SBB ‎– "SBB (or The Amiga Album)" (AMIGA ‎– 8 55 631) 1978

For SBB's East German sojourn, they got to release an album on VEB Deutsche Schallplatten's classic "Amiga" label, and record at 'Rundfunk der DDR' studios.Maybe they misunderstoof the 'Rundfunk' part, because they made a Herbie Hancock album instead of the usual SBB prog exploration.The poles have got funky for this one,the 'Third' eponymous album by SBB....referred to as the 'Amiga Album'.
The East German government were rather more officious than the Poles or the Czech's,a hangover from the Nazi period.So, i guess some high ranking state official insisted that they made something 'To Dance To Ja!?"....."Unt you vill DANCE!", was standard DJ talk at the state Discothéque;open every Friday from 7pm 'til curfew.
It may be mid-seventies funky Jazz Fusion, rather than Symphonic Progressive Rock, but it make me wanna tap my twinkle toes to its funkeh riddyms somewhat.Yowzaaaaah!

Tracklist:

A1 Tanzbär 3:05
A2 Magische Blaue Stunde 3:05
A3 Hektik 3:05
A4 2.10 2:10
A5 Ouzo 5:00
A6 Unterbrochene Erotik 2:52
B1 Kala 3:30
B2 Tumba 3:45
B3 Mutraczka 4:20
B4 Nr. 7 5:00
B5 I Wonder Why 4:35

DOWNLOAD the closest Herbie Hancock ever got to the DDR HERE!

SBB ‎– "SBB (aka The Orange Album or Slovenian Girls)" (Supraphon ‎– 1 13 2218) 1978

SBB spent 1977/78 making albums for other communist state labels....except that notably absent was an SBB release on Russian state label, Melodija? Naturally the first place to go would be Czechoslavakia's 'Supraphon',So they got a couple of weeks off from the coalmine before christmas 1977 to record in Prague.The result of which was this garishly covered album,and the second,of three eponymously named collections called "SBB".Obviously this would cause confusion in other countries, so it was referred to as 'The Orange Album',and actually renamed in West Germany (1979), rather crassly, as "Slovenian Girls".Adorned with an alluring young Slovenian lady on the cover.One assumes that sales went up with the application of this basic, but sadly very effective,capitalist,marketing tool?
The brightly coloured sleeve of the Supraphon release certainly makes it stand out amongst the dour graphic design of their soviet bloc rivals.And look, they had a Mini Moog!
The tracks also had different names according to wich version they appeared on.For 'Slovenian Girls' it was simply Julia and Anna,whoever they were?It seems that one member of SBB went without a Slovenian Girl of his own?
They dud it again though.....two sidelong progressive pop workouts to rival any of their western counterparts....now get back in that coalmine and be equal!

Tracklist:

1. Wołanie O Brzęk Szkła (Touha Po Zvonění Střepů) / Julia (19:03)
2. Odejście (Odchod) / Anna (19:38)

DOWNLOAD a healthy orange full of vitamin C for communism HERE!

SBB ‎– "Ze Słowem Biegnę Do Ciebie" (Polskie Nagrania Muza ‎– SX 1434) 1977

Two side long prog workouts,hitting every shade and hue of the Prog Rock Rainbow. A veritable cornucopia of funny time signatures and virtuosity. A smorgasbord of different tempo's and ........I'll stop now.
Basically its a rather good, if not the finest, SBB LP, treading that fine line between Jazz Rock Fusion, and Symphonic space rock.
Whats more is that there's another lengthy prog Rock excursion added as a bonus track. And once again,its never boring or derivative,and so opposite to what the capitalist bloc was selling us in 1977,that if you were a 'Real Punk', this is what you should have been listening to while your mates were enjoying themselves at a Sham 69 concert.

Tracklist:

1 Ze Słowem Biegnę Do Ciebie 19:14
2 Przed Premierą 19:29

Bonus Track:
3 Odejście (Tęsknota/Wyzwolenie/Odejście/Rozłam/Pojednanie) 29:07

DOWNLOAD the opposite to sham 69 in '77 HERE!

SBB ‎– "Pamięć" (Polskie Nagrania Muza ‎– SX 1345) 1976

I often asked my Father whether he'd like to go back to lower Silesia, and revisit his prison camp, to which he replied....."Ooya Bugger!You must be bloody joking! Bloody awful place,flat boring landscape and full of funny Buggers.".......yes, he'd have voted Brexit;But, as the theme of this album seems to be something to do with Fathers and family history, I will let that go, quoting track two,english version in brackets, "From Whose Blood is my Blood". Funnily enough he never had a bad word to say about the Germans!? The French were dismissed as ,and I quote, "A Shower of Shite!"
He'd be turning in his grave if he knew I now live in France.I can now confirm that they aren't quite the shower de merde that he thought they were,butJust as dislikeable,rude,and full of shit as all humans are.....some more than others.....and i'm not excluding myself from this observation before you jump in!
I did put my fathers remains, "Craddled in my Hands" (track one),around the graves of his perished Bomber crew near St Nazaire where they were buried (as documented earlier in this blog,including his very entertaining memoires for download). Scattering his ashes in the small war graves commision cemetery there.I'm sure he'd be satified with that.
So I dedicate this posting of some rather marvellous symphonic polish Prog ,"Ojcu"....(see also track one)


Tracklist:

1 W Kołysce Dłoni Twych(Ojcu)/In The Craddle Of Your Hands(To My Father) 9:09
2 Z Których Krwi Krew Moja/From Whose Blood, My Blood 10:13
3 Pamięć W Kamień Wrasta/Memory Grows Into Stone 19:53

Bonus Tracks:
4 Poranek Nadziei 4:27
5 Barwy Drzewa 2:01

6 Osiem Rąk 4:40
7 Waldie 9:13
8 Niedokończona Progresja 6:24
9 Reko-Reko 4:31
10 Serenada Gia Sena 4:58

DOWNLOAD more prog from poland HERE!

SBB (Silesian Blues Band) - "Nowy Horyzont" (Polskie Nagrania Muza ‎– SX 1206) 1975

SBB themselves...ahhhh they look all sad!?

Remember when Gary Glitter 'retired' and the band behind the great man carried on....the pure liquid genius that was 'The Glitter Band'?...yes?
Well SBB were the genius behind Czeslaw Niemen.
An acronym for the Silesian Blues Band, they were thee best Prog band in Poland, if not the whole Soviet Bloc, and within a chance to be the best in Europe?....well maybe that's going a little too far,but, musicianship-wise, they were smoking daddio!
As their former leader, Singer and keyboard leg end, Mr Nieman went on a electronic journey to the centre of the cosmos, the rockier side of his myth went on a progressive journey to fit as many notes, time signatures, and tempo changes into the medium of Rock fusion as possible. That sounds like my kinda shit....and it is.
I have a family connection with Silesia, as my dear departed Daddy spent three years there as a prisoner of war of the occupying Nazi's.The fucking Germans tried to kill him!?....what were they thinking of? 
But, now we're all friends in that wonderful concept of peace...the European Union......no....wait....the UK don't wanna be friends no more?......which reminds me to remind all forward thinking Brits who may read this before dec 12th, to vote tactically and fuck over your local Tory. There's a small chart in the side column of this blog. Target numero uno is Rees-Mogg, then Posh Fat-Boy Johnson himself.

Tracklist:

1.Na Pierwszy Ogień (Curtain Raiser) 3:15
2.Błysk (A Flash) 2:45
3.Nowy Horyzont (The New Horizon) 7:47
4.Ballada O Pięciu Głodnych(A Ballad About The Five Hungry Ones) 3:55
5.Wolność Z Nami (Freedom With Us) 20:00

Bonus Tracks:
6 Xeni 6:39
7 Penia 15:59
8 Dyskoteka 6:55
9 Na Pierwszy Ogień 6:49

DOWNLOAD a new horizon from silesia HERE!