Fermáta - (1977) - Huascaran

FLAC / CUE / LOG / Hi Res Scans

pass: slafko1

Studio Album, released in 1977

Track Listings
1. Huascaran I (13:41)
2. 80 000 (7:30)
3. Solidarity (6:34)
4. Huascaran II (11:13)

Bonus tracks on Opus re-issue (1996):
5. 15 (4:03)
6. Valparaiso (6:09)
7. Perpetuum (2:17)

Line-up/Musicians
- Tomáš Berka / piano, synthesizer
- František Griglák / guitar, piano, synthesizer
- Ladislav Lučenič / bass
- Karol Oláh / drums, percussion
- Peter Oláh / vocals
- Dezider Pito / violoncello

This third album is a concept album, based on the Peruvian 1970 earthquake that killed some 80,000 lives and had its epicenter near Huascaran. How futile the coincidence that I review this album three weeks after the next biggest earthquake took place in Chincha. It is indeed with much emotions that I have listened to this album in the last month, thinking of our fine collaborators Ivàn, Cesar, Chus and whomever else I might forget, let alone all of the victims that suffered from this most recent event. So in their honor and with much humility, I’d like to dedicate this review to our Peruvian friends who are probably facing a few hardships, but are alive and well (as are their families), which before the Ming vase (Eeeehmmmm!!!… ;o))) and their Cd collection is the most important!

The group undergoes a big line-up change as original bassist Jaro is replaced Lucenic, while the drum stool revolves for the last time in a while with Karol Olah sitting on a big wad of glue (Eeeehmmm!!!…. ;o))) to retain it. Griglak also plunges into keyboards on this album, but it doesn’t tip the scale against his guitar, since it is one of his strongest works. Karol’s brother Peter will belt out a few vocal lines and they added a cello guest musician (the violinist of their previous album was virtually unnoticeable). With their poorest artwork of their discography (but giving a good idea of their western equipment), Huascaran would’ve deserved a more evocative artwork because of the thematic subject, at the risk of being a bit graphic.

While the lead-off first part of the title track is rather slow evolver, the track picks up intensity by the tenth minute and a few dozens of second later, a short drum solo roll describe the earthquake and the 40-minutes landslide/avalanche that resulted in the high victim toll. The next track is a solemn homage to the 80,000 victims, and this track cannot leave me without chills down my back and send goose-bumps over the rest of my body. This music is simply awesome and somehow a fantastic gift from people suffering a different kind of hardship, caught behind an iron curtain. Griglak’s guitar lines in this track are soaring above Pachacamac and the Inca roots of the country.

The flipside is a good musical evocation of the international help teams and solidarity amongst men in adversity, the shorter track of the album, but hardly lesser because of it. The second part of the title track brings us back to the dramatic end of the opening movement, but it seems that the idea was to improvise a bit on the ideas developed previously. The tracks is a slow decrease of intensity and ends on birdsongs and slow bass drum hearbeat. I must actually give Fermáta a big hand to have avoided the trap of sounding “ethnic” (as using Latino rhythms or using Andean folk), as I think that it was an easy way out and might have cheapened the progressive tour de force they pulled with this album.

The Cd reissue comes with three absolutely fantastic bonus tracks, which adds even more value per money. 15 is a hard driving funk/fusion track that resembles a bit the then-recent Weather Report releases with Latino rhythms. Valparaiso (named after the Chilean seaport) is more of a Mahavishnu Orchestra and is shines like a thousand sun and is hotter than lava flowing from its crater. The short Pertpetuum I would obviously be a leftover from their debut album, but strangely enough features some heavy brass arrangements, which hints it wouldn’t be the case after all.

A splendid album and Fermáta’s best album (even with the bonuses) and some of the most stunning symphonic/progressive jazz- rock ever. This could easily rate with the best of UK or US jazz-rock fusion and it’s a shame that Fermáta was one more victim of the Cold War, because it deserved much more. Run for this one!!

Releases information
LP Opus 9116 0604 (1977)
CD Opus 7103417 (1996)

Отредактировано slafko1 (2008-10-06 17:20:13)

FFermáta - (1994) - Real Time

FLAC / CUE / LOG / Hi Res Scans

pass: slafko1

Studio Album, released in 1994

Track Listings
1. Long way (5:11)
2. Return (4:35)
3. Somedays (3:36)
4. Blue Monday (4:40)
5. Tequila sunrise (3:29)
6. Impresion (3:32)
7. Subway (5:01)
8. Living your lives (5:20)
9. Love time (4:59)
10. Hot stuff (6:08 )
11. Digestive (0:40)

Total Time: 47:11

Line-up/Musicians
František Griglák – guitars, keyboards
Marius Bartoň – bass
Martin Hanzel – keyboards
Jindřich G. Planka – drums

Guest musicians:
Paľo Horváth – vocals
Erich Procházka – mouth-organ

Отредактировано slafko1 (2008-10-06 17:24:19)

Большое спасибо за "Fermatu", я и не знал. что эта группа ещё существует !

Да, действительно группа интересная!
Только вот в первом релизе этой темы есть небольшая неточность...
В "Dunajska Legenda" указан 1976 год, на самом деле 1980.
У меня в коллекции до сих пор остался этот альбом на LP-диске.
На виниле указан (р) 1980 (9116 0726)

Не, весь материал записан в 1980, кроме «Perpetuum III» (1975) и два бонус-трека в 1976.

Fermata — была гордостью чехословацкой джаз-роковой сцены, а сейчас словацкой. Словаки часто обижаются, когда приписываешь ей «чехословацкое» гражданство...

Да, словаки немного запутали, добавив бонус-треки в начало и в конец альбома. 
laci уже ответил на этот вопрос, теперь объясню я, немного по-другому.

1 трек - бонус-трек, запись 1975
2-9 треки - оригинальный альбом, 1980
10, 11 -  бонус-треки, запись 1976.