CSILLAGOK ÚTJÁN - SKYROVER

Omega decided to re-mix and re-master three albums that went gold in Hungary and sensibly made available the English versions previously available on German record label Bellaphon in one package. Without a doubt those familiar with the earlier anolog recordings will see the difference in sound quality. As I only had copies of the vinyl issues of these this was most welcome.

An album along the same lines of the previous Idorablo/Time Robber album, this eighth album in Hungarian and fifth album in English from Omega blasts off with a intro featuring an excerpt from Beethoven`s Fifth which paints itself into a grand piano entreé into the Spacey title track Skyrover/Égi vandor. Despite the spacey theme of the album(s) the album(s) also contain a couple of sentimental ballads which work well. Purple Lady/Bibor holgy is a dreamy piece about a mystical lady in the sky while Russian Winter/Lena is concerned with a lost love evoking a very romantic mood featuring a traditiona Russian stringed instrument called the balalaika as well as some emotive " howling" vocalizations from Janos Kobor. It is a bit of a reminder of the music of the earlier Omega years when they blended traditional Hungarian folk-influenced attitudes with rock and this is the standout in both languages.

There is no shortage of guitar soloing from the "Elephant" Gyorgy Molnar. Some fine jazz influenced guitar lines can be heard on The Lost Prophet/Legy eros as well as more rock oriented riffing on High On the Starway/Csillagok utjan which is based on a cool bass riff which leads the piece off. This is more of a rock`n roll piece and doesn`t really fit into any progressive rock category. Omega albums were like this throughout the seventies with roughly 30% of each albums` content containing songs which were more appealing to the masses rather than the hard core fan of progressive rock, great catchy tunes nonetheless.

As with every Omega album the ubiquitous keyboard array was present here courtesy of the Hungarian equivalent of Rick Wakeman, Laszlo Benko and he supports every track magnificently with some form of keyboard effects as well as the synth led Metamorphosis/Metamorphozis.

An interesting offering here in that you get to hear an album sung in two languages with some differences in meanings between versions, the English being a little difficult to understand at times and if you don`t speak Hungarian, impossible. The Hungarian version is the one I prefer, Janos Kobor sings much better in his mother tongue! ( the instrumenal tracks are identical ).

Of course, with the stellar engineering update makes a big difference and will be obvious immediately to those familiar with the anolog recordings. Great late seventies progressive with language options for the investigative prog fan.

We go back to the Christmas holiday of 1978. In Nijmegen, the Eastern Bloc Festival was held featuring groups like Nina Hagen, SBB, and Lokomotiv. Hilversum 3 broadcasted it. Around dinnertime, I recorded a concert by the Hungarian symphonic rock band Omega, which was unfamiliar to me. I found it fantastic with all that Moog chirping and those lyrical guitar outbursts.

For a year, I regularly visited every record store in Goes, searching for an album by the band. Each time, my quest proved futile until I saw three copies in an incredibly tacky store. I couldn't believe my eyes, but what ugly covers. I had the LPs reserved to buy them the next day.

Many years later, I managed to buy my LPs on CD from a Hungarian mail-order company for a pittance. The most remarkable one I'll discuss here is "Csillagok Űtjān" from 1978. Not entirely coincidentally, it was the album that was central during the concert in Nijmegen.

Omega is not just any band. The Hungarians boast a career that begins in 1962 and ends in 2021, with 19 studio albums, many live releases, and compilations later. Roughly three phases can be identified in the band's existence, with founders János Kóbor and László Benkő being the constant factors. In the early years, the band exclusively played covers, but over time more original songs in the Hungarian language were written. In 1968, "Omega Red Star: From Hungary" is released, their debut album featuring a lush mix of psychedelic music, folk, and a rock style reminiscent of The Doors. It makes the band famous in their own country and somewhat on the Western side of the Iron Curtain.

Over the years, there have been several lineup changes leading to the classic lineup consisting of singer Kóbor, keyboardist Benkő, guitarist György Molnár, bassist Tamás Mihály, and drummer Ferenc Debreceni. This lineup will stay together for 14 years, resulting in ten albums. On these works, particularly on "Idörabló" (1977) and "Csillagok Űtjān" (1978), the music is infused with progressive and spacey rock sounds in a way that we absolutely devour. All albums of this lineup were released both in Hungarian and English. Then, things start to decline, and in 1987, Omega calls it quits. Eight years later, the band makes an excellent comeback with the album "Transcendent," featuring unmistakable hard rock intentions. Over the years, a few more albums are released, but subsequently, László Benkő, Tamás Mihály, and János Kóbor pass away. That's the history in a nutshell.

We rewind to 1978, time for "Csillagok Űtjān." The first thing that catches your eye when you look at the cover is those monkey suits everyone is wearing. It brings to mind an acrobatic circus act until you put on the record. Opener Nyitány leaves no doubt: prog is played here with passion. Suddenly, those monkey suits make sense. Omega sounds tightly knit. After Beethoven's fifth sets the song in motion, a catchy keyboard figure takes over. Meanwhile, drummer Debreceni is pounding away, leaving room for guitar and keyboards to earn eternal fame. The beauty of this song is that it is repeated at the end of the album but in reverse order (first the band part, then the closing chords from Beethoven's masterpiece). The album is thus rounder than round.

Among these pieces are the other seven songs, three calm and four lively. Of the calm ones, especially Légy Erös is a bliss. The Pink Floyd vibes flourish, thanks to the beautiful, sometimes polyphonic guitar work and the electronic piano. Égi Vándor is also noteworthy, although the somewhat silky singing may not appeal to everyone, I fear. However, sometimes Kóbor's singing has the bite of Eros Ramazzotti, which is peculiar. With Bibor Hölgy, Omega delivers their most beautiful ballad of the album. György Molnár takes the opportunity to underline once again that he is a great guitarist.

Omega shines best in the lively songs. The atmospheric Léna is great because the harsh cold of the Russian winter is perfectly conveyed. Remarkable is the two-part Metamorfózis which adds a nice dose of energy to the album. In the first part, it's evident that symphonic hard rock suits the band best. Kóbor sounds unleashed, and keyboardist Benko also gives it his all. With the title track, it's more of the same as in the first part of Metamorfózis. With the second part of Metamorfózis, the band gains eternal fame in my opinion. The band is at its best here with blissful bass work and neo-prog-infused keyboard work. The song seamlessly transitions into the aforementioned closing piece of the album. The addition of wordless singing from three ladies enhances the atmosphere and turns Finálé into a real finale.

I'm glad I was exposed to Omega's albums at a young age. That's why I've been enjoying their music for half of my life. "Csillagok Űtjān" is therefore one of the most highly regarded classics in the famous lineup.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com