OLYMPIC
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OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Zelva - CZE Supraphon Remastered Press - LISTENprice: 120,00 PLN / 30,00 EUR
"At the same October session the band recorded several rather modern-sounding tracks which, alongside the pieces committed to tape in early spring, ended up on the debut album Želva, released in 1968 - at the same time the first Czech long-player of rock music in history! On this record, released in mono and in stereo and at the same time excellently produced, the band offered, composed for the most part by the duo Janda/Chrastina, a very attractive and non-trivial mixture of British freakbeat from the mid-60s close to The Beatles and The Yardbirds; white rhythm'n'blues in the style of The Rolling Stones and Them and the then ever more popular and practically unheard of in the Eastern Bloc countries early psychedelia in the vein of The Byrds, The Doors and The Who. The 35-minute album opened with Želva, released earlier on a single - a lively number with harmonica, based on a strong, somewhat broken rhythm, decidedly drawing on early Them - Van Morrison. A classic! Second came Vzpomínka Plíživá, based on the interplay of guitars and organ - a piece created during the October session alluding a little to the psychedelic Byrds, but still evoking echoes of the early Animals. The following bawdy Línej Skaut, as if created during a decent drinking session, brought to mind the mood of 'The Good Soldier Švejk', but I confess I could live without this, in all, Dylan-esque number, recorded with the help of an accordion, trombone and simple strikes of the bass drum... Then the band offered two charming, rock ballads: the decidedly Beatles-like Dám Zejtra Zas Flám, sounding almost like an outtake from the album Help!, and Modravé Mámení, strongly reminiscent of The Byrds (and of I Got You Babe by the duo Sonny & Cher) and garnished with nice drumming from the evidently gifted Jan 'Sorry' Pacák and the pleasant sound of a ringing guitar, nicely overdriven during the solo. The first side was closed by the decent Nikdo Neotvírá - a cheerful piece, though adding little to the whole, inspired by I Feel Fine by The Beatles. The second part opened with the decidedly Stones-like Nebezpečná Postava, played at a rather unusually fast rhythm, though too light for me, after which came the very successful, balladic Snad Jsem To Zavinil Já, released earlier on the A-side of a single - a catchy, guitar-driven piece sung by Janda in a gentle voice, at moments reminiscent of The House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals and right at the end also evoking For Your Love by The Yardbirds. There is no need to be ashamed of good models! Recorded in February 1967 and sung in a very relaxed manner, Dědečkův Duch was a much-needed dose of dynamic and catchy pop-rock garnished with neat entries of sharp guitar. By contrast the dreamily sung by the bassist Pavel Chrastina, gently swaying, excellent Jen Bůh Ví was a pleasant, yet at the same time majestic, almost psychedelic ballad, and right after it came Telefon, lasting less than 2 minutes - a rhythm'n'blues number with harmonica and a nice part of jangling guitar, played at a very fast tempo. The record was closed in great style by the genuinely legendary Psychiatrický Prášek, lasting 6 minutes and 20 seconds - a superb, decidedly psychedelic, rock piece, a peculiar melange of She's Not There by The Zombies, I'm Going Home by The Rolling Stones and The End by The Doors - garnished, on top of that, with haunted vocals straight from the titular psychiatric ward! It is only a pity the band did not play for 2-3 minutes longer... It has to be admitted that the LP Želva is listened to almost in one breath and I am truly full of admiration that our southern neighbours were able to produce such an innovative, refreshing and at the same time full of attractive (though sometimes borrowed) melodies, record! At that time the rest of rock Eastern Europe was still staring solely at The Beatles, The Animals or, worse still, at soul music... It is worth knowing that only about 5000 copies came out in the artistic sleeve with the titular tortoise (by the drummer), and since the deadlines at the monopolistic printing house were long and busy, subsequent pressings of the record came out either in hastily made, unattractive sleeves, or in sleeves with the large Supraphon logo on the front and with the track titles and an editorial note on the back. After 1970, meanwhile, the album ceased to be reissued at all and today it is a great rarity, though practically never seen in great condition. Records in 'EX/EX' condition are worth over 150 euros, while 'Near Mint' copies in the tortoise sleeve can easily fetch prices of 250-300 euros! I confess I never had a problem getting hold of the band's albums, because quite by chance in the mid-90s a Czech tourist brought the first three Olympic titles (in almost perfect condition) to my shop (stuffed into a huge backpack) and with undisguised joy exchanged them for CDs that interested him..." A REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ABOUT ROCK IN THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED HALF A YEAR LATER (2021). 2013 remastered reissue, sealed. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Jedeme, jedeme +8 - CZE Supraphon Remastered Expanded Digipack Edition - LISTENprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
"Still in September 1970, in just three days, the band recorded all the material for its third and last classic album titled Jedeme, Jedeme, although the number 3 also appeared on the cover. Released in a gatefold sleeve, the record showed the band as artists fascinated above all by the work of the late The Beatles, and also showed a palpable fascination with the then very popular and fashionable progressive rock. It is worth mentioning that several compositions were created as early as 1969 - during a French escapade. The whole thing opened with the sounds of a locomotive setting off, that is the 5-and-a-half-minute Pět Cestujících - a decidedly rock, slightly swaying piece recalling a little the influences of Ten Years After, Traffic and (gentle) Jimi Hendrix, thanks to the interplay of piano, organ and slightly jazzy guitar. Unfortunately, the one that followed, Když Jsem Bejval Tramp, was admittedly a likeable, but on a rock record rather superfluous piece harking back to the Dixieland era. Good that it is only 2 minutes... Third on the record, the balladic Mr. Den A Lady Noc, sung in a warm voice, could have appeared on a Cat Stevens album of that time, but the surprisingly rock, Beatles-like ending could not! The next on the record, the excellent Brouk, was a mixture of the rock sounds of the Beatles, the melodies of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and a good pinch of Jethro Tull that looks rather improbable on paper - also thanks to the charming flute part by Jiří Stivín (of Jazz Q Praha)! That is exactly how catchy, ambitious, British rock sounded in the autumn of 1970! A revelation! The first part was closed by the as much as 6-minute Danny - quite a pretty, ballad-rock, majestic and gently progressive piece (with another attractive part by Stivín - this time as a saxophonist) recalling some recordings of Procol Harum and The Beatles and right at the end almost quoting Donovan's Atlantis, sung by Janda literally personifying McCartney! The second side opened with the gently psychedelic, melodic Elixír - another strongly McCartney-like, rock piece that would have gained still more without the a cappella ending. Built on the sound of organ and electric guitar, the slightly swaying Bláznivej Kiki was a likeable, at moments slightly jazzy, progressive piece, and after it came Bon Soir Mademoiselle Paris, sung in Czech with a slight French mannerism - a beautiful, melancholic piece sung by Janda accompanied by charmingly mixed parts for flute, accordion, acoustic guitar and violin. The penultimate track on the second side, the cheerful and catchy Strážce Majáku, was another track on Jedeme, Jedeme proving that The Beatles' albums of 1968-1969 (and the single Hey Jude) must have been played to death by the main composer Petr Janda. The whole thing was closed by the 5-minute Tobogán - a slightly swaying, dense, almost hard-rock number that draws attention with excellent drumming and aggressive vocals." A REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK IN THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). A remastered 2021 reissue, extended by eight tracks, in a digipak. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Jedeme, jedeme - CZE Supraphon Remastered Press - LISTENprice: 140,00 PLN / 35,00 EUR
"Still in September 1970, in just three days, the band recorded all the material for its third and last classic album titled Jedeme, Jedeme, although the number 3 also appeared on the cover. Released in a gatefold sleeve, the record showed the band as artists fascinated above all by the work of the late The Beatles, and also showed a palpable fascination with the then very popular and fashionable progressive rock. It is worth mentioning that several compositions were created as early as 1969 - during a French escapade. The whole thing opened with the sounds of a locomotive setting off, that is the 5-and-a-half-minute Pět Cestujících - a decidedly rock, slightly swaying piece recalling a little the influences of Ten Years After, Traffic and (gentle) Jimi Hendrix, thanks to the interplay of piano, organ and slightly jazzy guitar. Unfortunately, the one that followed, Když Jsem Bejval Tramp, was admittedly a likeable, but on a rock record rather superfluous piece harking back to the Dixieland era. Good that it is only 2 minutes... Third on the record, the balladic Mr. Den A Lady Noc, sung in a warm voice, could have appeared on a Cat Stevens album of that time, but the surprisingly rock, Beatles-like ending could not! The next on the record, the excellent Brouk, was a mixture of the rock sounds of the Beatles, the melodies of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and a good pinch of Jethro Tull that looks rather improbable on paper - also thanks to the charming flute part by Jiří Stivín (of Jazz Q Praha)! That is exactly how catchy, ambitious, British rock sounded in the autumn of 1970! A revelation! The first part was closed by the as much as 6-minute Danny - quite a pretty, ballad-rock, majestic and gently progressive piece (with another attractive part by Stivín - this time as a saxophonist) recalling some recordings of Procol Harum and The Beatles and right at the end almost quoting Donovan's Atlantis, sung by Janda literally personifying McCartney! The second side opened with the gently psychedelic, melodic Elixír - another strongly McCartney-like, rock piece that would have gained still more without the a cappella ending. Built on the sound of organ and electric guitar, the slightly swaying Bláznivej Kiki was a likeable, at moments slightly jazzy, progressive piece, and after it came Bon Soir Mademoiselle Paris, sung in Czech with a slight French mannerism - a beautiful, melancholic piece sung by Janda accompanied by charmingly mixed parts for flute, accordion, acoustic guitar and violin. The penultimate track on the second side, the cheerful and catchy Strážce Majáku, was another track on Jedeme, Jedeme proving that The Beatles' albums of 1968-1969 (and the single Hey Jude) must have been played to death by the main composer Petr Janda. The whole thing was closed by the 5-minute Tobogán - a slightly swaying, dense, almost hard-rock number that draws attention with excellent drumming and aggressive vocals." A REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK IN THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). A remastered 2021 reissue, in a gatefold sleeve, sealed. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Ptak Rosomak +9 - CZE Supraphon Remastered Expanded Edition - LISTENprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
The second album by the Czechoslovak band, from 1969. A remastered 2019 reissue, extended by 9 tracks, in a digipak. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Zelva +11 - CZE Supraphon Remastered Expanded Edition - LISTENprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
"During the same, October session the band recorded several quite modern-sounding recordings which, alongside the tracks captured on tape in early spring, ended up on the debut album Želva, released as early as 1968 - at the same time the first Czech longplay of rock music in history! On this record, released in mono and in stereo and at the same time excellently produced, the band offered a very attractive and non-trivial mixture, composed for the most part by the duo Janda/Chrastina, of mid-60s British freakbeat close to The Beatles and The Yardbirds; white rhythm'n'blues in the style of The Rolling Stones and Them; and the then increasingly popular and practically unheard-of in the Eastern Bloc countries early psychedelia of the The Byrds, The Doors and The Who kind. The 35-minute album opened with Želva, previously released on a single - a lively number with harmonica, based on a strong, slightly broken rhythm, decidedly drawing on early Them - Van Morrison. A classic! Second came Vzpomínka Plíživá, based on the interplay of guitars and organ - a piece created during the October session, harking back a little to the psychedelic The Byrds, but still evoking echoes of early The Animals. The bawdy Línej Skaut that followed, which sounded as if it had come out of a good drinking session, brought to mind the mood of 'The Good Soldier Švejk', but I confess that I could live without this, in sum Dylan-like number, recorded with the help of an accordion, a trombone and simple strokes of a bass drum... Then the band offered two charming rock ballads: the decidedly Beatles-like Dám Zejtra Zas Flám, sounding almost like an outtake from the album Help! and Modravé Mámení, strongly resembling The Byrds (and I Got You Babe by the duo Sonny & Cher) and garnished with nice drumming by the evidently gifted Jan 'Sorry' Pacák and the pleasant sound of a ringing guitar, nicely overdriven during the solo. The first side was closed by the decent Nikdo Neotvírá - a cheerful piece, though contributing little to the whole, inspired by I Feel Fine by The Beatles. The second part opened with the decidedly Stones-like Nebezpečná Postava, played at an unusually fast rhythm, though too light for me, after which came the very successful, balladic Snad Jsem To Zavinil Já, released earlier on the A-side of a single - a catchy guitar piece sung by Janda in a delicate voice, at moments recalling The House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals and right at the end also evoking For Your Love by The Yardbirds. There is nothing to be ashamed of in good role models! Dědečkův Duch, recorded in February 1967 and sung with great ease, was a much-needed dose of dynamic and catchy pop-rock garnished with neat entries of sharp guitar. By contrast, the slightly swaying, excellent Jen Bůh Ví, sung in a sleepy voice by the bassist Pavel Chrastina, was a pleasant but at the same time majestic, almost psychedelic ballad, and right after it appeared the under-2-minute Telefon - a rhythm'n'blues number played at a very fast tempo, with harmonica and a nice part for twangy guitar. The record was closed in great style by the 6-minute-20-second, genuinely legendary Psychiatrický Prášek - a superb, decidedly psychedelic rock track that is a peculiar blend of She's Not There by The Zombies, I'm Going Home by The Rolling Stones and The End by The Doors - and what is more garnished with haunted vocals straight from the titular psychiatric ward! It is only a pity that the band did not play for 2-3 minutes longer... It must be admitted that the LP Želva can be listened to almost in one breath and I am really full of admiration that our southern neighbours were able to produce such an innovative, invigorating and at the same time melody-rich (though sometimes borrowed) record! At that time the rest of Eastern European rock was still gazing solely at The Beatles, The Animals or, worse still, at soul music... It is worth knowing that only about 5000 copies appeared in the artistic cover with the titular tortoise (by the drummer), and since the lead times at the monopoly printing house were long and booked up, subsequent pressings of the record appeared either in hastily made, unattractive sleeves, or in covers with a large Supraphon logo on the front and with the track titles and an editorial note on the back. After 1970, however, the album was no longer reissued at all and today it is a great rarity, though practically never seen in great condition. Records in 'EX/EX' condition are worth over 150 euros, while 'Near Mint' copies in the tortoise cover can easily fetch prices of 250-300 euros! I confess that I never had trouble getting hold of the band's albums, since quite by chance the first three Olympic titles (in almost perfect condition) were brought to my shop in the mid-90s by a Czech tourist (crammed into a huge backpack), who exchanged them with undisguised joy for CDs that interested him..." A REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK IN THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). A remastered reissue in a digipak, extended by 11 tracks, from 2019. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Olympic 4 (+13) - CZE Supraphon Remastered Expanded Edition - LISTENprice: 70,00 PLN / 17,50 EUR
The fourth album by the Czechoslovak band, from 1974. A remastered 2006 edition, with thirteen additional tracks. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Ptak Rosomak - CZE Supraphon Remastered Press - LISTENprice: 130,00 PLN / 32,50 EUR
The second album by the Czechoslovak band, from 1969. A remastered 2019 reissue. -
OLYMPIC - OLYMPIC - Everybody! (Thoughts Of A Foolish Boy) - SPA Munster Records Card Sleeve Editionprice: 70,00 PLN / 17,50 EUR
Compilation from 2013, containing tracks from 1965-71. Spanish edition licensed from Supraphon.
