Record Reviews

KLAN ~ CHMURA NAD MIASTEM GAD 066 (Barcode: 5901549197891) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1972 - 1994 Released: 2017 This is an archival release collecting previously mostly unreleased recordings by the legendary Polish Prog group KlanFind albums by this artist, founded and led by vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Marek AlaszewskiFind albums by this artist. The material spans a period of twenty two years and includes radio, studio and live recordings featuring several lineups of Klan and recordings Alaszewski made with other musicians. Some cult Polish musicians take part in these musicians, like guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist and Tomasz ButowttFind albums by this artist from Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist´s AkwareleFind albums by this artist group, Wojciech WaglewskiFind albums by this artist and others. The music includes a wide kaleidoscope of stylistic approaches, from Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock and Alternative Rock, and presents Alaszewski as a composer of great diversity and talent. The three part suite, which also includes string quartet arrangements, is a beautiful example of East European Prog at its best. Considering the fact that these musical treasures remained hidden until recently, finally brought to life by the restless team of GADFind albums on this label Records, is especially significant in view of Alaszewski´s tragic health problems. All the proceeds from this album are dedicated to his convalescence. For fans and collectors of East European Prog this album is a great find and a must have item in their collections!

Updated: 02/02/2018Posted: 02/02/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KLAN ~ LIVE FINLAND 1972 GAD 039 (Barcode: 5901549197501) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2016 This is a sensational archive live recording by the legendary Polish Prog group KlanFind albums by this artist, recorded during their performance in Finland, which sees here the light of day for the first time forty four years later. The album´s booklet tells the story of this performance and the surrounding circumstances contributing to the establishment of the unique lineup of Klan which is heard here, which includes only one original member of Klan, leader guitarists / songwriter Marek AlaszewskiFind albums by this artist, who adopted guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist (from Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist´s backing group) and a formidable rhythm section consisting of bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, both members of the top Avant-Garde Polish Jazz ensemble at the time, led by trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. Together they perform five original songs, all written by Alaszewski, which are expanded into lengthy instrumental improvisations. The resulting music is one of the most unique phenomena of the period, and considering the fact that it was a one time only event, which makes it even more important, this album becomes a major discovery. It amalgamates Prog-Rock, Jazz-Rock, Avant-Rock and Free Jazz and completely obliterates any boundaries between musical idioms and symbolizes artistic freedom, which was one of the characteristics of the period, when open-mindedness and acceptance ruled, also behind the Iron Curtain. The individual performances, especially those by Suchanek and Stefanski are absolutely stunning. Suchanek plays several brilliant solos and his pulsations all along, which are basically Jazz-based, are a superb example how Jazz and Rock rhythmic patterns can ideally coexist. Stefanski, who had a bit more Rock experience, adds his Jazz skills and drives the quartet forcefully forward, also performing some great solo parts. Both guitarists stay within the Rock territory, although the rhythm section really pushes them to improvise the whole time, much more extensively than under the unusual Rock circumstances. Although the sound quality of this recording is somewhat limited, even after very careful remastering process, the importance of it as a piece of Polish / East European Rock & Jazz history is invaluable. Therefore it is highly recommended to all listeners interested in music made behind the Iron Curtain. Of course anybody following the development of Progressive music in the broad meaning of the idiom should find this most interesting. As usual our thanks to the GADFind albums on this label Records label for unearthing and releasing this piece of history, which would have been most probably lost if not for their efforts.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 06/05/2016

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NIEMEN ~ LIVE IN OPOLE 1971 PROG ART 001 (Barcode: 4018564220013) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2018 This is an archival album, which presents a live recording of a concert by the greatest ever Polish Rock / Prog musician of all times, vocalist / keyboardist songwriter and bandleader Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist. The material performed at the concert includes two songs from Niemen´s fourth album "EnigmaticFind albums with this title" with music by Niemen and lyrics (poems) by the great Polish poet Cyprian Kamil NorwidFind albums by this artist and two songs from his fifth album "NiemenFind albums with this title" (a.k.a. "The Red AlbumFind albums with this title") with music and lyrics by Niemen. The fifth song is Niemen´s version of an Otis ReddingFind albums by this artist song ("I´ve Been Loving You Too Long"), which was unrecorded at the time and was about to appear on Niemen´s first English-language album "Strange Is This WorldFind albums with this title" in 1972. For the Niemen aficionados the album includes the crowd cheering during a ceremony of Niemen receiving the Gold Album award for "Enigmatic" celebrated by the traditional Polish "100 Years" blessing, which tragically was not even close to Niemen´s destiny. Niemen is supported by a great band, which includes organist Jacek MikulaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz ZielinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej TylecFind albums by this artist and a trio of female background singers, which includes Krystyna PronkoFind albums by this artist, Zofia BorcaFind albums by this artist and Elzbieta LinkowskaFind albums by this artist, all three ex-members of the group RespectFind albums by this artist. This band is much more Rock oriented than the studio lineups, which recorded the two albums, and which include some of the best Polish Jazz musicians and therefore are way more Fusion oriented. Sadly the guitar is mostly lost in the live mix, which is a great pity. The sound is dominated by the organ and overall is quite satisfactory. Two of the songs last for almost twenty minutes, one for ten minutes and the remaining two for eight and five minutes – together almost an hour of Niemen Magic. The music and the performances are of course stellar and there is no point in going any further into the musical qualities and the historic importance of this recording. For Niemen fans and Polish / East European Classic Rock connoisseurs this is an absolute must of course! This edition of this album is identical to the Green TreeFind albums on this label edition. This is obviously a bootleg, since none of Niemen´s live recordings are approved by his family, which is a pity. The artwork is riddled by countless spelling mistakes, which is unbecoming for such important document and Niemen´s memory. But all things considered, this is definitely better than this music being unreleased – the proverbial lesser evil.

Updated: 13/02/2020Posted: 13/02/2020

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

NIEMEN ~ ON STAGE 1970 / 1972 GREEN TREE 170 (Barcode: 4015689001701) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 - 1972 Released: 2018 This is an archival album, which presents live recordings by the greatest Polish Rock / Fusion musician of all times, vocalist / keyboardist / songwriter Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist. Two of the tracks were recorded during the 1970 Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and three other at the 1972 National Festival of Polish Song in Opole. Niemen was at the time at the absolute peak of his artistic creativity as well as at the top of his immense popularity. Four of the tracks time at about ten minutes and one at almost twenty minutes, and all offer extended instrumental improvisations by some of the best Polish Rock and Jazz musicians active at the time. The 1970 tracks feature organist Jacek MikulaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz ZielinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist as well as a vocal trio and an ensemble comprising of top Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, violinists Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. The 1972 tracks feature the core of what was to become the most famous Polish Fusion band SBBFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist, guitarists Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist and two great Polish Avant-Garde Jazz musicians: bassist Helmut NadolskiFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist. The music is absolutely stunning, as expected, and even the dubious sound quality of these recordings is not able to spoil the unadulterated pleasure this music is still able to generate almost fifty years after it was initially performed. Niemen was always light years ahead of his contemporaries on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and the fact that he remains still relatively anonymous beyond Eastern Europe, despite his revolutionary contributions and pioneering spirit, is a crying shame. It is a great pity that the entire legacy of Niemen´s recordings made outside of Poland and many of his live recordings remain unreleased and are available only unofficially, like all the Green TreeFind albums on this label titles. His third Box Set, which was to include all these treasures, remains sadly an unfulfilled dream. For all Polish Rock / Fusion enthusiasts as well as for the numerous Niemen fans this is an essential piece of his discography, which is definitely worth having, despite its technical flaws.

Updated: 07/09/2019Posted: 07/09/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

STANISLAW SOJKA ~ W HOLDZIE MISTRZOWI - LIVE UNIVERSAL 602537329854 (Barcode: 602537329854) ~ POLAND ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2012 This is a live recording of a concert by veteran Polish Blues / Jazz / Rock vocalist Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Soyka) and his band, performing songs by Poland´s greatest ever singer / composer Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist. Niemen composed all the nine songs performed here, three of which also have his lyrics and others are by other lyricists or poems written by Polish poets. Sojka also plays piano and the band comprises of seven players, including a brass section, and a guest guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist, original member of the band AkwareleFind albums by this artist, Niemen´s first group, which recorded many of these songs originally. Considering Niemen´s legendary status on the Polish scene, any attempt to tackle his material is a priori a potentially perilous affair. No other Polish vocalist managed, in the decades that followed, to come even close to Niemen´s power of expression and vocal virtuosity. Therefore this album, although a tribute, faces enormous challenges, which unfortunately prove insurmountable even to such an experienced and talented artist as Sojka. Niemen´s songs needed to be rearranged quite radically in order to fit within Sojka´s vocal range. In addition the instrumental accompanied was updated, which distances the songs from their original Rock setting and places them into a comfortable middle-of–the-road relaxed Pop setting with slight Jazzy overtones. Overall the album sounds incredibly nice, which of course is its key problem; Niemen´s music might mean many different things to different people, but "nice" was never among them. The music is played perfectly and beautifully recorded, with a warm, clear sound quality, especially so for a live recording. The audio CD is accompanied by a DVD capturing the same concert, so the listener has a choice of just listen to or also watch the proceedings. Personally, I find little affinity for this project, which simplifies and even to some extent trivializes the original songs in my opinion, but I´m sure many others will find this a most pleasurable listening experience. Luckily I still have the original Niemen recordings to keep the memory alive and the fire burning.

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend