BORIS

You missed something, lately? Maybe, you have just heard the call of a strangely heartrending sparkling attraction of a very chilled music heaven, like, let's say, the two breathtaking magnum opuses of the Scandinavian prog monsters Anglagard, "Hybris" and "Epilog". You know, this kind of a tremendously accurate and highly powerful opposition to the arena neoprog salad-galore. But after this crucial crash test, after this undisputedly awesome experience, you felt that something is still missing, something has been lost in this mutated folk-prog hyperhybrid's overdrive. Probably, the missing sense is the lack of a more tender and standing sensibility in these organic, obviously medieval-folk rooted, manifestos of supermodern suspense. Or, even, the missing element is the sensuality of the hotest crimsonian ingredients of this consciously fractalised (and thus tantalizing and tantalized) inspiration. Lack of a self-confident romantic character, here? No, I am not really sure about it. Maybe Anekdoten could sniff the true answer to this enigma better than me. The only thing I know for sure is that when, afterwards, heard at last Yesda Urfa's lost masterpiece "Boris" (Syn-Phonic), I was sentimentally stroked, to say the least, revitalizing shocked by its generous powerful imagination, the outstanding deep lyricism (especially when the a la Jon Anderson singer shines on!) on the top of their labyrinthic interplay, the almost archaic spirit of their feverish exploration and exploitation, the uplifting feeling of a liberating inner voice which tends to paralyze your attention though your heart is been kept hot and hungry for more and more and more! For the history, "Boris" was conceived as a demo album for distribution to radio stations and record companies (deaf ears, closed doors, negative answers!) and it was recorded on a shoestring in just a few days in 1975 at Universal Recording in Chicago IL (the bonus track of the CD world premiere of "Boris" was recorded later, in 1976). These five magnificent musicians, Brad Christoff (drums, percussion), Phil Kimbrough (keyboards, synthesizers, mandolin, wind instruments, vocals), Mark Tippins (guitar, banjo, vocals), Marc Miller (bass, vocals) and Rick Rodenbaugh (lead vocals), made me feel sick of today's recycling cynic instinct and, last but not least, made me also feel more comfortable with Gentle Giants's cruel fading in the late seventies. You see, someone else was already born and really ready to cut his teeth, lifting Giant's spirit up and pushing it to the limit. With a little help, inductively, of the frippian magic in the quest for a victorious leading of this emotionally electrified, surrealistic mind-blowing and heartbreaking jungle of twisted, symphonic climbing songs. The highly inspired psych-folk informed moments with the mellow singing (in a dream of a modern Agincourt or Ithaca saga) are the best, but the whole context is truly unearthly in its unique character as a provocatively successful genetic experiment. Think of a handy clonism of Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Egg and Gryphon -all in their intuitive early years-, catalyzed with melodic RIO sophisticated alchemy. You have to hear it, to believe it! To cut the long story short, Yezda Urfa had all the advantages to be the leaders of the American progressive rock, as their next "lost and found" album "Sacred Baboon" shown equally clear (but this is another adventurous story). My personal congratulations to the producer Greg Walker for his well-aimed music hunting.

Christos Tsanakas Author Athens, Greece E-mail: [email protected]

stars: *****

Share this YEZDA URFA review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to
• Report this review (#67000)
• Buy YEZDA URFA music online with PA partners
• Show all YEZDA URFA MP3/Stream
• Go to YEZDA URFA page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Boris page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for YEZDA URFA related discussions