Blue Effect
1969-1989

  • Format: CD
  • Band: Blue Effect
  • Title: 1969-1989
  • Band's Origin: CS
  • Style: progressive Rock
  • Rating: 8 x 5, 1 x
  • Release Year: 2009
  • Recording Year: 1969-1989
  • Production Year: 1970-2009/2009
  • Record Company: Supraphon
  • Item's Number: SU 5990-2
  • Color of the Label:
  • Edition:
  • Extras: cardboard box, paper covers
  • EAN: 099925599027
  • Weight: 282 g
Grading
  • Visual: new
  • Acoustic:
  • Cover: new
Box containing the albums Meditace; Coniunctio; Nová syntéza; Nová syntéza 2; Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík; Svitanie; Svět hledačů; 33; Singly & bonusy


Supraphon Release Information



Supraphon is proud to announce the release of this comprehensive 9 CD box set capturing the history of Blue Effect, the seminal Czech progressive rock band that had to change its name on several occasions.

The elegantly packaged box set contains all eight original albums, spanning the period between 1970 and 1981, from the debut outing Meditace (Meditation) through Coniunctio (& Jazz Q Praha) to the Nové syntézy (New Syntheses) series with TOČR (the Czechoslovak Radio Dance Orchestra), Radim Hladík and Modrý Efekt, Svitanie (Dawn) and Svět hledačů (World of Seekers) to the final studio album, 33. The ninth disc features the complete singles, rarities and hitherto unreleased discoveries from Radim Hladík’s archive.

The separately packaged remastered discs are accompanied by a special booklet in which the erudite band historian Ivo Marek and the photographer Alan Pajer sum up in words and pictures the history and events around the band variously known as The Blue Effect, Blue Effect, Modrý Efekt and M. Efekt. All the band’s incarnations featured the guitarist, composer and artistic director Radim Hladík and almost all of them his loyal drummer Vlado Čech. The band’s constantly changing line-up, featuring on the debut album the singer Vladimír Mišík and the bassist Jiří Kozel, also included the singers and keyboardists Lešek Semelka and Olřich Veselý, as well as a number of other superlative vocalists and instrumentalists who all played a part in developing the sound of one of Czechoslovakia’s most essential rock bands.


Kalemegdan Disk Additions



Blue Effect was one of very few European progressive Rock bands during the Seventies who managed to release eight albums within ten years differing in style but holding a constantly high level. In my personal opinion there is not only one album to be rated as good, just all are excellent.

The set starts with the undergroundy “Meditace” (Side A has Czech and side B English lyrics) which was one year later rereleased as “Kingdom of Life” with full English lyrics to be followed by the jazz influenced “Coniuncitio” recorded in co-operation with Jazz Q Praha.

Many years ago Supraphon included the warning on the cover back of the export version of this LP that “It is not possible to listen to this record when reading a novel or washing the dishes. And it is even less suitable as a background to ironing or cooking. The incidental activity or object to which you might wish to devote yourself could suffer greatly as the result of your dividing your attention – and you naturally would not like to spoil your linen, dishes or stomach! The music on this record simply cannot be used as a musical setting, perhaps just because it itself is full of action. It requires your full attention and concentration and by failing to meet this requirement you will create the first prerequisite for misunderstanding: the music will have no meaning for you and you will not understand it. This situation can arise, of course, even if you are as attentive as a pupil of the first class. However, it is not the fault of the artists and since there are many who have understood we can offer you no other explanation than the hackneyed phrase to the effect that “the fault is in the receiver”.”

That’s exactly how it is and it’s also valid for both albums recorded together with the Jazzový Orchestr Čs. Rozhlasu. The first one is one of the climaxes of the whole box set. The attempt is similar to Deep Purple’s co-operation with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra two years before (to combine rock music with music from an orchestral genre), but Blue Effect succeeded to simply play in a higher league. I am not sure you had the chance to listen to something like that before. I at least hadn’t.

The next four albums offer beautiful arranged progressive rock with long instrumental parts in the classic line-up guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. I still would wait continueing with the novel, but if you urgently had to iron your linen, you could do it now.

All eight albums come in reproductions of their original covers and are carefully remastered. They have a splendid sound quality except of the first or the first two ones due to the weaker original recording quality.

The ninth CD offers unreleased material, partly in good quality, partly more as a kind of documentation. It starts with the six songs from their first single and their first EP, which is the most interesting material existing that was not released on any LP.


Tracklist



CD 1 The Blue Effect: Meditace – ℗ 1970


1. Paměť lásky 4:05
2. Blue Effect Street 4:07
3. Fénix 4:28
4. Stroj na nic 2:29
5. Slunečný hrob / Sunny Grave 1:52
6. Little Girl / Děvčátko 3:57
7. Deserted Alley / Osamělá ulice 3:12
8. Blues About Stone / Kamenné blues 8:01
9. Rainy Day / Deštivý den 4:01
10. Where Is My Star / Kde je má hvězda 3:28

CD 2 Blue Effect & Jazz Q Praha: Coniunctio – ℗ 1970


1. Coniunctio I 19:13
2. Návštěva u tety Markéty, vypití šálku čaje 6:05
3. Asi půjdem se psem ven 7:23
4. Coniunctio II 7:15

CD 3 Jazzový Orchestr Československého Rozhlasu & Modrý Efekt: Nová syntéza – ℗ 1971


1. Má hra 9:03
2. Směr jihovýchod 5:35
3. Popínavý břečťan 5:40
4. Blues modrého efektu 8:07
5. Nová syntéza 14:22

CD 4 Jazzový Orchestr Československého Rozhlasu & M. Efekt: Nová syntéza 2 – ℗ 1974


1. Nová syntéza 2 22:15
2. Je třeba obout boty a pak dlouho jít 10:03
3. Klíště 3:30
4. Jedenáctého října 7:35

CD 5 Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík: Modrý Efekt & Radim Hladík – ℗ 1974


1. Boty 10:04
2. Čajovna 4:05
3. Skládanka 5:56
4. Ztráty a nálezy 5:17
5. Hypertenze 12:35

CD 6 M Efekt: Svitanie – ℗ 1977


1. Vysoká stolička, dlhý popol 10:15
2. Ej, padá, padá rosenka 6:38
3. V sobotu popoludní 4:13
4. Svitanie 19:26

CD 7 M. Efekt: Svět hledačů – ℗ 1979


1. Za krokem žen 11:44
2. Hledám své vlastní já 4:13
3. Rajky 7:16
4. Zmoudření babím létem 8:47
5. Zázrak jedné noci 11:49

CD 8 M. Efekt: 33 – ℗ 1981


1. Třiatřicet 14:33
2. Avignonské slečny z Prahy 7:05
3. Občasná pánská jízda 11:25
4. Kohoutek kamarádství dokapává 8:48

CD 9 Blue Effect: Singly & bonusy – Recorded 1969-1989, ℗ 2009


1. Slunečný hrob 3:26
2. I’ve Got My Mojo Working 3:48
3. Sen není věčný 3:30
4. I Like the World (Sun Is so Bright) 3:10
5. Blue Taxi 2:41
6. Snakes 2:28
7. El Dorado 3:44
8. Dívko z kamene 2:35
9. Žena v okně 4:09
10. Známe se dál 3:17
11. Něžná 3:28
12. Záhada jmelí 4:18
13. Doktor 3:03
14. Čajovna 3:10
15. Kampa 4:32
16. Úhel pohledu 4:03
Bonus:
17. Král živých 3:47
18. F.e.d.o.r. 4:33
19. Prosím 13:40