CZESLAW NIEMEN - Spizowy Krzyk

Czeslaw Niemen
Spizowy Krzyk

Label: Polskie Nagrania - Muza, Poland (2008)
Catalogue No: PNCD 1220
Format: CD (digi pack)

Tracks:

1. Spizowy krzyk
2. Narodziny milosci
3. Allilah
4. Italiam, Italiam
5. Cztery sciany wiata
6. Marionetki
7. Ptaszek
8. Smutny ktos i biedny nikt
9. Epitafium (Pamieci Piotra)
10. Stracency
11. Laur dojrza y
12. Proroctwo Wernyhory
13. Moje zapatrzenie
14. Elegia sniezna
15. Status mojego ja
16. Jagody szaleju

About:

This CD consists of songs by legendary Polish singer Czeslaw Niemen. All tracks were personally selected by Niemen's wife - Malgorzata. Czeslaw Niemen (the real name is Czeslaw Juliusz Wydrzycki) was born in Stare Wasiliszki (Old Vasilishki), a village in Byelorussia, Soviet Union, in 1939. In 1958 he has repatriated to Poland. His scenic name is a pseudonym taken after the name of the river Niemen. Debuted as a rock and soul singer in the early 1960 s. He recorded Dziwny jest ten wiat (Strange Is This World) as a major Polish protest song in 1967, and was an early pioneer of psychedelic music in communist Poland in the late 60 s. He recorded three albums with the band Akwarele, as well as later works with Enigmatic, Grupa Niemen, and Aerolit. His first self-acclaimed progressive work was entitled Enigmatic , and was released in 1969. The most notable song from it was Bema pami ci a obny - rapsod (A Mournful Rhapsody, in memory of Jozef Bem, a Polish solider who served as a Polish Army general in the Polish War of Independence (November Uprising). Like Rhapsody , many of the other songs from Enigmatic were based Polish folk poetry. During his progressive period Niemen played keyboards extensively, including a Hammond, and later a mellotron and finally a Moog synthesizer. In the early 70 s Niemen recorded three albums for CBS International (Schaelplatten), including a 1974 release entitled Mourner's Rhapsody with Jan Hammer and Rick Laird of Mahavishnu Orchestra, electric violin and saxophonist Michal Urbaniak of Fusion, bassist the late Seldon Powell of the Buddy Rich Band, and session pianist the late Don Grolnick. The album featured a fifteen minute version of A Mournful Rhapsody . In the latter 70 s Niemen s musical work tended more toward jazz/fusion, and even electronica. He released seven additional albums and a retrospective collection before he passed of cancer in 2004.

Review:

That's how the concerts of C.Niemen were introduced in 1987 in London. Also: "Poland's best vocalist, composer, musician and poet". Now let's replace "Poland's" with "one of the world's best". His talent covered and exceeded jazz, fusion, folk, progressive rock, psychedelia, church music. One might not like Niemen, but not to know his work is a disgrace. He was acclaimed and respected by "Billboard", "Rolling Stone" and even "Soviet Culture" (when rock was forbidden in the USSR). The first and only rock-musician allowed to perform in the Kremlin Palace (it was ideological mistake). When I was young I used to queue for few hours to get tickets or new LP. Recently I moved my lazy fat belly only twice: a) to see Deep Purple when they came to the island; b) to collect Niemen's CDs at the airport.
This compilation is the best selection of Niemen's works. Just get it! (Golovanov Alexey, Limassol, Cyprus)