Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

UPROSTřED SLOV (IN THE MIDDLE OF WORDS)

Uz Jsme Doma

RIO/Avant-Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Uz Jsme Doma Uprostřed Slov (In The Middle of Words) album cover
3.54 | 16 ratings | 2 reviews | 12% 5 stars

Write a review

Buy UZ JSME DOMA Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 1990

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Ámen - Jó Nebo Nebo / Amen Yeah or Or (5:58)
2. Juleček (Věnováno Julovi Horváthovi) / Dedicated to Jula Horvath (3:23)
3. Telefón / Telephone (3:26)
4. Uprostřed Slov / In the Middle of Words (9:00)
5. Dítě / Child (4:02)
6. Fíkus / Rubber Tree (5:56)
7. Sousedská / Neighborly (3:22)
8. Sopot / Town in Poland (4:32)
9. Soubor Opatření / New Progress Regulations (4:12)
10. Mek Medů / Mack Madoo (3:49)
11. Santrůček / Shantrooczech (1:36)
12. Kreslak / Glam Leather (2:21)

Total Time 51:37

Line-up / Musicians

- Miroslav Wanek / vocals, guitar, piano, lyrics
- Romek Hanzlík / guitar
- Jindra Dolanský / tenor saxophone, vocals
- Pavel Kerka / bass
- Alice Kalousková / alto saxophone
- Pavel Pavlíček / drums

With:
- Slávek Neuhöfer / violin (1,3,7)
- Petr Háj / flute (2)
- Martin Chrenčík / acoustic guitar (2)
- Jaroslav Cuachovec / bag pipe (8)

Releases information

LP, Globus, CZ (1990)
CD, Skoda rec., USA, 1998 - released as 2CD together with CD Vancouver 1997
CD digipak, Indies, CZ, 1996
MC, Indies, CZ 1996
2EP, !aNGRrr!, FR, 2015

Thanks to Geck0 for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy UZ JSME DOMA Uprostřed Slov (In The Middle of Words) Music



UZ JSME DOMA Uprostřed Slov (In The Middle of Words) ratings distribution


3.54
(16 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(12%)
12%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(44%)
44%
Good, but non-essential (38%)
38%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

UZ JSME DOMA Uprostřed Slov (In The Middle of Words) reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Marty McFly
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Oh-kay, this is insanity. But conducted with skills of masters. And it's hard to master insanity, as it's more abstract term, than anything real. But I'm afraid that being crazy just isn't enough, that some order has to stand up and raise its flag in this mass of chaos. And I still fail to see it, or the music fails to show it, or even have it inside. So I hope it's just complicated childbirth, that their first album lacks at least some of things I look for in music. I know that I had few problems with this genre, but who has not, it's after all one of the hardest ones.

Actually, I can enjoy it. Maybe it's because of some things that are connected with Czech Republic, which are well known to me, because I live here and also to band, who implemented them into their music. I think that this world-wide-well-known group is better to be heard live, as I'll go to their gig (my 3rd concert ever), 8.8.2009, so I look forward to this moment a lot. And I'm trying as much as possible to get into this, but I realized that it's not like symphonic prog, with each album similar to one another in these important things (get- into-ity to make substantive from it), but every RIO/Avant album brings something new and this new thing kicks me from the rear, when I least expect it. But it can be funny at times.

Names of songs are, well, insane too, completely nonsenses, but that's probably part of the game ("In between the words" - Uprostřed slov, "Gibberish of honeys" - Mek medů, "armchair-man" - Křeslák). So my final conclusion is that I'll probably listen to this voluntarily, but only at certain points of my existence, as I'll return to some normal music after listening this. It's not bad, but needs certain mood of yours, definitely not 24/7 music.

3(+), as I was trying, but failed to understand. Completely understand, because I've managed to get into this, partially.

I'm looking forward to my 1st prog gig. Entry fee is just about 4€, so not so cheap.

Review by siLLy puPPy
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
4 stars Considered one of the most interesting progressive bands from the former Czechoslavakia, the band U? JSME DOMA (in English "Now I Get It") formed in the border town of Teplice in 1985 before relocating to Prague. The band has its roots in the previous band FPB (Fourth Price Band) which was a hardcore punk band of lead vocalist / guitarist / bassist / keyboardist Miroslav Wanek who joined U? JSME DOMA in 1986 after the band was started by the saxophonists Jindra Dolanský and Milan Nový along with bassist Petr Keřka and guitarists Ota Chlupsa and Jiří Solar. U? JSME DOMA played many illegal concerts with FBB before the latter disbanded and added Wanek to the lineup. The former Czechoslovakia was a communist state until the Velvet Revolution in 1990 and therefore bands like U? JSME DOMA were considered illegal so the act of performing concerts was actually a subversive act that took on the risk of arrest and possible jail time.

Despite the repressive nature of the former communist block of Eastern Europe, the former Czechoslovakia and its proximity to Germany and other Western nature had perhaps the easiest time of it and therefore exquisitely brilliant bands like U? JSME DOMA were able to develop highly complex music behind the scenes even if performing carried the risk of clashing with the communist state. Although there have been many lineup changes over the years, U? JSME DOMA has existed since its inception in 1985 with a new album emerging as recently as 2018. This debut album UPROSTřED SLOV (IN THE MIDDLE OF WORDS) was released in 1990 and showed the band as somewhat of Eastern Europe's answer to the Cardiacs with a stealthy mix of avant-prog mixed with art punk and the jittery Devo styled hyperactivity referred to as zolo.

UPROSTřED SLOV was originally released on the Globus International label in the former Czechoslovakia and consisted of 12 tracks that add up to almost 52 minutes and the album has been re-released on various labels ever since especially after successfully tours through the US and other parts of Europe where they scratched that avant-punk itch. The opening "Amen" reminds me of the Finnish band Höry-Kone with male baritone choral vocals slowly ushering in the punk fueled ska and funk grooves with lots of oddball twists and turns as well as the ubiquitous saxophone counterpoints. Since Wanek was the primary composer, the tracks have a uniformity throughout the album and despite the newly found freedom for the Eastern block, U? JSME DOMA has chosen to release its album with lyrics exclusively in the Czech language which obviously may be a barrier to some but the music is so infectiously clever that it's really not a detriment to the enjoyment of the album as a whole.

Having connections to FBB, U? JSME DOMA delivers an energetic display of punk with more fine-tuned compositional prowess thus landing this band in the small subgenre of punk x prog affectionally called pronk. On the punk side of the equation this band was heavily influenced by acts such as The Damned, Pere Ubu and the Swedish punk act Ebba Grön. From the prog side of things the band took lessons from not only the highly experimental acts like The Residents but also the melodic nature of the Hungarian band Omega and "Hot Rats" era Frank Zappa. Others have pointed out certain similarities to bands like Fugazi and Men At Work however i find many Cardiacs ideas strewn about. Whether these guys were aware of Tim Smith and company is anyone's guess but some of the compositions here have the same feel as albums like "A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window" with a mean mix of progressive pop sensibilities laced with punk bombast, funk grooves, avant-prog technicalities and zolo spastic outbursts. Add to that some bass workouts reminding me of NoMeansNo.

This is an excellent debut that gives a glimpse into the Czechoslovakian underground before the Velvet Revolution allowed musicians to come out of hiding. This album is a solid example of high energy pronk that is fiery and passionate and accompanied by excellent musicianship and instantly addictive melodies and hooky riffs. The astute uses of various vocal styles also adds varied textures to the overall atmosphere of the album. These guys were much more talented than the average punk band and had the chops to deftly hybridize their punk origins with a more demanding prog workout. In many ways this also reminds me of the prog funk / jazz madness of the debut Mr Bungle album so perhaps Mike Patton found an album or two of these guys. While not as ingenious as the Cardiacs, U? JSME DOMA nevertheless unleashed an exhilarating slice of avant-art punk that should be explored by any fans of the Cardiacs seeking similar bands. Out of the many gifts from the former repressed regions of Eastern Europe, U? JSME DOMA is one of the true gems.

Latest members reviews

No review or rating for the moment | Submit a review

Post a review of UZ JSME DOMA "Uprostřed Slov (In The Middle of Words)"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.