SBB [AKA: WOłANIE O BRZęK SZKłA AND SLOVENIAN GIRLS]

I am very heartened to observe renewed interest in this excellent band. This prompts me to delay my breakfast and listen to another album I cherished for decades. Or more like to check out the bonus tracks on the CD release.

The original album consisting of two long pieces which are very much in line with their better works of the time. Exploring different musical territories within one tune is a trademark of the band and the end result is generally very pleasing, indeed.

Typically, the band are prone to some indulgences of not maintaining endless fireworks, but to give way to a bit of a lull here and there, too. This I see as much permissible to their artistic freedom as serving a purpose of abridging different movements within the compositions Hey, even a boogie bit on harmonica is thrown in for good measure. (The first track I've ever herd from SBB was in '73, or '74 on Polish Radio. A short, but spirited boogie track that nevertheless caught my attention. The rest is history.)

The bonus four tunes on the CD (38 extra minutes) alternate between excellent and forgettable, often within the same tune. The first. short one fails to impress, but followed by another short piece that's a lot more lively. Bouncy, almost funky with a great Moog solo.

The 17 mins long third piece is in a completely different territory. Gentle synthesizers lay an entrance to a soprano sax (yes, sax in SBB!) that does very little to me - until the pace picks up in the second half. Apostolis lets loose there on guitar, evoking memories of John McLaughlin and the rest of the piece is a pure joy culminating in a pleasant winding down.

Fourth bonus track (15 mins) starts with a lone soprano sax, but eventually, half-way through it develops into a spirited and excellent medley of some familiar notes where the sax has finally found it's rightful place. Indeed, that part is reminiscent of SOFT MACHINE's better moments, Ah, blessed relief!

My conclusion is that I really need to get some editing software one day and reduce these 78 mins to about 50 of delightful moments. But on the strength of 50 minutes of pleasure, this CD release still qualifies to 5 stars. Get it while you can!

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