KRYWAN, KRYWAN

This is maybe the best album ever made by any Polish group. Skaldowie recorded a lot of poppy, big-beat short songs that are still played on the Polish radio. But only small group of dedicated fans know about this one. Krywań is a mysterious mountain in Tatry Mountains. In fact the whole album is a kind of mixture between great symphonic prog and a traditional folk music from the southern Poland. The first, title track is a magnificent huge epic about the mountains and people living there. It's extremely comlex with lots of tempo changes and wonderfull solos on violin and Hammond organs (I love that sound!). You will also find there parts inspired by the classics like Bach and Mussorgski. All in all it's one of my favourite songs of all time. But the rest of the album isn't any worse. There are four short compositions, each in quite simmilar style of symphonic prog with lots of folk parts and with some blues infuences. The musicianship is superb here. Espescially the keyboard and violin parts. Their sound reminds me of Kansas in some way, but I have to admit I enjoy Krywań more than any Kansas album (which I must say is one of my faourite bands). If you like Jon Lord or Keith Emerson, you'll love Skaldowie. This is a masterpiece. In my opinion the only one this band created. It's maybe the most important album in the history of Polish prog. A must buy for everyone.