FOLLOW MY DREAM

The name from this known Polish band is an abbreviation from Silesian Blues Band. In the early Seventies they started as members from a musical project by musician Czeslaw Niemen. From 1974 they decided to make their own music and S.B.B. started to give concerts and to make albums.

This album is from 1978 and contains two long parts (each has a running time from at about 20 minutes). The first one entitled "Going away" starts with the powerful and distinctive sound from the Hammond organ, then soaring keyboards and Gilmourian guitar work ("Meddle"-era). Due to the vocal similarities with Steve Hillage the music evokes Gong and early Hillage-solo. The more fluent parts feature flashy Moog synthesizer flights and other vintage keyboards like the clavinet and string- ensemble, a very pleasant colouring. The second composition "Follow my dream" delivers more jazzrock inspired music, the Moog work often reminds me of Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck solo). We can also enjoy swinging parts with a fat bass sound and Fender Rhodes piano and some good guitar soli. Unfortunately the final part sounds more poppy, not a very representative ending of this fine and varied album.

In the liner notes it talks about how SBB really blazed a trail for Eastern European bands back in the seventies.After signing a deal with some West German businessmen they were allowed to use Western European liscence plates which angered a lot of the border guards who would often hold them up for hours and even strip them naked in order to humiliate them.Meanwhile they were conquering Europe with their jaw dropping instrumental work and live shows. This album is far more synth laden the earlier ones and the guitar has been pushed to the background.The two longest tracks have vocals and are by far my least favourite compositions.He sort of sounds like Adrian Belew when he sings,not bad it's just better when they concentrate on the instrumental stuff in my opinion. The two side long suites are both broken down into 4 songs that all blend together. "Freedom With Us" opens with organ that just seems to hum.Nice.It fades out and vocals come in around 2 minutes.Inspirational lyrics here but i'm not a fan of this one.I do like how it turns dark towards the end. "3rd Reanimation" is an instrumental and my favourite track on here.This is uptempo and quite powerful as the synths and drums dominate.The drumming is very far out.It sounds so good before 3 1/2 minutes that it moves me. "Going Away" builds quickly to a full sound after 1 1/2 minutes.This sounds awesome like the previous song.It settles some after 2 1/2 minutes and vocals follow.Instrumental only after 5 1/2 minutes is so incredible! "(Zywiec)Mountain Melody" is a trip as spacey synths eventually take over. Side two begins with "Wake Up".Spacey to start before we get a melody after 2 1/2 minutes.Spacey again before 5 minutes. "In The Cradle Of Your Hands" is a short track with vocals. "Growin'" has a great sound to it once it gets going before a minute.The tempo picks up 3 minutes in.Love the drumming.The guitar comes in and plays over top.It goes on and on.Nice. "Follow My Dream" opens with drums as organ comes in.We're grooving now as vocals arrive.This is catchy but not my cup of tea.Guitar after 3 1/2 minutes. It's almost a 4 star album for the second track alone,but in reality the vocals and lack of guitar bring it down a notch.