Boy, we sure are flying through week 6 of my An Album A Day project. I hope you have had a chance to read up on these albums and hear the sample tracks, because they’re all phenomenal and deserve to be heard. I mean, pretty much every band cited on the Nurse With Wound List warrants attention, I could probably only think of a handful (or less) off the top of my head that aren’t any good.
Actually, let me think. Are there bands on the Nurse With Wound list I don’t care for? Hmm.
I’m not huge into Crass, but maybe I just haven’t heard enough to really solidify my opinion one way or another. Oh, Yoko Ono is on the list. Don’t really care about her (sorry, Yoko fans). Flying Lizards would be a group whose records I see from time to time but have no desire to purchase. I don’t own anything about Terje Rypdal, but friends dig his stuff, again maybe I just haven’t heard the right albums. Secret Oyster is kind of weak, or at least I remember them sounding like a middling band when we had nine copies of Sea Son in stock and no one seemed to want them. And I think I mentioned Thirsty Moon the other day as one of the bands who recorded for the Brain record label in Germany, and whose material I find to be uninteresting.
Modrý Efekt (aka Blue Effect) formed in Czechoslovakia in 1968, and featured former Matador (the Czech beat group) Radim Hladík. Considering this self-titled-ish album was released seven years after their formation, the decision to highlight Radim’s presence is unusual. I’m pretty sure any other lineup changes that occured during those first seven years were minimal, and it’s not like he was Thom Yorke to their Sparklehorse (that’s not the best analogy but it was the first time come to mind and I don’t want to spend too much time thinking about stupid analogies). Although they fell on the jazz-y side of prog for a while, there was a period (and this album falls into that period) where they were a little heavier, a little synth-ier and a bit more adventurous — in an experimental sense. Yeah, there’s still an errant flute solo here and there, but for the most part this is one of their most powerful records, and quite likely one of the main reasons for their inclusion on the aforementioned NWW List. The ‘B’ side plays well off the first side, sounding like Yes or ELP if the guitars were inspired by Hendrix or Page. The concluding track, the twelve minute “Hypertenze” in particular recalls both guitarists. Perhaps it’s Radim’s work here that warranted “top billing” above the other guys in the group. Either way, it’s a pretty killer track and — to me — one of the standouts on the album.
Much like the other albums I’ve highlighted so far this week, Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík made its way into my personal collection by way of that absurd prog/kraut collection my former co-worker purchased back in 2010. It comes with a fold-out insert with full color photos and a bunch of liner notes I don’t understand because they’re not in English. November 4th was the day I filed this one away on my shelf. The next month I was lucky enough to score a copy of New Synthesis 2 at work, so my Czech prog collection now boasts an astounding…two titles. And they’re both by t he same band. Anyone out there who might have more Czech prog they want to sell me, by all means let me know. Especially if it’s as good as those two Modrý Efekt records.
Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík
Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík
(Supraphon – 113 1777 H, 1975)
A1. Boty
A2. ?ajovna
A3. Skládanka
B1. Ztráty A Nálezy
B2. Hypertenze [MP3]
