PAVOL HAMMEL A SKUPINA PRUDY - Hrać - Opus Press

Recorded in 1974 and released already in 1975 in a gatefold sleeve, the LP Hráč was Hammel's last album recorded officially with Prúdy (already with the new drummer Pavol Kozma). Unfortunately, the musical climate was changing and ambitious, progressive playing was slowly going out of fashion. Probably after the moderate success of the previous album the artist... mellowed, and although the perfectly produced material he proposed could still be counted as rock in style, the record was half filled with gentle, refined pop-folk-rock ballads - sometimes in an American style and at times even in the aesthetic of our Marek Grechuta (without the group Anawa), although as a great fan of the work of the author of Korowód, I am aware of the weight of this comparison... The first side opened very promisingly with the title track Hráč, characterised by a slightly broken rhythm (with a bass drum fantastically filling the space) and sung with verve - a fantastically produced, slow track based on the interplay of organ, piano, acoustic guitar, flute and backing vocals in the style of Uriah Heep! The next, also rock, track was the folk-progressive, swaying Hotel Sen - a very nice, acoustic-electric piece with an accompanying flute part and a somewhat trivial chorus. The following, folky Zimuška (acoustic guitars, piano, swaying rhythm, male backing vocals) was in a somewhat American style. Referencing a little the style of Crosby, Stills & Nash, at times sung in an almost shrill voice, the again ballad-folky Starý Porcelán was recorded with the help of percussion instruments, piano and acoustic guitars and halfway through gained some power thanks to a nice electric guitar solo. In a fairly similar, though somewhat more pop style came the catchy Ty Si Tá, while by contrast Bláznove Byty began with intriguing wah-wah guitar sounds, but in the blink of an eye turned into a charming ballad a bit in the style of Cat Stevens, built on the sound of piano, strings, occasional backing vocals and a delicate rhythm section. The first side was closed by Svitanie - a cheerful, melodic rock ballad played in a fairly lively rhythm in the vein of George Harrison. Unfortunately, the second side was opened by the hit oompah, that is the tango style combined with the music of the 50s, megapopular Učiteľka Tanca - a song that literally almost everyone who grew up in the 70s knows, but has no idea who performed it. Well... Pavol Hammel! Worse still, the next piece was the strongly swaying Blší Trh, recalling a little the recordings of the group Mungo Jerry; fortunately Hammel scored strongly with V Každom Počasí - a very delicate, elegantly arranged (piano, strings and again Uriah-like backing vocals) track recalling a little some of the work of our Marek Grechuta! The mood changed again in Láskavo - all in all a nice, jazzy boogie, played with great class and excellently arranged. This is one of those pieces that perhaps do not convince from the musical side, but whose interpretation drops your jaw... The next track in which I would look for an echo of Grechuta's style was Chuť Prvých Strát - an impressive, boldly arranged (dense, swaying drums, violin, Hammond organ), though somewhat overlong, piece. The record was closed by Mladosť, sung in a gentle voice accompanied only by acoustic guitar and piano. All in all it is a very pleasant record - gaining a great deal with each repeat listen. REVIEW BY JACEK LEŚNIEWSKI FROM A BOOK ON ROCK FROM THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC, BEGUN BUT ABANDONED AFTER HALF A YEAR (2021).