Record Reviews

SKALDOWIE ~ STWORZENIA SWIATA CZESC DRUGA (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 09 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1976 Released: 2011 This is the ninth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential East European ensembles, 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). The other group members on this album are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks and a string orchestra is also utilized in the recordings. This album is the second full-fledged Prog album by the group and follows up in the steps of the "Krywan, KrywanFind albums with this title" magnum opus. The original LP consisted of just five tracks, with the title track being a fully developed suite, which occupied the entire A-side of the LP and lasted for almost 20 minutes. The group uses again the music of the Polish Highlanders (Gorals) as influence to some of the themes presented on this album. The musical approach is similar to what other Prog groups were doing at the time in Western Europe, but is years ahead of the East European scene, where Skaldowie were definitely one of the top acts at the time. Similar to the release of "Krywan, Krywan", which was accompanied by the release of the "Wszystkim ZakochanymFind albums with this title" album containing Pop oriented but still excellent material, also in this case Skaldowie released a second album almost simultaneously called "Szanujmy WspomnieniaFind albums with this title", which also presented the less complex side of the group´s music. This edition adds six bonus tracks, four of which are Polish Radio recordings and the remaining two are studio recordings, one previously unreleased and the other released as a single in Czechoslovakia. The sound and musical quality of the bonuses is perfect and the overall product value of this expanded edition is truly commendable. This is an essential piece of Polish Rock / Prog history and a must have for every Polish music fan. The music stands the test of time beautifully and one wishes music like this was done by some of the contemporary Prog outfits, rather than repeating the obsessive doodling that seems to occupy their space-time continuum. A true gem!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend