SVITANIE

Despite carrying forward only two of the band's founding members, this is the sixth studio album using the "Blue Effect / Modry Efekt" monikers.

1. "Vysoká Stolička, Dlhý Popol / High Chair, Long Ashes" (10:12) sounds like a cross between early (pre-Wakeman) Yes and early Emerson, Lake and Palmer with some strains of Focus, Eloy, Hawkwind, Nektar, and Camel (and even a little Gentle Giant and Colosseum) thrown in there in equal parts. A song that seems to have thoughtful construction but at times may not express a cohesive, coherent purpose--often feels incomplete or unfinished--as if they were waiting for the arrival of one more band member who might provide the "missing piece" that would/could make this feel complete. Nice sound--with great engineering--of nice performances; it just feels as if it's lacking . . . a purpose, a raison d'être. (17.875/20)

2. "Ej, Padá, Padá Rosenka / Dew Is Falling, Falling" (6:36) a FOCUS-like opening with some searing Steve Howe-like guitar flurries turns even more FOCUS-like when the band settles into a church-like organ-based vocal section at the end of the first minute. The sound and styles of Radim Hladík's guitar wavers between those of 1972 Robert Fripp and 1972 Jan Akkerman. The singer's voice sounds a bit strained. All in all it is still an impressive and enjoyable song. (9/10)

3. "V Sobotu Popoludní / On Saturday Afternoon" (4:15) the band starts off in third gear and then proceeds to build a cool BILLY COBHAM-like tune. The insistence of the tandem bass-and-drum lines is clear and undeniable. The next motif sounds a lot like some of Italian band AREA's driving music from Crac! or even some of the peak J-RF from the likes of Lenny White or Tony Williams circa 1975-6. My favorite song on the album (probably because it is really the one that is the most genuinely founded in Jazz-Rock Fusion). (10/10)

4. "Svitanie / Dawning" (19:35) long, prolonged spacious organ and bass guitar intro is supported by electric guitar, synth, and cymbal incidentals. I like this! It's like a church processional. Radim's volume-controlled guitar notes are quite Jan Akkerman-like. The vocals and synth work that arrives in the fourth minute and builds into some YES-and- JON ANDERSON-like sounds is pretty cool--especially if you don't mind such blatant imitation of the great Brits. Here one can recognize that those volume-controlled guitar notes are really more akin to Steve Howe's work. At the end of the sixth minute there is a spacious bridge to a new variation of the organ-and-bass motif, with more gentle and sporadic cymbal support before Fedor leads the song into a different direction--one that become more blues-rock based. The blues rock motif provides Radim the impetus and inspiration for a pretty awesome bottleneck solo on his guitar (though it could be a pedal steel guitar). Then there is a patch with some chunky bass and drum soloing. The sound quality throughout is impeccable even if this is not my favorite style or sound of music (and not even close to what I consider "Jazz-Rock Fusion"). The guitar soloing turns full-on rock 'n' roll. At the 11-minute mark acoustic guitar takes over the lead play over bass chords and new church organ sounds. Nice play from Radim. The next solo (in the thirteenth minute) still feels like guitar, only one that is very uniquely effected. Then, in the fourteenth minute, Radim bursts out with his loudest Jan Akkerman sound to try to outrun the master. In the fifteenth minute there are multiple instruments all soloing against, with, and off of one another for very short bursts of time, with Radim switching from sound to sound until settling onto a trumpet-like volume-controlled sound for the rest of that minute, and then moving back to some sounds that are quite familiar to us lovers of JAN AKKERMAN's work on "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" I like Radim's ballsy inspiration. He's obviously quite talented. Even though very pleasant group vocals enter in the 19th minute to help bookend and guide the song to an end, the song seems too blatantly set up for Radim to rather-conceitedly show off his skills (and toys). (17.75/40)

Total Time 40:38

I just have to say that if this is Jazz-Rock Fusion then so is Focus, Yes, Lark's Tongues in Aspic, and Änglagård.

A/five stars; though not necessarily fresh or unique music, I cannot deny the masterpiece quality of the performances and skills displayed on this album. The bulk of this music, however, feels more like skilled progressive rock music than Jazz-Rock Music.

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