BLUE EFFECT & HOSTÉ - LIVE

What a shame this is the only official live recording Blue Effect ever released. It's a really good one, though, with some fantastic moments, recorded at a venue (Lucerna Music Bar, Prague) I really enjoy going to due to its great sound. The concert itself was in fact a celebration more than just a gig. It included many valued guests, including previous lineup singers Viktor Sodoma, Vladimir Misik, Oldrich Vesely and Lesek Semelka.

Throughout the years when Radim Hladik was de facto joined by Walk-Choc-Ice band members, there was a real musical chemistry that was slowly building up - almost to perfection. IMO, some of the live versions sounded even better than the original tracks - I only had some issues with Honza Krizek's vocals. My absolute favourites from this release are Zmoudření babím létem, Rajky and the phenomenal Ej, padá, padá rosenka, sung by Vesely and Semelka.

I remember being a regular visitor at Blue Effect's acoustic/electric concerts all over the Czech Republic, but especially in Prague, namely at Vagon, Lucerna, Balbinka or Chodovska tvrz. It was amazing standing right in front of Radim Hladik, watching him play, putting his guitar behind his head - even at his advanced age and despite his health issues.

The last concert I saw Blue Effect/Radim Hladik performing was in 2016 in Loket (a beautiful scene in a river meandre with a majestic castle on a rock above the stage) as a forerunner of Jethro Tull (!!!) Radim was very ill already, wearing his breathing apparatus, but apparetly, music was keeping him alive. Anyway, what a great concert that was, one of the best I've ever been to... and a bit later on, waiting at Balbinka, Prague, we were announced that the concert we were waiting for would be cancelled due to Hladik's health (he was taken to hospital that day and never left it...)

It's been years since Radim Hladik passed away but he lives on through his phenomenal musicianship and extraordinary talent.