CEI CE NE-AU DAT NUME

The band Phoenix had begun in 1961 and is one of the oldest Romanian rock bands. From the first lineup the only member who is still a member in present is Nicu Covaci. After releasing 2 singles, the band was banded from radio and television and forced by the censorship to change their musical stile from the early pop-rock and psychedelic imported from the western bands to a something new, and they change into a very original stile, called in Romania as etno-rock, and on this site prog folk. The folkloric inspiration to their music come from ancient romanian folklore, sound who was mixed with western hard rock, progressive and jazz-rock.

This LP is a concept album, who supposes to follow the changing of the seasons for the first part. The beginning of the year with winter it should speech with songs about funerals, who symbolize the end of the old year. Next cycle it suppose to have songs inspired from spring rituals, summer songs and pagan incantation to invocate the spirits of rain, the autumn with a wedding song and getting of the harvest. The last cycle, winter, suggest the continuation of the cycles with new funerals songs.

The band recorded in just one day all songs for a double LP, in a studio whit poor technical equipment of the only national Electrecord record company. The excellent front cover was a creation of Valeriu Sepi, and the interior cover by Nicu Covaci, both members of the band. Because of the communist censorship, some of the songs like "Visina", "Cei ce ne-au dat nume", "Cocosi Negri", "Siminica- Duminica" and also some spoken lyrics from the first side of final LP were cut by censorship.

The final LP was divided in 4 parts; the first part with some of the concept songs recorded in "Ciclul anotimpurilor". The songs are "1. Preludiu ( A oilor)" - who is an instrumental song inspired by a pastoral folkloric romanian song (oi means sheep); 2. "Jocul timpului" who is also a instrumental song inspired from a traditional spring song (On the CD release this two first song are together as one song); 3. "Primavara (Introducere - Paparuga)" - the lyrics of the songs are from popular folklore and represent a pagan invocation for the spirits of rain ( On the CD release the song is divided in two songs.) 4. "Vara" and 5. "Toamna" are original composition of the band with lyrics from Romanian poets Victor Carcu (4.) and George Toparceanu (5.). 6. "Iarna" and 7. "Jocul caprelor" - are inspired from popular folkloric songs about winter, and had some great popular percussion instruments moments, with lyrics written by Victor Carnu (Capre menans goats). The second song of the first part of LP is "Nunta", who is an original composition of Nicu Covaci with folkloric influence in the vocal parts. The sound of the guitars and bass sounds very heavy because of the poor record and production. Actually, for the entire LP the sound is to much compromise by the poor quality of the production. "Nunta" was the hit of the album and one of the most popular Phoenix songs to this day. But still, an excellent song with great lyrics.

The second part of LP had only two songs, a monumental prog-folk-jazz-rock improvisation called "Negru Voda - Balada", song who has 14'56'' witch was enormous for that time (1972) in Romania and an instrumental adaptation from a folkloric song called "Pseudo-Morgana", both with lyrics written by Victor Carcu. Negru Voda is a mythical romanian character from the medieval history (something like Dracula, but not so evil), who is described in some legends as the founder of Romania as a country in the beginning of the second millennium. He also was famous for his cruelty with his enemy (Negru Voda means Dark King). The composition is very complex with bass, violin, percussion and guitar solo in complex etno- jazz manners. If they had the chance of a better production, this song could be really great, a landmark of the progressive rock genre.

The last song "Pseudo-Morgana" is a good song to end the album. The repetitive guitar parts from the beginning, with some progression (who unfortunately sound again to heavy), acoustic guitar (who sound quite good and had a interesting structure), bass, drums and popular percussion instruments makes one of the greatest musical moment for romanian rock music.

Unfortunately, the album was released only in Romania (in several years in vinyl and CD format) and Poland (on CD format in 1998), and is very rare and impossible to buy from internet.