Omega - 1969 - 10,000 Lépés

Classic album from this legendary Hungarian band. In order to understand and appreciate what a remarkable acheivement this work was when it was recorded in 1968 it is perhaps necassary to briefly examine the constraints and restrictions faced by aspiring pop bands behind the veil of The Iron Curtain during the 1960's.

Despite the fact that Hungary was one of the first breakaway satelite countries both socially and economically under Josef Kadar's New Economic Mechanism implemented in 1966, a censorship board known as The Song Commitee had been established in order to syphen out any sensitive material which it deemed harmful to or which seeked to undermine the idealogical agenda of the state. This was a good thing and a bad thing for the bands. They could play their rock n'roll music, which in itself was considered to be symbolic of western capitalistic endeavours, but the lyrical contents were not to cross any fine lines politically. One has to bear in mind that this was the time when The Beatles were singing about a revolution, Bob Dylan was speaking his mind through the rock medium and closer to home in Western Europe bands like Amon Duul and Floh de Cologne were making political musical statements. It was the 60's man!

Omega originated as a student beat band , formed by a group of friends attending Budapest Technical College and played cover versions of songs from bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones. In 1967 they released an album of original Hungarian language pop oriented songs which incorporated traditional Hungarian folk roots. The following year they recorded 10,000 Lepes and began to distance themselves from communist idealogies. Although technically, the album is raw sounding by contemporary western standards the influences were there. But they still clung to their folk roots in much the same way some British bands such as The Strawbs and the Irish prog band Fruup retained their folk heritage. The themes throughout the album are mostly mystical and full of legend and even if the listener is not familiar with the unique Hungarian language the music is very moody and appropriate to the individual song concepts. For example Tuzvihar ( Stormy Fire ) is a psychedelic blues based hard rock song which describes the story of a raging wildfire which ravages the country while the minor keyed symphonic Gyonghaju lany ( the Girl With The Pearls In Her Hair ) is about a beautiful girl who mysteriously appears and brings hope and solace to that dark and tormented world. Other suprises come in the form of Az 1958 as Boogie-woogie klubban ( In a Boogie- Woogie Club 1958) which is a rolicking piano piece accompanied by a catchy guitar hook that describes a good ole time in a boogie woogie club. Petroleum lampa ( Oil Lamp) is almost a pure folk song about an old oil lamp which is portrayed as a metaphor of false hope while Spanyol gitar legenda is a graceful ballad about a legend from another time in a far away place. The majestic title track 10,000 steps with it's continuous almost pompous drum beat is about an ongoing quest to march forward despite adversity and ties into other themes explored on the album. Who said Sgt. Peppers was the first concept album?

Omega evolved into the biggest rock act to emerge from Eastern Europe ever, recording in English and German touring Western Europe as well as Japan. Omega broke down barriers long before the Berlin Wall was broken down and for those who want a taste of what was going on behind The Iron Curtain rock-wise in the 1960's 10,000 Lepes is an interesting and important audio document which reveals the early Omega east meets west rock formula. Vintage Eastern European prog which rocked against the odds that takes the listener into a forbidden place in a dangerous time. Highly recomended for serious students of the prog rock genre.

		1		Petóleum Lampa	Adamis, Presser	3:00
		2		Gyöngyhajú Lány	Adamis, Presser	5:30
		3		Tüzvihar	Adamis, Molnar	3:05
		4		Udvari Bolond Kenyere	Adamis, Presser	3:35
		5		Kérgeskezü Favágók	Laux, Presser	7:40
		6		Tékozló Fiúk	Adamis, Presser	4:37
		7		Tíezer Lépés	Adamis, Presser	6:00
		8		1958-As Boogie-Woggie Klubban	Adamis, Presser	2:05
		9		Spanyolgitár Legenda	Adamis, Mihaly	3:15
		10		Félbeszakadt Koncert	Adamis, Kobor	4:02

¡Aquí!

Kaizers Orchestra - 2005 - Maestro

Anybody wondering what happened to Tom Waits after Franks Wild Years or Radiohead after OK Computer need look no further than Norway's Kaizers Orchestra. The sextet are about as far from conventional as one could imagine (Eastern European folk music filtered through an apocalyptic post-rock prism), so it comes as a bit of surprise that their third full-length recording bears the stamp of Universal Records. The cocky, gas mask-loving Scandinavians have always seemed poised to make the leap to a major label, especially after racking up the awards for 2003's independently released Evig Pint, but the prospect of hearing their signature blend of pump organs, oil drums, and staccato guitar get the "big time" treatment initially put a scare into longtime fans. They need not worry, however, as the resulting Maestro is nothing short of magnificent. A veritable slaughterhouse of ideas, it takes the Orchestra's formula one step further, bringing in the occasional vocal manipulation, heavily compressed snare drum, or weepy string/horn section to flesh out what may be the group's most concise and fully realized effort to date. While they remain true to their penchant for Tin Pan Alley nightmare music, the 12 cuts that inhabit Maestro veer wildly from genre to genre, taking bits and pieces of punk, folk, funk, jazz, and rock and shredding them to bits. A blues-kissed backbone sticks out on "Knekker Deg Til Sist," "Christiania," and the brutal closer "Pa Ditt Skift," while "Blitzregn Baby" sounds like a collaboration between Ennio Morricone, Supergrass, and the Misfits. English-speaking audiences don't need to understand a lick of Norwegian to identify with Maestro, as it sets a mood so universal in its volatility that even the most xenophobic listener will have no choice but to hit repeat over and over.

		1		KGB		4:13
		2		Maestro		4:40
		3		Knekker Deg Til Sist		3:43
		4		Senor Flamingos Adieu		0:45
		5		Blitzregn Baby		3:01
		6		Dieter Meyers Institusjon		5:34
		7		Christiania		3:45
		8		Delikatessen		3:07
		9		Jaevel Av En Tango		4:00
		10		Papa Har Lov		3:38
		11		Auksjon		4:19
		12		Pa Ditt Skift		4:35

¡Aquí!