Kalemegdan Disk - ROCK FROM EASTERN EUROPE

Supraphon Release Information

Long awaited new album of our rock legend

After almost ten years since the release of “Sto roků na cestě” (One Hundred Years on the Road), here is a compilation of thirteen recordings by this year’s jubilant singer, musician, composer etc. Michal Prokop. Twelve original tracks and one cover version feature Prokop and his band Framus Five in a classic line-up, complete with extraordinary guests – and in great form.

Logically, nothing changes in the essence of the blues-based electric songwriting. The principle of a uniquely sung, melodically strong and carefully chosen-worded repertoire is once again a given. Seven times Michal Prokop himself, but also Luboš Andršt, Jan Hrubý or Martin Němec added new music, and the unreleased legacy of Petr Skoumal was also included. The already existing texts by Pavel Šrut, Zdeněk Rytíř and Jiří Žáček were supplemented by Michal Bulíř, Tomáš Roreček, Milan Šašek, Martin Němec and Jan Lacina. A special bonus is Ježek’s, Voskovec’s and Werich’s “Svět naruby” (World upside down), reminding us of the fate of the censor’s deleted recording from 1969 and the permanent validity of the old song.

Pleasant echoes of American rock, not just the violins demonstrating home-grown origins, thoughtfully sparing use of keys, winds and choruses. Emphasis on civil lyrics, effective choruses and memorable slogans. Proven listening functionality of this music and the friendly togetherness within the band. This is also why the creation of the album was able to cope with the serious health indisposition of guitarist Luboš Andršt, in his unfinished recordings respectfully replaced once by Michal Pavlíček and several times by Pavel Marcel.

Both CD and 2LP have been graphically decorated by the studio “3. dílna”, i.e. by Karel Haloun and Luděk Kubík. The fundamental visual concept is based on images of nature as an infinitely changing symbol of life. There is a complete set of song lyrics, and the inserted sheet offers documentary photos of Framus Five.

It’s a sympathetically unsentimental album, colorful in arrangement, and needfully energetic. An album anchoring Michal Prokop in the position of an unmistakable Czech rocker, faithful to his own musical opinion and his numerous fans. An album released after a long time by Supraphon, where the singer started out an incredible fifty-three years ago.

Tracklist

1. Nebe anebo cesta do pekel 4:06
2. So Long 5:10
3. Prstoklad 3:36
4. Pomoz mi 4:57
5. Věnování 4:32
6. Hoří Notre Dame 3:13
7. Libeňská 4:50
8. Last Minute Man 4:47
9. Secret Song 4:09
10. Má vlast 4:40
11. Neříkej 5:09
12. Deštník 2:25
13. Svět naruby 3:18