KRYWAN, KRYWAN

This is maybe the best album ever made by any Polish group. Skaldowie recorded a lot of poppy, big-beat short songs that are still played on the Polish radio. But only small group of dedicated fans know about this one. Krywań is a mysterious mountain in Tatry Mountains. In fact the whole album is a kind of mixture between great symphonic prog and a traditional folk music from the southern Poland. The first, title track is a magnificent huge epic about the mountains and people living there. It's extremely comlex with lots of tempo changes and wonderfull solos on violin and Hammond organs (I love that sound!). You will also find there parts inspired by the classics like Bach and Mussorgski. All in all it's one of my favourite songs of all time. But the rest of the album isn't any worse. There are four short compositions, each in quite simmilar style of symphonic prog with lots of folk parts and with some blues infuences. The musicianship is superb here. Espescially the keyboard and violin parts. Their sound reminds me of Kansas in some way, but I have to admit I enjoy Krywań more than any Kansas album (which I must say is one of my faourite bands). If you like Jon Lord or Keith Emerson, you'll love Skaldowie. This is a masterpiece. In my opinion the only one this band created. It's maybe the most important album in the history of Polish prog. A must buy for everyone.

A truly excellent album from Polish prog!

I feel bad to a colleague of mine whom I met through this site. He was so keen to know vintage prog bands from all corners in the world including my country, Indonesia. We exchanged CDs and one of them was this album by Skaldowie. The package looks impressive: it's like an LP replica with good look. However, because of my workload as well as many CDs that stuck on my desk, I had no time (read: "priority") to spin this CD. I already had this CD about more than two months ago and since then there were many CDs from new newer bands like Spock's Beard, Marillion, Steve Hackett, Porcupine Tree etc. which came to be my first priority. I only got a chance to open the seal of this package just last night (so sorry Jarek!). WOW! That was my first impression listening to the first track of this album. I have made mistake not listening to this CD even though it's been with me for quite a long time ago. I spun the CD three times last night - in its entirety for each spin. This morning I spin it again and I don't think I need another spin to pen my opinion about this album.

Krywaniu, Krywaniu (17:45) opens the album with an ambient nuance followed with vocal line. The music moves with good melody led by vocal in Polish on top of rhythm section which is quite dominated with bass lines. Once the lyrical verse finishes, Hammond organ follows the way in excellent solo backed with dynamic bass lines. The music slows down and lets Hammond to give further solo while bass guitar role is a bit diminishing - as well as drum work. It turns faster in tempo followed in crescendo with much dynamic bass guitar work and drums. The Hammond sound is really unique and it reminds me to the work of Jon Lord (Deep Purple) and Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep). Oh man .. I really like this portion of music. It's so compelling and it's so classic! The Hammond then plays cuts from "Pictures at an Exhibition" of Musssorgski. What follows is a bass guitar solo augmented with guitar which provides great entrance of violin to take its solo as the vocal enters the music again. Again, I really love this transition piece! Violin provides its background work during vocal session and it continues with marvelous solo. Oh my God . this is AWESOME! This is truly a vintage prog music, I would say! Those of you who observed prog since the 70s would say that this part is truly WONDERFUL! What so interesting is the combined work of violin, bass guitar and Hammond. Perfect! At approx minute 11 the band gives a sort of avant-garde break while using violin and bit of drums and bass guitar to provide ambient nuance. The music sounds like to end but it's in fact peaking up again in faster tempo. There are also cuts from Bach, Borodin and Rossini as well. This track reminds me to the music of The Flock combined with ELP. I have no other choice to give this epic track with full five stars (*****).

Juhas zmarł (4:35) is a quite straight forward music with heavy influence from Afro African music that relies heavily on percussion. Even though the percussion dominates rhythm section, bass guitar as well as piano provide an obvious contribution for the music. There is definitely a touch of jazz music. I feel like the piano solo provided in the middle of the track is like a combined work of Joe Sample and Chick Corea. Guitar solo follows. This track deserves three stars (***).

Jeszcze kocham (2:34) is a track with pop touch and excellent piano work augmented with obvious bass guitar work. Again, it has a touch of jazz as it's clearly demonstrated by the work of piano augmented with guitar. The piano solo is excellent and it definitely satisfies jazz lovers. (***)

Gdzie mam ciebie szukać (5:16) has an intro which combines vintage rock guitar work augmented with shots of Hammond organ followed with vocal. The composition sounds simple and the music flows in straightforward structure. The rhythm section includes percussion work. This time, guitar is given a chance to deliver its solo in the middle of the track augmented with brass section. (***)

Fioletowa dama (5:14) is an excellent concluding track and one of my favorites in addition to the opening track. It kicks off with Hammond organ work in vintage style. The music flows beautifully with Hammond as lead melody while bass guitar, drums and guitar serve as rhythm section. Guitar then takes the lead melody through solo while Hammond plays as rhythm section with other instruments. Violin is also given a chance to perform solo. It's really a nice track. (****)

Overall, this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. It's a must for those who enjoy violin and Hammond organ sounds. The CD sleeve mentions that this album was released in 1972, instead of 1973. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Is it any wonder that we love this website as we do. Where else could we discover gems of progressive rock like this. Let's put it this way... you are not going to find this 1973 album from Poland in that book by Macan that infamously said that Continental Europe can be seen as providing English progressive rock bands an audience. What rubbish that is. Any progger which half a sense of adventurism has no doubt noted that while England gave birth to what we know as prog rock it soon splintered into a 1000 glorious directions and became much more than clone or copy-cats of the old English warhorses. That is where prog rock is.. or can be SUCH a fascinating genre to get into. Where the music may not be as renowned or the groups as famous as what England produced.. but when you listen with your ears.. you hear music that is AS good and is AS creative and fresh as the more well known groups.

Anyway. Earlier this spring our friend and resident 'son' of the forum, the ever effervescent Pablo started a thread about killer Hammond albums. Being such a Hammond freak myself I was quite interested in the thread so I started flipping through it and came across a post by Tuzvihar, an album cover I had never seen, one that is well.. very striking. After asking him about it, he directed me to the mp3 sections here. I listened to it once.. after picking myself up off the floor and changing my short now wet with Diet Coke.. I listened to it again... and again.. and again. I told myself I had to have this album. It took me some time to find it.. more time to GET it and once I did. I was not disappointed by the rest of the album. It is albums like this that make the prog explorer happy. Knowing that though you may have an extensive prog collection.. and know of even many more groups and albums.. you can STILL find gems like this that become instant favorites. So a big shout out to the forum.. and especially to Tuz for recommending it. This is what we love prog for.

The aforementioned side long title track opens the album. What can I say about it. It is letter perfect. A beautiful intro. Vocals that are exotic to these ears with strongly harmonized singing in Polish. Two solo sections to die for , one with the Hammond using it to it's full range soft sections and fast furious sections, a real Hammond workout and dream for lovers of the instrument and one fabulous violin that ranks right up there with the best I've heard in a 'rock' context. Strong bass with the picked treble jacked tone that I love that cuts through the other instruments and is never lost in the mix. Even a couple of playful classical quotations throw in, one from Mussorgsky and another from Rossini. Listen to it here at the archives. Bet you'll get hooked. Now we have side 2.. which I had been eagerly waiting to hear. The title track having been put onto my mp3 player.. I knew it upside down and backwards before I got the album... seeming shipped from somewhere in Poland since it took me 6 weeks to get hahahha. The second side is composed of 4 shorter songs. First off is Juhas Zmarl (apologize for characters lost in translation.. on english keyboard here) with interesting percussion, strong harmony singing and a fabulously infectious piano melody. A trumpet solo thrown in as well. Love it. Probably strongly rooted in Polish folk music though I'm not going to fake any knowledge of it. Jeszcze Kocham is next up and might be my favorite of the 2nd side. Haven't decided quite yet Strongly delivered vocals, and not at all unpleasing at all to to ear, and a strongly jazzy feel with some wonderful jazzy piano playing. What probably is my favorite is the next one, Gdzie Mam Ciebe Szukac. The Hammond reappears after cooling down from side 1 and here the electric guitar takes a more prominent spot that we have seen so far driving the main riff of the song. The vocals as they have so far on the album are strong and delivered passionately. They use harmonies in the perfect spots, underscored by their use of this song. We see our first real guitar solo here. Nothing out of this world but a nice dynamic contrast. Would have been a mistake to base their sound around it.. but used in small quantities.. the electric guitar stands out far more than it would if it had been featured more often. The album closes with Fioletowa Dama. The Violet Lady. A mid-tempo instrumental in which the Hammond Organ, electric guitar, and violin all get nice solo spots. Nice way to close the album.

Rating the album. Hmmm. .always hard. I tend to be very stingy with giving out 5 stars for the site. If I do.. it is for an album I think all proggers should have and hear, regardless of whether I love it or not. As such.. as much as I would love to.. I can't give it 5 stars.. but a very strong 4 stars. I do highly recommend the album for those who really want to explore beyond the same old same old here. As for me.. the second side was WELL worth the 6 week wait to get. The first side.. shear prog heaven for me. A true 5 star album..and one of the best recommendations I have got from a member here on the site. Thanks Tuz.. you're a peach.

Michael (aka The Big Mick)

Poland gives you Prog that Rocks!

Krywan, Krywan is certainly a hidden gem, yet to be found by the vast majority of Proggers. Krywan, Krywan offers you a Hammond-organ-driven Prog album, in a very Symphonic style, in which reminds us of Tony Banks playing on Trespass, as well as Jon Lord's playing in Deep Purple's MK 1. Krywan, Krywan also offers a wide range of styles in each song, going from the epic Symphonic Krywaniu, Krywaniu, to jazzy piano interplays, as well as groovy rock.

Symphonic Epicness: Krywaniu, Krywaniu gets this tag by lasting almost 18 minutes, as well as by having a big bunch of mood changes and instrumental passages, but primarly for having such a great composition, as well as being greatly played by each member of the band. Obviously the main role is taken by A. Zieliński's Hammond-Organ creating most of the melodies, as well as chilling experiences. His role in this song is without doubt obligatory, without him this song is nothing. The bass and drums have a minor role, though creating important sections of the song, the riff and the mood of the song, respectively. The violin is mainly a bonus, though giving a more varied sound/style to the song in which it'll have it's solo spots which are enjoyable. The vocals full-fills the missing piece of each mood, I mean that the vocals add more substance to each mood, which makes it clear what type of mood you are in. The moods varie through the up-lifting as well as a bit depressing, chorus, to the soft ones in which A. Zieliński's Hammond creates gentle and quite moments, to the speed-up organ and violin runs, to dissonant ones. Definitely a epic to explore for those who haven't.

Jazzy pieces: Juhas Zmarł is a entertaining percussive groovy, jazzy piece. It features congas giving it a similar style to the songs of Osibisa or Santana, as well as having A. Zieliński's piano giving the jazzy feel to it, which I find similar to Gregg Rolie's playing on Incident at Neshabur(from Abraxas). To have a even more jazzier feel J. Zieliński introduces a tiny solo, which is nothing more than enjoyable.

Jeszcze Kocham also has a jazzy feel, this time having softer vocals, which gives the song a more calm mood than the previous. A. Zieliński's piano is again responsable of the jazzy feel, though not entirely, the rythm section this time also adds a jazzy style to the song.

Rock pieces: Gdzie Mam Ciebie Szukać while having a calm rythm, it's certainly one of the ''Rock pieces'', in the style of Samba pa Ti, though definitely not as up-lifting as it. Again with the congas, having even a more similar sound to Samba pa Ti, though by no means delivered with such energy or climax, still this song makes out to be a decent rock tune.

Fioletowa Dama is the only instrumental tune in here, which belongs to the ''Rock pieces'' for having a bluesy rythm which is groovy and dull at the same time, as well as showcasing solos from the Hammond, guitar and violin. The organ solo follows the blues rythm very well, while the guitar solo breaks the gentle climax with a more rock style, with the rythm section being back-uped with the organ, to a more complete sound to it, the violion solo is more melodic and doesn't suit that well in the song's style, yet it's a well achieved solo, as well a well achieved instrumental, though for a ending of a essential gem, it's quite mediocre.

Skaldowie demonstrates the average Prog listener based on the classic Prog bands of U.K and U.S, that unique and sophisticated Prog gems can also be found in other countries. While the album is not 100% Prog, having the epic only as proof that this is a Prog album or even band, the quality of the material that is not Prog is quite good, and makes up a excellent album.

4 stars. For those who are looking for Prog gems out of U.K and U.S, this album might click your interest, I assure you.

I don't think you ever quit learning when it comes to the Progressive Rock scene. I really thought SBB were the only significant band to come out of Poland in the seventies until I was blown out by this album. SKALDOWIE's first album came out in 1967 while their first significant album (at least to Prog fans) came out in 1970. This recording is considered to be their best and most proggy and it's from 1973. The first track is a side long suite of almost 18 minutes while side two featues four shorter but equally excellent tunes. By the way I hope to review that 1970 release tonight.

"Krywaniu, Krywaniu" kicks in around a minute with vocals. Nice chunky bass too.The organ leads after 2 minutes. Great sound here. It settles some then kicks back in as the tempo picks up. The organ and bass continue to impress. It settles again around 6 minutes until about 8 minutes when it kicks back in with vocals as themes are repeated. Violin before 9 minutes. A calm 11 minutes in as the organ and trumpet come in with other sounds. No real melody here. The "Lone Ranger" theme is touched on briefly before 14 minutes. Pulsating organ and violin follow. Bass is back 16 minutes in then it kicks back in to the end. Phew ! Killer track.

"Juhas Zmarl" really sounds like a SANTANA song. All the percussion and congas and even the vocal style. Piano helps early and this really does sound amazing. Guitar 3 minutes in then the trumpet leads as the uptempo rhythm with percussion and congas continues. Great tune. "Jeszize Kocham" features the drums, bass, piano and vocals early on. Incredible sound here. Guitar ends it. "Gdzie Mam Cieble Szuka" is another SANTANA-like tune with vocals. Fantastic stuff. "Fioletowa Dama" is led by the organ and drums early on. Some nasty organ before 1 1/2 minutes. Nice. Fat bass in this one too. Violin after 3 minutes as the bass continues to throb. Organ is back. Big finish.

I want to thank Tuzvihar for the excellent bio on this band and his review. And to Todd for allowing me to hear this masterpiece.

A major name of the 60's/70's Polish Pop/Rock scene, Skaldowie from Krakow were found in mid-60's by brothers Jacek Zieliński (vocals, violin) and Andrzej Zieliński (keyboards, vocals), originally as a sextet.They had a huge number of line-up changes over the next decade, but this wouldn't prevent them from winning music festivals and competitions.By 1969 they had already recorded three albums, joined a couple of years earlier by Jerzy Tarsinski on guitars, Konrad Ratynski on bass and Jan Budziaszek on drums.For the first time Skaldowie tour outside Poland, most particularly in Soviet Union and the US.Entering the 70's their highly prolific profile continues with three more works, all in their familiar Psych/Pop/Rock style.In 1972 Skaldowie make their first attempt on composing a sidelong progressive suite on their seventh studio album ''Krywan, Krywan''.The Zielinskis always had a strong folklore background and the album title refers to the mountain of the High Tatras mountain range in Slovakia.It was originally released on Polskie Nagrania Muza.

The 17-min. long ''Krywaniu, Krywaniu'' is propably the main reason to go after this album.Skaldowie was always a Psychedelic Rock band with commercial leanings and with this composition they seem to move a bit away from their familiar fields.This track is dominated by the long and folky violin fireworks of Jacek Zielinski along with the Classical-inspired organ themes of his brother Andrzej, although the later come in a quite dated performance along the lines of THE NICE.There are extended instrumental passages with jamming sessions and more melodic overtones, however the psychedelic influences are still present, especially in the vocal parts.Maybe the dullest part comes, when Andrzej Zielinski quotes the Classical movements of Johann Sebastian Bach in a rather questionable move, as questionable is the whole track in terms of structure with some tight but also lots of abstract deliveries.The highlight remains by far the violin work of Jacek Zielinski and his rural style of playing.Anyway, this was a decent effort by Skaldowie to enter the Art Rock fields and has nothing to do with the predictable and often boring flipside of the album, which contains cliche Psychedelic Rock with jazzy, bluesy and poppy overtones, but the only thing to remember are some melodic guitar lines by Tarsinski.All flipside-placed cuts have strong commercial flavors despite some good rockin' parts with rather forgettable choruses, limited organ moves and outdated brass sections.

This album might have been a good entry back in the day of its release, especially in Poland, a country definitely starving then for some artistic and less predictable music, but today it sounds so old-fashioned and dusty it wll not shock anyone after listening to it.The title-track contains a few nice moments, but the final feeling is that noone will miss this one from his collection.Recommended to die-hard Psych Rock fans.

East european prog is generally very interesting. Being caught in between the need to express oneself artistically and the wants of a restrictive, to say the least, regime, I think the pressure on the musicians to please both the audience, themselves and the powers that be must have been tremendous. However difficult the task, I think that many bands did a terrific job. They managed to walk the line with heads held high. I think that Poland and the former Czechoslovakia produced the finest of the lot. I mean Niemen, SBB, Modry Efect, Jazz Q et al all managed to put forth a wonderful spread of music, equalling anything the west could muster.

Skaldowie was one of those polish bands. They made quite a few albums and I find most of them enjoyable, though this one is hailed as their masterpiece. I do like it but I find it to be prog only in part.

The title track is an adorable piece of music. It incorporates both folk, jazz, rock and moulds it into a splendid prog cocktail. It sounds like a mix of ELP and other related bands, dressed in an eastern european costume. It is varied, connected and engaging. There are vocal parts but not a lot. The main body of the track is instrumental and holds a feeling of jam session from time to time. It is dirty and quite raw, in no small part to the magnificent organ with it's distorted stabs. There is also quite a lot of violin, which is nice. The combination between violin and organ is quite breathtaking. "Krywan, Krywan" is without a doubt the best and by far the most progressive track on the album and the main reason for checking it out.

The remaining four track are all good but not that progressive. They are more in the vein of classic organ driven hard rock of the era. Not at all bad but not in the same league as the title track and, as I have already stated, not progressive.

(My edition holds twelve bonus tracks. For the most part instrumental versions of the tracks on the album but also some radio recordings. The best bonus track is their version of "Scarborough fair". Hearing it I feel like I am stepping right into a thriller from 1971 with high paced car chases. Or the scene where Harry Palmer steps into a night club, accompanied by high octane organ jazz. It is truly a wonderful version. But it is not prog rock.)

Conclusion: I do not really know how many stars I ought to give this album. On the one hand there is only one of the five tracks I consider prog. On the other hand it is nice all the way through. But is it worth four stars? I could give several bands four stars for their albums based on less prog elements but then the album has to be really good. When it all comes down to the nitty and gritty I have to say that this album is highly enoyable but out of five tracks there is only one worth more than three stars. I'll go for the stricter line and awards it three stars. Good but not essential. Check out the title track, though. That is truly amazing.

An argument could be made that Krywan, Krywan is Skaldowie's equivalent of Rush's 2112. In both cases you have bands who have have a certain amount of stylistic exploration in the years coming up to this release putting out an album whose first track is a well-received side-long progressive rock epic that represents the culmination of their musical efforts to date, whilst the second side consists of shorter, generally more poppier or straightforward numbers. Just take out the metal influences from Rush, add in Polish folk and classical music influences, and then plaster on thick doses of ELP-influenced organ and piano, and there you go.

Much like with 2112 - or, for that matter, Tarkus, which perhaps was on Skaldowie's record player when they were brainstorming this one - the end result is absolutely an album of two halves. The side-long epic is rather good; the second side is a bit less essential, though I found it at least more consistent than that of Tarkus. Three stars seems fair.