Rock music from the socialist European countries and their successors. Comments are welcome. Please tell me when you find an expired link! :)
UPDATE October 2, 2021: I decided to revive Soviet Sam after a long hiatus. I also fixed most of the links, but maybe there are still some inactive ones.
In April 1987, "Czerwone krzaki" reached no. 12 on the Trójka songs chart. It could have been the start of another great career for a Polish post-punk band, but just a few months later the authorities forbade the release of One Million Bulgarians' debut album, because of its controversial nature. When they were finally able to release their first records in 1990, everyone seemed to have forgotten them, nor they seemed interested to front rock music's changes that happened in the meanwhile. Their originally intended debut album was released only in 2004, seventeen years after it was recorded, showing a band in a way superior condition if compared to the albums released in the 90s. "Pierwsza płyta" is an anthology of angry, rough, and martial post-punk gems. If you like these characteristics , you will fall in love with this record. P.S. The first eight tracks represent the album as it was conceived, the ninth is "Czerwone krzaki". I've added it as a bonus track, because it is the band's most known and important song.
Jacek Kaczmarski was touring France when the Polish authority declared the martial law at the end of 1981. Considering that the lyrics of his songs were particularly harsh against the local regime, even if his accusations were concealed by metaphors and poetry, he decided not to return to his native country. He instead lived in exile, working for Radio Free Europe until 1989. With the end of Soviet rule over Poland, he could finally return. Recorded in 1981 and censored by the authorities at the time, "Krzyk" is the first album released by Kaczmarski after his comeback. It was an immediate success, with lots of classics of Polish bard music. Here you can find "Obława" (a modified version of an old song by Russian legend Vladimir Vysotsky), "Lekcja historii klasycznej", "Sen Katarzyny II", and other well known titles. You will be conquered by the richness of these songs even if you don't understand their lyrics (which I know only through some translations I've found across the net). Not only Kaczmarski was a superb guitar player and singer (capable of aggressive, torrid performances), but he was supported by Zbigniew Łapiński, a virtuoso and elegant classical piano player. Every track has a powerful melody and is tastefully decorated. I love how Kaczmarski's urgency is perfectly completed by Łapiński's gusto. Jacek died of cancer in April 2004.
Original artist name: Янка Дягилева Original album title: Домой! 1989 was prolific for Yanka Dyagileva. In the beginning of the year she released her magnum opus, "Prodano!", a folk music manifesto in which she re-recorded a lot of her old songs, giving them a new spare arrangement for vocals and guitar only. Then she recorded those same songs one more time, in loud, hardcore and noisy rock versions. They were released through two albums, "Domoi!" and "Angedoniya".
