Another muzsikas gem
Michael Landes | Woodside, CA United States | 09/30/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I notice there are no reviews so I'll supply an idea of this record for muzsikas fans who are wondering if they should bother.
short version: if you are a muzsikas fan, or just interested in checking out traditional village music of Hungarian people, YES, get it without hesitation.
Long version:
Being a great band, no two muzsikas records are alike. there is no typical muzsikas record. They formed, as a trio, in 1973. This, their first full length recording, was recorded/released in 1978. They were still a trio, but there is a guest artist who appears on three tracks, henceforth he became their fourth member.
They clearly were aware that they might never get a second chance to record and were determined to cover as much ground as possible. this is practically a travelogue of the Hungarian lands. The first cuts cover the lands to the west, where modern Hungary is situated, while the later cuts cover the lands to the east most of which are now part of Romania.
As a result, the variety in the collection is stunning. The twelve cuts cover about eight distinct regions so stylistically it's all over the map.
For example, the bagpipe track is from the southern part of modern Hungary, which borders Serbia ( or is it Croatia...ah politics!). As a result this track is pure croatian music and not related to anything else in the collection. Hungarians influenced by interaction with Croatians, or ethnic croatians who've resided for generations in Hungary? who cares. it's typical of the wonderful variety in Hungarian village music. There are two great tracks whose source is Mezeseg. this is a region of Transylvania famous for the particular richness of its tradition.This is precisely because in this environment the various ethnic groups - Jewish, Gypsy, Romanian, Hungarian/Magyar apparently interacted particularly well. Each was strongly influenced by the others enriching the music of all. lot's of wonderful styles not found elsewhere. What a stew!
these two tracks just give you a glimpse. likewise this record is a wonderful glimpse into this world as a whole.
THE REVIEW: OK not everything is equally wonderful. Of the 10 tracks, to my ears five of spectacular. These five cuts get five stars easy. Another three are very good and the remaining four strike me as charming filler - adding to the whole because they are stylistically different to the other cuts but not individually significant. One note: this is of course pre-Marta. Not only that, Csoori, who eventually became a very expressive, if limited, singer in his own right, was at this early juncture only batting .500, so while he's a plus for me on some cuts, on others I do my best to ignore him to enjoy instrumenals. That being said, this is a great record, and I highly recommend it.
"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1