A BENEFIT OF RADIM HLADÍK [AKA: MODRÝ EFEKT & RADIM HLADÍK]

Just as Yes were spending 1974 exploring fusion sounds using their symphonic rock chops as a foundation, Blue Effect were approaching Camel-styled symphonic rock from a fusion direction. This album comes in two editions "A Benefit of Radim Hladik" for the export market, and "Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík" for the domestic market in Czechoslovakia, but there's no real difference in the music you get - save that the domestic version has some nice surreal cover art, whereas the international version just looks awfully tacky, with an earnest attempt to make Radim Hladik look like a rock god rather failing.

What you get in either package is some excellent, slightly spacey progressive rock played by skilled jazz fusion artists; it's clear that in either edition Radim Hladik was being pushed as the band leader, but in fact the whole group turns in some excellent performances. For the most part instrumental save for some ethereal wailing here and there, this album didn't just benefit Radim Hladik, but the whole art rock scene.