Search - Cechomor :: Promeny

Gorgeous

Kristin M. Fiore | Seattle, WA | 11/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was given this disc as a gift by a Czech while staying there, and while it sounds nothing like my other discs, I play it constantly and find it beautiful. The arrangements are done by composer Jaz Coleman, formerly of the experimental / punk band Killing Joke (early 1980s), but you'd never know it. For the record, more of my music sounds like Killing Joke, or the village music of Eastern Europe -- things deemed gritty or dissonant by many people. This disc, however, is smooth as glass and weightless, the soundtrack to some tragic, uplifting, unshot film -- which makes sense, as Coleman has composed film scores. The words I would use to describe it make it sound cloying or wimpy -- sweet, pure, delicate, dramatic -- but Coleman does a wonderful job at creating that atmosphere without being overly sentimental. The lyrics are unintelligible if you don't speak Czech, but most are tragic / poetic love songs. I listen to everything from 1930s French to Transylvanian Gypsy music, and I find this disc to be quite good despite my normal lack of interest in similarly and inferiorly arranged pieces. The band also has a live disc (two-disc set?) out with vastly different, rock/folk arrangements of these songs. Not as good, but still worth a listen."

An exceedlingly rare & precious gem

Todd Spinney | Leominster, MA USA | 06/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Us dumb Americans are really missing out on some great stuff, musically speaking. We listen to creatively bankrupt music because the record industry forces it on us, and then convinces us it's good. It's like being force-fed McDonald's, and then being told it's filet mignon. Bleah.
This wonderful and exciting music will never be played on American radio, let alone MTV or VH1. I was lucky enough to have picked out this CD while I was in a Wal-mart-like store in a tiny town called Michalovce in Slovakia. I had been rooting through the cds for about 10 minutes, getting a bit frustrated, as everything was in a language i couldn't understand! I was about to give up when I took a listen to this, it took all of 10 seconds to decide i found a winner.
it's trad. folk, and folky-style music interpreted to suit today's ear. I can't understand a darn word, except "Husicky" which means "seagull". There are English interpretations of the lyrics. But for me right now, the meaning is secondary to the actual music. What do I hear is the guts, the edge, confidence and dark, powerful attitude of a music that most people normally consider to be for old farts.
Lush, rich and textured orchestral arrangements perfectly complement a combination of middle-European, Jewish, and Celtic melodies and rhythms, with a tasteful sprinkling of delicously-indulgent western bombacity. I can only pray they come to the U.S., to be discovered by all.
I don't possess the vocabulary to give it justice. All I can say is, the money you pay for this will be worth it, and then some. An absolute joy, Godiva-quality ear candy for the discriminating listener. Get it."

Excellent Introduction to Czech Folk Music

Todd Spinney | 11/18/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The similarities in places to Celtic music make this album instantly accessible for world music enthusiasts, yet the differences are enough to make this listening experience like a breath of fresh air. The time and care that went into these arrangements is only truly obvious on repeated hearings; at first it sounds completely spontaneous and yet perfect. The only (minor) quibble is that the accompanying lyric booklet is only printed in Czech - only the song titles are translated, so those not familiar with the language or the musicians will have very little in the way of information. However, the listener with an open mind and ears can certainly get caught up in the sheer passion of this music, from the joyousness of Happy Janek to the reflective title track. In a time when the "world music" genre may seem increasingly over-hyped, this CD is definitely worthy of attention."