QUASIMODO

LABORATORIUM were an important part of the Jazz scene in Poland in the early seventies playing a lot of live shows. They didn't release anything until those two singles in 1972, and their debut wasn't released until 1976, so by the time this the third studio album was released in 1979 these guys were a highly respected band. Not as fiery as say SBB who were more into Blues/Jazz but different like WEATHER REPORT or MANFRED MANN CHAPTER THREE.

One thing I've noticed is that if a band is described as sounding like WEATHER REPORT I have a hard time with them. Maybe because I have a hard time with WEATHER REPORT(haha) only liking that three album run after the debut. And other than say PERIGEO I just need to stay away from these type of bands. This was a difficult rating for me but 3.5 stars seems right, better than their next record "Nogero" which is "Oregon" backwards as a nod to that band but that record isn't as good as this one in my opinion.

Some strange sounding synths on the two LABORATORIUM records I own and they can sound awesome it's just surprising some of the sounds the keyboardist gets out them. And when they are "off" it just sounds lame to my ears. This is an album that isn't for the faint of heart and personally I'm not into the cover art or album title while the actual music is hit and miss.

"I'm Sorry, I'm Not Driver" is the only english title thankfully and this is a top three for me. Vocal melodies on this one and synths are hit and miss. Acoustic guitar I believe too. Another is "Sniegowa Panienka" for the sax and overall sound while like most of you that closer "Ikona" really stands out, and it's a tribute to legendary Polish Jazz musician Zbigniew Seifert who passed the year this album came out.

I honestly have trouble with SBB as well except for those two fiery live Fusion albums "Hofors" and "Karlstadt". I'm on the fence with this one but most rate this high.