ODE TO VENUS

I was 'cleaning' my library's database from hundreds of useless vinyls when I came across this album. I checked NIEMEN's inclusion on ProgArchives - the album looked that proggy! - and decided to give it a chance to be found by library users from PIKI library net around Tampere, Finland. So the least I must do is give it a review*.

NIEMEN was a Polish band named after the singer, who is praised in the backcover texts as a phenomenal talent and ambassador of Eastern Europe's rock. Coincidentally my only Polish prog encounter before this was an SBB album: as the lonely review of this album informs, SBB was founded the very next year by Jozef Skrzek (organ, el. piano, bass) of NIEMEN. These eight compositions are rock with heavy tendencies, some more spacy and philosophical than others, but clearly rougher than the more sensitive SBB. Keyboards, namely dark-toned organ, are not leaving guitar and energetic rhythm section in their shadow, as I had somehow expected/hoped. All except the short 'Rock For Mack' feature the beastlike vocals of Mr. Niemen. He reminds a bit of ARTHUR BROWN, though not quite that maniac and operative style. In all, a strong work, likely to please friends of ballsy prog rock with the vintage sound of early seventies, but somehow also easy to forget, at least by me.

(*PS: Recently I have practically stopped reviewing here, due to some changes in my life. I myself was surprised by the sudden loss of, not just suitable time, but also interest: I had a long list of less seen artists to review. But maybe I'll have another active PA phase in future. Greetings to you all! Keep on proggin'.)