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BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS (see also: Yes / King Crimson / U.K.) - BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS – Live at the Schauburg Bremen 1987 - MIG Music Remastered Editionprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
The concert was recorded on 25 November 1987 at the club Die Schauburg in Bremen by Radio Bremen. It is very early Earthworks material, the band founded by Bruford in 1986. You can hear Bruford's experience drawn from Yes and King Crimson, but Earthworks from the start had its own, much more jazz formula. -
BIRTH CONTROL - BIRTH CONTROL - Operation - GER Press - LISTENprice: 150,00 PLN / 37,50 EUR
A German reissue by Ohr in a gatefold sleeve of the exquisite second album by a very popular German band. This is probably the best and most progressive item in the band's otherwise consistent and recommendable discography! Several extended tracks of 8-10 minutes (recalling the work of heavy Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster and ELP) - so typical of top-shelf German playing! At the time Operation was released by the legendary German label Ohr and as an original (with a five-digit catalogue number) it is worth over 300 euros; so this very tasteful reissue is quite a good alternative for vinyl collectors. A must! Condition: NEW, sealed. -
BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH - 'Never Say Die' World Tour 1978 (2LP) - FRA Verne Limited Press - LISTEN - VERY RAREprice: 170,00 PLN / 42,50 EUR
A limited, two-record, absolutely stunning black vinyl released (like all Verne Records double editions) in a very attractive, single sleeve and containing nearly 115 minutes of material from the tour promoting the band's 10th anniversary and the underrated (and in my opinion very good) LP "Never Say Die" from 1978! Most of the recordings come from a performance in Pittsburgh recorded by American radio, but also from London's Hammersmith (4 tracks) and from Abilene, USA (4 tracks - including a very rare version of "Shock Wave"). The album contains all the compositions performed during that tour, and the last side of the record is filled with repeats of 4 recordings from other performances. Great sound quality! A must! Condition: MINT (new, but unsealed) (JL) -
BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH - Live In Copenhagen 1971 - EU Sweet Leaf Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
A limited European CD, lasting 76 minutes, containing a concert from Copenhagen from April 1971 (47 minutes). In addition, an excellent 20-minute fragment of a performance from Sheffield, England, from January 1971 (alongside a very early version of the rare "Into The Void" with an early lyric, also containing the only known performance of "After Forever"), as well as an 11-minute "Wicked World" from Copenhagen from December 1970. Unlike several recordings from 1970, there is not a single great-sounding Sabbath concert from 1971, but Copenhagen without doubt sounds the best! The sound quality is really good! Not perfect, but for a 1971 'audience recording' - no complaints! A slightly worse-sounding and somewhat slowed-down version circulates on the internet. This one is much better (more treble) and with corrected speed! Highly recommended! Condition: New, sealed. (JL) -
BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH – Sabotage (5 LP) - Super Deluxe BMG Remastered Editionprice: 500,00 PLN / 125,00 EUR
A luxurious, five-record edition where, alongside the remastered studio album, there is a complete concert from the North American Sabotage Tour 1975, a replica of the 1975 tour programme, a 40-page book, a tour poster, photographs, graphics and notes. -
BLACK SABBATH - Heaven And Hell - BMG Editionprice: 200,00 PLN / 50,00 EUR
A brilliant album - the first with Dio on vocals. Heaven And Hell is incredible rock dynamite containing classics such as Neon Knights, Children Of The Sea, Heaven And Hell, Die Young and the sublime Lonely Is The World, which closes the whole. It is certainly an absolute classic and at the same time one of literally a few best heavy rock albums of 1980 (alongside records such as the debut of Iron Maiden, Ace Of Spades by Motorhead, British Steel by Judas Priest, Back In Black by AC/DC and Lightning To The Nations by Diamond Head). A two-disc, remastered 2022 edition, with bonus extras in the form of rare single versions and live versions. An absolute Must! -
BLACK WIDOW (see also: Cressida / Pesky Gee) - BLACK WIDOW - Sacrifice - Live On Stage 1970 - FRA Verne Limited Press - LISTEN - VERY RAREprice: 110,00 PLN / 27,50 EUR
A limited, black vinyl from the French label Verne, containing a complete recording of a 56-minute show on German television (Beat-Club), from May 1970, by the British progressive band, presenting the whole of the excellent debut album "Sacrifice" from March 1970 - and in a heavily extended and slightly altered form at that! And that laminated sleeve... is genuinely strong! Very good pressing and great sound. A must! Condition: NEW, not shrink-wrapped. (JL) -
BLACKFOOT, J.D. - J.D. BLACKFOOT - Ultimate Prophecy +2 - EU Once Again Expanded Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
A new, limited, European edition of the excellent album released in 1970 by Mercury, by a band from Cleveland (or a group accompanying the guitarist/vocalist), one of the most interesting and thrilling items from the heavy psychedelic rock circle (with a pinch of American folk on two tracks). The 23-minute suite filling the second part of the record (MOVED TO THE BEGINNING HERE) and made up of five separate parts ('Blue Cheer on steroids meets early, more progressive Grand Funk') is stun-ning! Superb, catchy melodies, guitars attacking with grace and very dense, stunning drumming - these are some of the assets of this almost hard rock masterpiece! The remaining five tracks (originally filling the first side of the vinyl) were on a similar level, though perhaps there was a little less excitement. In addition, two very rare single tracks (one great, the other so-so...) from 1969 are included. This great-sounding version contains the graphic designs of both the American (a man in a hat) and the British (a wizard in a forest) vinyl editions! AN ABSOLUTE MUST! (JL) -
BLACKWATER PARK (see also: Murphy Blend) - BLACKWATER PARK - Dirt Box - EU Once Again Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
A new, remastered, European edition of the only, but splendid, album by a Berlin band. Made in March 1972, 'Dirt Box' belongs to the best, and at the same time most underrated, releases of German (very) heavy rock of the early 70s. Although the band, with a British vocalist, was active in Germany, its music has little in common with typical krautrock. The group offered a dynamic combination of early heavy rock, progressive rock and a pinch of blues - with overwhelming influences of British bands such as Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster or Uriah Heep. Over time the album rose to the status of a classic of the European underground. The original BASF release is today among the most sought-after German hard rock records of the early 70s, reaching a price of 600 euros! Additional fame came to the record from the fact that the very popular, influential and generally old-music-promoting Mikael Akerfeldt (leader of the metal band Opeth) named his band's album made in 2001 'Blackwater Park' after it! AN ABSOLUTE MUST! Condition: New, sealed. (JL) -
BLAST FURNACE (see also: Culpeper's Orchard / Pan) - BLAST FURNACE - Blast Furnace +1 - EU Prog Gems Expanded Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
Released by Polydor Records in December 1971, a classic and in my opinion excellent album by a Danish progressive band with a full sound based on Hammond organ and juicy guitar sounds, complemented by flute parts and a strong rhythm section. The band as a rule went for compact forms and catchy melodies, though it often switched surprisingly abruptly (changing tempo in passing) between acoustic passages and heavier, organ-and-guitar improvisations. An example is the great overdriven guitar solo coming in suddenly in the first track... The exceptions to the rule were 2 short passages based on a soporific piano backing and a mournful vocal part. Although inspirations from British bands such as Jethro Tull (please listen to the splendid second track), Atomic Rooster, Traffic or Caravan were clearly audible, Blast Furnace's music nevertheless retained its own character. Unfortunately, the album was not a commercial success (the original vinyl in perfect condition sells for 1000 euros), but over time gained the status of one of the most interesting and most sought-after Danish progressive albums of the early seventies. After the band's break-up, two of its musicians joined the band Culpeper's Orchard. Additionally, the A-side of a rare single from 1971 is included as a bonus. This is the best-sounding CD version of this title! A MUST! Condition: new, sealed. (JL) -
BLITZKRIEG (see also: Satan / Avenger) - BLITZKRIEG - Inferno - Complete Recordings Vol 1: 1980-1998 (5CD BOX) - UK Hear No Evil Editionprice: 190,00 PLN 170,00 PLN / 42,50 EUR
A five-disc set being the first part of an anthology of the band responsible for probably the best single in the history of the NWOBHM - "Buried Alive / Blitzkrieg". The first CD contains the debut album "A Time Of Changes" from 1985, and as bonuses, the aforementioned single, the brilliant "Inferno" from the cult Neat Records compilation "Lead Weight" and three demo tracks from 1980. CD2 is a concert from 1981 once released only on cassette - "Blitzed Alive!" - and nine tracks from various sessions from 1980-1981. The last three discs are studio albums: "Unholy Trinity" from 1995 (which includes a cover of Venom's "Countess Bathory" recorded with Cronos), "Ten" from 1996 and "Mists Of Avalon" from 1998. The whole thing in a rigid box. (MU) -
BLONDE ON BLONDE (see also: Aquila) - BLONDE ON BLONDE - Contrasts +2 - EU Magic Potion Expanded Limited Edition - LISTEN - VERY RAREprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
A new, European, limited reissue of the superb debut album by a British progressive band, released in 1969. A great record, but unfortunately underrated at the time. Almost every fan of late 60s music will find something for themselves: guitar rock, psychedelic moods with sitar, Beatles-like melodies, acoustic, folky moods and typically progressive, though not very extended, instrumental passages. The record has practically no weak points, and the opening, simply stunning "Ride With Captain Max" is worth the price of the whole thing! Plus two tracks from the band's debut single. A few months later the guitarist/leader Ralph Denyer formed the band Aquila. A MUST! (JL) -
BLOSSOM TOES (see also: B.B. Blunder / Ingoes) - BLOSSOM TOES - We Are Ever So Clean (3CD) - UK Esoteric Remastered Expanded Digipack Edition - LISTENprice: 140,00 PLN / 35,00 EUR
An excellent debut regarded by many as the best British pop-psychedelic ("popsike") album of 1967! A combination of the psychedelic moods of The Beatles with The Move and Tomorrow. Remastered 2022 edition, enriched with a recording of a concert on 26 August 1967 at Philipe's Club in Stockholm (CD2), as well as demo recordings and BBC sessions (CD3). Highly recommended! (JL) -
BLOSSOM TOES (see also: B.B. Blunder / Ingoes) - BLOSSOM TOES - We Are Ever So Clean - UK Esoteric Remastered Pressprice: 130,00 PLN / 32,50 EUR
An excellent debut regarded by many as the best British pop-psychedelic ("popsike") album of 1967! A combination of the psychedelic moods of The Beatles with The Move and Tomorrow. Remastered 2022 edition. A must! -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - MODRY EFEKT – 33 (+3) - Supraphon Digipak Remastered Editionprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
Still in September and October 1980 the eighth (or ninth - counting the largely repeat LP Kingdom Of Life) and unfortunately last LP under the name M. Efekt was recorded as a trio. The record, titled 33, was released by Supraphon in 1981 and contained four extended and as a rule very good compositions divided into two sides of vinyl: the first part came from Hladik's pen and side B was written by Semelka. A great virtue of this music was the very traditional, for 1981, rock sound, and the return of the dominant guitar sounds - strongly limited on the previous LP. It is also worth mentioning that Martin Kratochvil - piano, Jiří Stivín - flute and the band's former bassist - Josef Kůstka - vocals took part in the recording of the record. The whole thing was opened by the excellent, decidedly progressive Třiatřicet - lasting 14 and a half minutes, a fairly stylistically changeable piece sung with Niemen-like passion, but as I mentioned - dominated by splendid, dynamic and exceptionally solid phrases of electric guitar referencing the school of Howe's and Gilmour's. Of course the somewhat cosmic (and for brief moments almost new wave) resonating synthesisers tried to dominate this music, but Hladík did not give in! And Vlado Čech's drumming as always was sensational! I don't want to be nasty, but when I think of the level of rock playing in Poland at the time, I am seized by genuine envy! The second track was the 7-minute Avignonské Slečny Z Prahy - a piece begun very gently, almost pastorally, which then turned into another soft-progressive piece in the style of Focus and Camel. Opening the second part, the almost 9-minute Občasná Pánská Jízda, except for a few feisty and rhythmically broken, shorter passages, was as a rule kept in a fairly slow rhythm and thanks to the brilliant playing of Radim Hladík again brought to mind the classic recordings of Focus, Camel and Steve Hackett's. The closing piece of the last record, Kohoutek Kamarádství Dokapává, like its predecessor was based on an almost ideal interplay of warm-sounding synthesisers and sweeping guitar parts, of which the greatest impression was made by the slowly building, perfectly played and, importantly - melodic solo in the second half of the piece. Note! On the CD version the order of the last two recordings has been swapped - even if the booklet showed otherwise! And that was already the end of the record activity (not counting a few singles) of this splendid band - once more I will repeat that it was certainly the best, most versatile - that was active in the 70s in the Eastern Bloc! I admit that I somewhat underrated Hladík's band! I listened obsessively to 2-3 early titles and the rest I rather... did not give a fig about. And only now, when I have finished listening carefully to all these albums - only now has it dawned on me how excellent this music is and at how high and, importantly - consistently even a level it stood for many years! I understand that voices will soon be raised that there is, after all, Omega (I adore them, but after 1975 it was no longer the same...), that Breakout (great, but after 1971 strongly uneven and it stopped developing), that SBB (without a single excellent record in its output; totally overrated, adored mainly in Poland, though esteemed in the world) and perhaps the Romanian Phoenix (splendid, but their output was not very impressive...). Just to finish I will add that in 1981 the band broke up, because the vocalist and the drummer Čech, always faithful to Hladík, left to found the group Lešek Semelka & S.L.S. Meanwhile in later years the lone guitarist was practically condemned to work with various, random line-ups, and the result of these efforts was a Supraphon disc made in 1983: Něžná/Záhada Jmelí (1983) - with a ballad-like and completely nondescript A side and a decent, hard rock B side. And in 1987 the Doktor/Čajovna (Supraphon, 1987), unknown to me, reached the market. Unfortunately, already in 1986 the excellent drummer (compared in his homeland to John Bonham) Vlado Čech died prematurely of alcoholism..." REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK FROM THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). A digipak edition with three bonus tracks. -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - MODRY EFEKT – Svět Hledačů (+7) - Supraphon Digipak Remastered Editionprice: 90,00 PLN / 22,50 EUR
"The album Svět Hledačů is the highest-rated (4.31 out of 5) title by the group on the site progarchives.com, created by (ever younger) fans and all kinds of know-it-alls, while Meditace (3.23/5) and Nová Syntéza 2 (3.29/5) - the worst, which may not be entirely reliable (only 70-160 people voted on the band's various titles), but it testifies to what kind of progressive rock is currently best received among internet users... After the release of the album Veselý, in conflict with the vocalist, left the band, and in 1980 Supraphon released a very average single Žena V Okně / Známe Se Dál - credited to Lešek Semelka M. Efekt." REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK FROM THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). A digipak edition, 7 bonus tracks. -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - BLUE EFFECT - Kingdom Of Life - CZECH Supraphon 2025 Pressprice: 150,00 PLN / 37,50 EUR
A new 2025 reissue. "In October 1970 The Blue Effect entered a recording studio for one day to prepare three English-language versions for a new edition of the debut, planned by Supraphon/Artia (the export branch of the Czech label), intended exclusively for East European markets and unavailable in Czech shops. To the original instrumental backing tracks, Semelka, in my opinion less convincing than his predecessor, added new vocal lines to Paměť Lásky - now renamed Kingdom Of Life; Fénix was called You'll Stay With Me, and Stroj na nic was titled Brother's Song. On the other hand the original, Czech track for the piece Blue Effect Street was probably replaced by Mišík's old, English version and changed to White Hair. The second, English-language side of the album Meditace remained untouched and is identical on both titles. I will only add that from the piece Kingdom Of Life the initial sitar part disappeared, and to the middle, delicate part for string quartet (probably unnecessarily) melodic piano phrases were added, while in place of the Czech declamation by the long-forgotten Miloš Svoboda, more decisive English words were pasted in, spoken by... the porter at the Supraphon studios! Released in an attractive and, compared with Meditace, completely changed, laminated sleeve, the LP Kingdom Of Life reached the 'fraternal' record markets in 1971 and for years was one of the most sought-after 'eastern' items by Western fans of psychedelic and progressive rock. I will only add that the veeery rare first pressing (72 1) had a navy blue vinyl label with a unique, very large, semicircular Supraphon inscription." REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK FROM THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - BLUE EFFECT - Meditace - CZE Supraphon Press - LISTENprice: 150,00 PLN / 37,50 EUR
"In April 1969 at the Supraphon studios the band began recording a full-length record, but only one track was recorded (but what a track!) - the last with Svoboda in the line-up. The vast majority of the work was done only between June and August, and in autumn the very successful single Fenix/Stroj na nic, released in an ordinary company sleeve, reached the shops as a teaser. Both tracks also appeared on the excellent LP Meditace, released only in June 1970. Getting slightly ahead of ourselves, it is worth knowing that the lyrics of the first four tracks (that is, almost the whole of the first side) making up the conceptual suite 'Meditace', inspired by the political events of 1968 (the Prague Spring and then the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Eastern Bloc troops), were challenged by the censorship then raging in the country, and the album was held back until new versions were made. So another lyricist hastily produced new words, stripped of ideological overtones, which, however, according to those who heard the original version, lost forever, no longer had the same power of expression. Strangely, the title of the record remained unchanged! Made in mono (with a light cream Supraphon label) and in stereo (with the supposedly elliptical, silver label logo on a dark blue background) and in a very delicate, thin single sleeve, very prone to creasing and wear (almost entirely composed by the leader), the album was an excellent compilation of what was best in new European rock in 1969! The band was able to assimilate perfectly into its style the influences of groups such as Cream, Ten Years After, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and of course The Beatles. Incidentally, it should be added that at the same time no money was spared on arrangements, so juicy string or brass parts kept appearing in the key passages of most of the compositions. The record opened with the mysterious and strongly psychedelic sounds of the sitar (strangely cut from probably all later editions - including the most recent ones...), that is Paměť Lásky - in my humble opinion the most beautiful part of the album and one of my (many, admittedly) definitive moments in the history of recorded sound! Recorded back in April 1969 and sung by Miloš Svoboda, who was soon pushed out of the band, it was in my opinion a great cry of despair and grief, enclosed in those sounds, of Czechs and Slovaks crushed by the 'fraternal nations'. Enriched with a fervent recitation, based on a very catchy melody, brilliant in its simplicity, recalling the choral singing of medieval knights, arranged with the help of strings and brass, played at a medium, gently swaying, march-like tempo, the passage simply grips the heart and does not want to let go. Polish listeners will of course probably be amused by words such as 'láska je věčná' ('love never ends'), but I assure you that our southern neighbours probably also smile to themselves at the most moving poetic lines sung by Czesław Niemen or Marek Grechuta. Such are our languages... In a completely different, decidedly more cheerful mood was the decidedly rock Blue Effect Street, adorned with the magical sounds of the sitar - composed by Mišík and based on a very catchy guitar riff and a slightly swaying rhythm, a superb, hippie number with a short but very effective guitar solo from Hladík. Released a few months earlier on the A-side of a single, Fénix was a slowly building and emotion-filled rock ballad sung in a slightly 'festival' (Sopot, Opole etc.) style, but the final effect turned out exquisite! The next one on the record, lasting only 2 and a half minutes, the decidedly rock Stroj Na Nic was a passage built on dense drumming, recalling the guitar work of Led Zeppelin and the melodics of Fire by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The first side of the vinyl record, sung entirely in Czech and lasting a mere 17 minutes, was closed by a short, instrumental version of the single Sluneční Hrob, delicately arranged for acoustic guitar, oboe and string quartet. The second part, sung exclusively in English by Mišík, opened in spectacular style with Little Girl - a superb, very much of-the-moment blues-progressive piece with a part for a shepherd's pipe and a jazzy guitar solo, a combination of the style of Jethro Tull and Ten Years After. Somewhat more subdued in character was the pleasantly swaying Deserted Alley - an almost hypnotic but catchy number based on the interplay of acoustic and electric guitars and a great, very busy rhythm section. The next 8 minutes were filled by the excellent Blues About Stone, written exceptionally by the whole band, that is, er, a bluesy, veeery slowly developing passage recalling the work of bands such as Ten Years After, Led Zeppelin and the Keef Hartley Band. The penultimate track on the record, Rainy Day, alluded a little to the gentler, slightly funky, at times almost jazzy side of Jimi Hendrix's work, although in the choruses the band could also hit hard and juicily and suddenly change the rhythm so that the leader could strike the listener with yet another excellent solo! The album, lasting less than 40 minutes, was closed by the rather hard-to-classify, heavily broken-rhythmed and mood-changing Where Is My Star - a rather unique combination of boogie and heavy rock with another effective guitar solo. What a varied and at the same time wonderful record! Today very few well-preserved copies (especially in an uncreased and unworn sleeve) fetch 200 euros. Unfortunately this title, adored for years by fans of classic rock, turned out at the time of release to be only a very moderate success. Worse still, the band blamed this state of affairs mainly on the vocalist (who behaved like a rock star) and his unbridled tendency to sing English lyrics." A REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ABOUT ROCK IN THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED HALF A YEAR LATER (2021). 2017 edition, sealed. -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - BLUE EFFECT - 1969-1981 - 8 Czech Albums + singles (9CD Box) - LISTENprice: 300,00 PLN / 75,00 EUR
Nicely presented, 9-disc box set containing all 8 catalogue albums from 1969-1981 and an additional CD with single tracks and rarities. I do not know why the box bears the date 1989 - probably the band broke up then. Practically all the titles can be recommended - including the last, surprisingly good albums! A chunk of excellent music! The box does not contain the export LP "Kingdom Of Life" (1971) - released separately in Italy. Highly recommended! -
BLUE EFFECT (Modry Efekt) - BLUE EFFECT / MODRY EFEKT - Modry Efekt A Radim Hladik - CZECH Supraphon 2024 Pressprice: 150,00 PLN / 37,50 EUR
A new 2024 reissue. "This Prague-based band, founded in November 1968, is in my humble opinion the best and certainly the most versatile rock band ever formed in Czechoslovakia and also - now it will be somewhat controversial - in the whole Eastern Bloc! Led by the excellent Radim Hladík - without doubt the most outstanding guitarist in that part of Europe (also playing electric organ, flute and sitar), the band initially consisted of vocalist Vladimír J. Mišík, who also played organ, second guitarist Miloš Svoboda, bassist Jiří Kozel and the exquisite drummer Vlado Čech. It is worth knowing that Hladik had earlier played in the popular group The Matadors, in which Mišík also briefly appeared. (...) At the end of 1974, Supraphon/Artia (already with a light orange Supraphon sticker on the record) released, for export to the 'fraternal countries', the LP A Benefit Of Radim Hladík - a completely instrumental album decorated with a colour photo of Hladík playing a gold Gibson and, interestingly - credited to The Blue Effect! Already in 1975 an identical one reached Czech shops, though released in a completely changed, somewhat abstract sleeve (looking like another album by the Hungarian group Locomotiv GT...) and enriched with a 4-page insert with photos and lyrics - the LP Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík mentioned a page earlier. It's clear that our Radim decided to promote his own name, and that never leads to anything good - especially in the opinion of the other band members... It is worth adding that flautist Jiří Stivín and electric piano player Martin Kratochvíl - by then the lone leader of Jazz Q - took part as guests in the recording of the record. Apart from the sleeve and title, the only difference from the export version was the swapping of tracks 2 and 3 on the first side. So we are taking up the Czech edition with the locomotive... The first side was opened by the as much as 10-minute Boty (Shoes) - being another, hardly changed, version of the piece Je Třeba Obout Boty A Pak Dlouho Jít (One Must First Put On Shoes And Then Walk) - known from Nová Syntéza 2. I admit that, devoid of vocals and orchestra, but played with more bite (though containing a beautiful, delicate flute solo by Jiří and that Santana-like guitar solo) and at times decidedly hard rock, this, all in all original, version appealed to me more! The next piece was a beautiful, ballad-rock number based on a recurring, very melodic theme created by weeping and wailing electric guitars layered over one another at various intervals, Čajovna (Tea-Room), probably the most popular piece among the band's fans, combining the style of romantic Peter Green with my beloved Wishbone Ash from the period of the LP Argus. Apparently it was precisely because of this piece that the record was held back for nearly 2 years! But why? Because of censorship? After all it's an instrumental... The third piece on the record was Skládanka (Jigsaw Puzzle), played in fairly broken rhythms, full of sudden turns, improvised - lasting 6 minutes, a very intense composition in which, alongside Hladík and Semelka playing their parts, Stivín led the way, playing crazy and almost frenzied sounds on flute. A certain moment of respite was Ztráty A Nálezy (Lost-And-Found), recalling the very early work of Jan Akkerman with the group Focus - a little over 5 minutes, all in all a very pretty piece, although the melodic line of this one, long guitar solo could have been more polished... The last recording on the LP Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík and A Benefit Of Radim Hladík was the 12-and-a-half-minute Hypertenze (Hypertension), based initially on a catchy guitar lick (as if taken from a Mountain album) and dominated by the style of early, that is still pleasant to the ear, jazz-fusion. The main role was played here by the highly intricate sounds of electric guitar, played at great speed, Stivín's saxophone and Kratochvíl's electric piano, although I much preferred the breathy, much calmer middle moment that followed straight afterwards, after which came a nicely twisted bass part played at rocket tempo, while the whole was summed up by a slowly building, restless coda, again recalling the melodies of the group Focus." REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK FROM THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021). -
BLUE OYSTER CULT (see also: Stalk-Forrest Group) - BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - The Essential Blue Öyster Cult (2CD) - Sony Music Editionprice: 70,00 PLN / 17,50 EUR
One of the most representative anthologies of the output of the American band, covering its golden period from the debut of 1972 to the album The Revölution by Night from 1983. The two-disc, remastered set contains all the band's most important compositions and the set has been supplemented with several excellent live recordings. -
BLUES CREATION (see also: Creation / Dew / Carmen Maki & Oz) - BLUES CREATION - Demon & Eleven Children +1 - EU Once Again Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
A revelation! Released in the summer of 1971, the second album by this great Japanese band is a splendid combination of the style of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, at times pushed almost to the extreme - with elements of two lead guitars in the style of Wishbone Ash! Plenty of surprising, ultra-heavy riffs, plenty of changes of tempo and mood, exemplary, slightly bluesy playing by the guitarist and zero filler. The only, small flaw of this sensational album was the vocalist's not entirely convincing English... But who really cares? Alongside the first two records by Flower Travellin' Band, this is probably the most cult album in the history of Japanese heavy rock, and in the original on the Denon label (and in almost perfect condition) it is currently worth 1000 dollars! Additionally included is an 8-minute live version of "Nightmare" (different from the one on the CD "Live!"), previously unreleased on CD! A must! Condition: New, sealed. (JL) -
BOLDER DAMN - BOLDER DAMN - Mourning - EU Once Again Limited Edition - VERY RARE - LISTENprice: 55,00 PLN / 13,75 EUR
An absolute classic of heavy American rock from the early 70s. This band, usually compared to Black Sabbath, released in 1971 just one, single album (worth a fortune on original vinyl - over 5000 dollars, but the problem is also that there are no copies for sale on the market...) containing seven tracks based on heavy guitar riffs (and meaty solos), and set on very strong rhythm section playing - a bit like Grand Funk, Sir Lord Baltimore, Euclid and Morly Grey. The closing, 16-minute 'Dead Meat' ('Dead Man' by Josefus and early Black Sabbath in one) showed the musicians' progressive inclinations, which only added a certain flavour to the whole. No weak moments - just solid heavy rock! Nobody will be disappointed! A MUST! Condition: New, sealed. (JL) -
BOOKER T. & THE MG'S - BOOKER T. & THE MG’S - Original Album Series 1962–1968 (5 CD) - EU Card Sleeve Boxprice: 100,00 PLN / 25,00 EUR
A great five-disc set documenting the golden period of Booker T. & the MG’s – from the classic "Green Onions" to increasingly developed soul and funk. It is an essential item for lovers of instrumental soul, with the characteristic organ of Booker T. Jones, an excellent rhythm section and the sound of the famous Stax label.
