Record Reviews

MAREK GRECHUTA ~ DROGA ZA WIDNOKRES POMATON 724352574322 (Barcode: 724352574322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2000 This is the third 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 album with the group WIEMFind albums by this artist (an acronym of the Polish phrase "W Innej Epoce Muzycznej"), which Grechuta formed after he left his previous group AnawaFind albums by this artist. The new group comprised initially of guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, brilliant bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and three drummers / percussionists Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist, Bogdan KulikFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz KalinowskiFind albums by this artist. Later on the group was expanded with some personnel changes and included among others violinist Piotr MicheraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Antoni KrupaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The album includes eight tracks, all composed by Grechuta, who wrote lyrics to only one of the songs and the remaining lyrics are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Jan ZychFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz NowakFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz SliwiakFind albums by this artist and others. Musically the album marks a dramatic change in comparison to the acoustic World Music / Psychedelic atmosphere of his previous albums and moves into Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock, which is quite understandable considering that all the new band members were previously active in these areas. But the music also amalgamates the lyrical elements dominating Grechuta´s music and the intrinsic melancholy of the poetic lyrics. The instrumental work is rather intimate, with the guitar being the only soloing instrument, playing sweet Bluesy / Jazzy riffs. The absolutely sublime performances on the (acoustic) bass are the album´s backbone, upon which the entire musical contents is completely dependent. The later, expanded version of the group, included much more developed instrumental support to Grechuta´s lyrics, as can be heard on the bonus tracks. 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 band performs also divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is one of the best Rock / Prog albums ever recorded in Poland, although less innovative and shocking musically that its predecessor. It stands the test of time beautifully and is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music. This expanded and remastered edition includes seven bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. One of the tracks is an extended almost all instrumental version of the epic title track of the previous album, which is truly brilliant. A gem worth having!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

ONOMATOPEJA ~ ONOMATOPEJA TRZECIA FALA 003 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1975 - 1978 Released: 2014 This is the third installment in a new series of archival releases / reissues, initiated and piloted by Lukasz StrzelczykFind albums by this artist under the Trzecia FalaFind albums on this label moniker. The purpose of this series is to expose, showcase and most importantly document for posterity the early Polish Avant-Garde music movement, which rests almost completely buried by the tides of time, mostly forgotten and criminally neglected. The fact that this music was created at all is a miracle, considering the circumstances surrounding its birth. The Socialist Regime was naturally quite suspicious and often outright offensive towards "antisocial elements", as artists not following the regime directives were often referred to. The importance of having this music available is a momentous achievement and a vital effort to preserve the Polish cultural heritage, which unfortunately suffers from chronic neglect. Therefore it is encouraging to see that the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage supports this wonderful effort. The albums in this series are pressed in very limited volumes, so an immediate purchase is highly recommended. This album presents, for the first time on record (as hard as it is to believe), music recorded by the pioneering group OnomatopejaFind albums by this artist, founded in 1968 by guitarist Jan OlszakFind albums by this artist and brothers: Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist (vocals) and Piotr MitanFind albums by this artist (bass and drums). Onomatopeja was years ahead of its contemporaries, with complex melodic themes and extraordinary vocal performances, which included modulation and other World Music motifs, operatic sonorities and Avant-Garde improvisations. Several other musicians cooperated with the group until it finally ceased to function in 1981. The group also cooperated with visual artist Cezary StaniszewskiFind albums by this artist, who exhibited his paintings during the group´s performances, creating multi-media events. This album consists of nine songs recorded live between 1975 and 1978. Eight of the songs were composed by Olszak and one by Andrzej Mitan. The lyrics to five of the songs were written by poet Jan GalkowskiFind albums by this artist, one by poet Tadeusz NowakFind albums by this artist and one is a Polish translation of a poem by Croatian poet Jure Franicevic-PlocarFind albums by this artist entitled "When A Man Dies". The remaining two songs are instrumentals. Sadly the entire duration of the album is only twenty four and a half minutes, which is hardly what a document about the group deserves to have. The accompanying booklet includes information about the group´s history and other relevant details, with are also fully translated into English. Many historic photographs are also a splendid addition to the booklet. The fact that Onomatopeja never managed to record a full album during the time it existed is a sad characteristic of the Polish music scene during the Socialist regime, when the destinies of Artists were decided by incompetent State bureaucrats or political censorship. Non conformist and free thinking Artists had little chance to succeed, regardless of their true talents. This album manages, even if only partly, to pay a tribute to musicians, who placed their artistic truth before opportunism. For fans of Polish music, this album is an absolute must, not only because of its historic importance but principally since it uncovers a previously unknown piece of the puzzle, which has so much to offer. Side Note: Andrzej Mitan was one of the Artists, who took part in my production of the now legendary album "The Book Of JobFind albums with this title", which was recorded in 1985. His performance of the song "When A Man Dies" (see above), which was incorporated into our interpretation of the Biblical story, sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to the album. Needles to say we have been friends since then.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend