicz is an absolute masterpiece and a timeless gem in its own right. Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The entire band performs simply divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is simply one of the best Pop / Prog albums ever recorded in Poland and absolutely nothing recorded since comes even close to its perfection. It is completely untouched by time and constantly gets better in contrast to most music created today. It is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music and no collection of Polish music will be complete without it. This expanded and remastered edition includes eight bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. Perfection incarnate!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ OD WSCHODU DO ZACHODU SLONCA (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 04 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2012 This is the fourth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, trumpeter, percussionist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical progress at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. The album was recorded in early 1970, shortly after the group returned from their US / Canadian tour, bringing with them the Hammond organ, which was Andrzej Zielinski´s dream since many years. Obviously the album features the Hammond extensively, and its sound was about to become the group´s trademark in years to come. The other group members are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. Musically the album clearly marks the group´s transition from sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock into the realms of Progressive Rock, which was exploding with creativity at the time. The tracks are longer than before and feature extensive instrumental passages, complicated arrangement involving orchestra and choir and the entire album is soaked in the Hammond sound. Zielinski´s incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie also used excellent lyrics, which were written by the great lyricist Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, who cooperated with the group for many years. Luckily they were never tempted to sing in English and stuck with their native tongue. Of course the Polish lyrics are lost to listeners not speaking the language, but the music is definitely strong enough to stand on its own and Skaldowie achieved a worldwide following despite the language barrier. This expanded edition includes ten bonus tracks (doubling the original album´s length), partly radio recordings and partly rare recordings they made in Czechoslovakia and East Germany. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is a perfect piece of Rock music, if there ever was one. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included. Essential!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ TY (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 05 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2011 This is the fifth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, trumpeter, guitarist, percussionist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical progress at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. The album was recorded in early 1970 just three months after the group recorded their previous album "Od Wschodu Do Zachodu SloncaFind albums with this title". It features the Hammond organ extensively, which the group managed to bring over from the US and its sound was about to become the group´s trademark in years to come. The other group members are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. Musically the album combines their earlier work in the realms of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock and the new territory of Progressive Rock, which was exploding with creativity at the time. The tracks are longer than before and feature extensive instrumental passages, complicated arrangement involving orchestra and choir and the entire album is soaked in the Hammond sound. Zielinski´s incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie also used excellent lyrics, which were written by the great lyricists like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, who cooperated with the group for many years, Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist or the poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. Luckily they were never tempted to sing in English and stuck with their native tongue. Of course the Polish lyrics are lost to listeners not speaking the language, but the music is definitely strong enough to stand on its own and Skaldowie achieved a worldwide following despite the language barrier. This expanded edition includes ten bonus tracks (doubling the original album´s length), partly radio recordings and partly other studio material. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is a perfect piece of Rock music, if there ever was one. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included. Essential!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ WSZYSTKIM ZAKOCHANYM (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 06 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2013 This is the sixth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical development at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. This album was recorded in May 1972 just a week before the group recorded their Progressive Rock Magnum Opus "Krywan, KrywanFind albums with this title". It includes more song oriented material Andrzej Zielinski composed since the recording of their previous album two years earlier. It features the Hammond organ extensively, which the group managed to bring over from the US and its sound was about to become the group´s trademark in years to come, but also some quiet songs with almost acoustic accompaniment. The other group members are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. The group was about to repeat in the future the same practice of releasing two albums almost simultaneously, one with song oriented material (like this one) and the other with Progressive Rock material. Musically the album combines their earlier work in the realms of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock and the new territory of Progressive Rock, which was exploding with creativity at the time. Zielinski´s incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie also used excellent lyrics, which were written by the great lyricists like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, who cooperated with the group for many years or the poetesses Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist and Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist (the future Nobel Prize Laureate). This expanded edition includes ten bonus tracks (doubling the original album´s length), partly radio recordings and partly alternate studio material. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is a perfect piece of Rock music, if there ever was one. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ WSZYSTKO MI MOWI ZE MNIE KTOS POKOCHAL (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 02 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2013 This is the second album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, trumpeter, percussionist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical progress at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. The album was recorded in partly in 1967 and than completed in 1968, while the personnel of the group was still unsteady and included: guitarists Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, Marek JamrozyFind albums by this artist and Feliks NaglickiFind albums by this artist, bassists Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz GogoszFind albums by this artist, and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. The female vocal group AlibabkiFind albums by this artist accompanies the group on several tracks. Musically the album clearly shows the group´s stylistic development from the debut album, full of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock. The beautiful arrangements involving orchestra and choir by Andrzej Zielinski, who also composed all but one of the album´s songs, are outstanding. He presents incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie used excellent lyrics, which were written by the best Polish lyricists at the time, like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, and Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist, Luckily they were never tempted to sing in English and stuck with their native tongue. Of course the Polish lyrics are lost to listeners not speaking the language, but the music is definitely strong enough to stand on its own and Skaldowie achieved a worldwide following despite the language barrier. This expanded edition includes thirteen bonus tracks (more than doubling the original album´s length), all of which are radio recordings. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is almost a perfect piece of Pop / Rock music, a status they were about to reach in their next albums. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend