GATTCH

Gattch's studio offering is one of these rare times when Studio recording is overshadowed by Compilation. I have to say that I usually prefer Studio albums over compilations and rate comps worse when they offer nothing new or has bad tracks, but this time, "Gattch - Gattch", studio album, pales.

Which doesn't mean it's bad. Actually it's still good, only not so variable and breathtaking. 35 minutes of good music (read my other review on compilation album page, there's everything explained).

4(-), if you can, get the other album. You will get content of this album + a lot more material. It makes this studio album (sigh, it's sad) quite irrelevant and redundant. It's good if you are collectionist and want to have everything they released (for historical purposes for example). But otherwise, this record has been surpassed.

Again, I have to remind you that this album is as good as what is forming it. 8 very good tracks (again, see my other review).

Gattch were a Czechoslovakian group formed in 1969 that originally played beat, pop and psychedelic music. By the time their self-titled album was released in 1972, the band had moved in an instrumental direction, playing a mix of undemanding blues, gentle jazz grooves and slightly adventurous rock music. Often driven by the scorching lead guitar (and some striking violin) of Tomas `Tomy' Redey, the tracks on the album are catchy, breezy and very easy to listen to, the sort of music that would probably make the perfect soundtrack for a nice drive on a summer afternoon!

Right from the start, Tony Lancaric's chunky bass punches through to the front, where it remains throughout most of the eight pieces offered here. All of the pieces are effortlessly groovy and often upbeat, foot-tapping tunes. Gentle jazzy piano frequently tinkers away, soothing acoustic guitar flavours strum along, and occasional wordless sighing group harmonies enhance the laid-back cruisy mood. Delicate harpsichord rings dreamily throughout the second track, `Narodenie' is a nicely plodding slow-burn blues with a cool snarling acid-rock tone to the electric guitar and rattling drumming, `Neznama Tvar' jumps in and out of frantic up-tempo moments with sprightly piano and bluesy guitar, and `Vlak' has an infectious melody behind some nicely searing lead electric guitar soloing.

Things get more interesting starting from the lengthier pieces in the second half, displaying the most potential that the band had, as well as numerous directions they could have moved in on future albums. Other-worldly treated drowsy group harmonies, stirring violin, disorientating piano and thick plucking bass pounds through this tasty take on jazz-fusion, the band taking their music to a higher level with more variety and sophistication. The darkly dramatic continuation `Reminiscencia II' is psychedelic and freeform with drifting electric piano and softly droning violin. `Pontrapunkticka...' starts off nicely playful, with maddening winding electric guitar lines almost taking on a nursery rhyme melody, then followed by group jamming with lots of effective builds where the band work up a nicely simmering jazzy storm.

There would be no follow up album for Gattch, and we only have this sole work left to listen to. Not entirely satisfying due to not much in the way of complexity, depth or more truly ambitious arrangements, but definitely full of pleasing moments to enjoy on the surface, and it's probably mostly appreciated as a nicely performed undistracting background listen. It's also now available in a limited edition double CD set along with Modry Efekt's symphonic near-classic `Svitanie', so together the two albums make a fine package.

Three stars.

GATTCH was an early jazz rock band from the former Czechslokia, formed in 1969 in Bratislava, now the capital of the Slovak Republic and existed until 1974. The unusual band name was due to the last name initials of the band's founding members. Considered one of the earliest progressive bands in the Slovak side of the former Czechoslavia, GATTCH was highly influential for bands like Collegium Musicum, Fermáta and the Modry Effekt (Blue Effect). While the band existed for five full years, GATTCH only released this one self-titled album in 1971 depending on sources) on the fledgling Opus label in Bratislava which would host many of the progressive Slovakian acts in the years to come.

Starting out as a beat band, GATTCH quickly gravitated to the burgeoning art rock scene blossoming all over Europe and was particularly interested in connecting the world of rock music with jazz and classical. Formed by students of the Bratislava Conservatory, the band originally started off as a quartet but guitarist Karol Slanina left shortly after the band's inception and the remaining members would carry on as a quartet.

Sadly there isn't a lot of info on this band and its one and only album has never seen a single reissue since its original vinyl edition in 1971 therefore remains somewhat of a true obscurity. However the album has been released as a part of the CD compilation "Komplet" which features this album, the band's EP and includes unreleased material as well as an entire second CD of live tracks. Ironically the original vinyl LP seems to be cheaper than the CD compilation that came out in 2002! A veritable group of dedicated musicians, GATTCH's album featured eight all instrumental tracks with the exception some wordless vocalizations and crafted a unique blend of classical piano music with jazz and psychedelic rock. The music was quite accomplished without becoming too overtly "nerdy." The melodies were primarily rooted in Western classical piano and blues while the jazzy touches provided nice accents, syncopation and off-kilter time signatures. The fuzz guitar provided the proper blues rock accompaniments and the wordless vocal harmonies added a touch of Swingle Singers style upbeat grooviness.

In addition the album adds a touch of lounge lizard piano style most notably on "Reminiscencia II." The closing seems to show how the band matured on a single album with the more complex compositional flow of "Kontrapunktická Etuda" which sounds a bit like some of the 70s stuff Soft Machine would conjure up only with a more barrelhouse blues sounding piano roll. The tracks start off simpler and shorter and slowly progress throughout the album's run until the cream of the crop progginess with the closer.

Bratislava has always had the unique Eastern European advantage of existing right on the very border of Austria and is a mere hour's drive / train ride from Vienna therefore these Easterners have always had one ear pointed westward to catch the vibes of what the rest of Europe was up to. As one of the earliest and most influential Slovakian bands, unfortunately GATTCH hasn't exactly resurrected itself out of the obscurity bins and is relatively unknown in prog circles except by the hardcore collectors.

After this album the band would go through one more lineup change adding saxophonist Gabriel Joná? before disbanding but none of the members seem to have gone on in the world of jazz or progressive rock therefore bands like Fermáta, Collegium Musicum and De?o Ursiny have stolen all the thunder of early Slovakian prog. While GATTCH was clearly in that transition zone between catchy pop rock and a more sophisticated infusion of jazz and classical, the band clearly delivered some interesting musical workouts and sounds relatively unique even by today's standards.

3.5 rounded down