Record Reviews

QUIDAM ~ …BEZ PÓLPRADU (…HALFPLUGGED) ROCK SERWIS 066 (Barcode: 5907729906628) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006 6th album by this great group, which survived the departure of their phenomenal female lead singer and lyricist Emila DerkowskaFind albums by this artist (replaced by male vocalist Bartek KossowiczFind albums by this artist), an event that would have destroyed most other groups. This album is quite unusual in many respects, as it wasn’t really planned to happen at all. QuidamFind albums by this artist were invited to perform an acoustic (i.e. unplugged – see the album’s title) concert and although hesitant at first they sized this opportunity to rearrange some of their material and some Prog classic to create a new sound for the group. The result is truly outstanding. The acoustic Quidam sounds every bit as fantastic as their electric alter ego. The new singer does a superb job even when singing older material, which Derkowska performed (compare the version of “Sanctuary” with the original performances on their Angels` DreamsFind albums with this title and Baja ProgFind albums with this title albums). As usual, they include in their music tributes to the Classic Rock and Prog icons, this time performing (or incorporating passages into their own work) songs by BeatlesFind albums by this artist, Pink FloydFind albums by this artist, Moody BluesFind albums by this artist and Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist. It certainly looks like Quidam can do nothing wrong. With 6 first-rate albums and a consistent level of excellence they are one of the leading contemporary Prog groups and their future looks brighter than ever. Brilliant music!

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QUIDAM ~ ALONE TOGETHER ROCK SERWIS 068 (Barcode: 5907729906826) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 7th album by Polish Prog group QuidamFind albums by this artist and 3rd by the second version of the group with their new lead singer Bartek KossowiczFind albums by this artist. It is certain that this is truly the first “proper” album of this version of the band, as they have been searching for a direction for quite a while and although the two previous albums have been more that adequate, this one overshadows them completely. They did finally find their balance, coming back to the beautiful melodies and superb instrumental passages that made the group famous to start with. Bartek is an excellent vocalist and the new material suits his voice perfectly, as he’s much better with the lyrical side of music than the rockier one. The music and performances are brilliant and it’s so good to see them again at their peak, taking back the position at the very top of contemporary Prog, which sadly suffers from stagnation. I’d still prefer if the lyrics were in Polish, but I suppose a band of their caliber just has to go internationally with lyrics in English. At least the lyrics make sense as opposed to the usual blabbering one finds so often on Prog releases. Definitely a major piece of work and a full swing return to good old times – truly great album. A must to every Prog fan!

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QUIDAM ~ SAIKO ROCK SERVICE 070 (Barcode: 5907729907021) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the tenth album by the legendary Polish Prog ensemble QuidamFind albums by this artist, recorded four years after their last studio album "Alone TogetherFind albums with this title". It marks a dramatic transformation in the group´s stylistic approach as far as its music, lyrics, production and aesthetic aura is concerned, an alteration more profound than that, which occurred when Quidam´s original vocalist Emila DerkowskaFind albums by this artist left the group to be replaced by Bartek KossowiczFind albums by this artist. The album consists of twelve original compositions, as usual credited to the group members, eight of which are songs and four are instrumental interludes. Only one of the songs has lyrics in English and the other seven have Polish lyrics. The group´s decision to go back and use lyrics in the Polish language (as they did in their early days) is a profound resolution, which is completely misunderstood by most of their fans, especially those outside of Poland. My regular readers are aware of my passionate opinion on this subject, which always advocates the usage of mother tongue in lyrics. Every vocalist not performing in his / hers native langue losses an enormous amount of depth, expression and precision simply due to the fact that the meaning of words is deeply embedded in our brains in the natural language and so much is lost in the "translation" when we articulate our thoughts in a foreign language. And of course there is the problem with the unnatural accent, pronunciation and articulation, which are never really correct (and that is especially true for Polish vocalists singing in English), regardless of how hard they try or how good they are. I salute Quidam for taking this bold decision, which proved their maturity as artists. Only mature artists are able to understand, that their true Art transcends language barriers and singing in English is not really necessary to achieve international success. But apart from the language, Quidam also make a giant stylistic leap in their music, crossing over from the 1970s to the 21st Century. They update their sound, arrangements, production and the overall aura to contemporary Rock idiom, using electronics, loops, layers and other paraphernalia simply in order to update their vocabulary. As much as I love the sound of early Prog, which Quidam so beautifully sustained and even expanded in their music made prior to this album, one must admit that keeping that style artificially alive has its limits and keeping doing it forever borders on necrophilia. Many fans, shocked by this new musical approach, failed to see through these external manifestations deeply into the soul of this music, which is very much a continuation of the good old Quidam. There is the same beautiful lyricism, intrinsic melancholy, depth of expression and above all superb musicianship and Artistic profundity of expression. As always, this music is perfectly executed, dramatically sung and contains a message. Quidam prove yet again, that a masque makes an impact, but does not change the person behind it. In the months since this album was released I´ve read a plethora of highly critical reviews, some of which were truly abusive and cruel. It is sad, that people who have very little understanding of music have the audacity to express their opinions in public. I guess that the middle finger is the only proper response to such "opinions". Quidam emerge on this album victorious, overcoming against all odds the objective difficulties that contemporary music faces, with the world loosing interest in music and stupidity and shallowness ruling our lives. Being able to progress is after all the essence of Prog, and Quidam yet again prove that they have very little competition anywhere on this planet. This is an absolute gem, which every Prog fan should be honored to have in their collection.

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QUIDAM ~ SURREVIVAL ROCK SERWIS 063 (Barcode: 5907729906321) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 5th album by the phenomenal Polish Prog group QuidamFind albums by this artist. It took them 3 years to recover from the sudden blow inflicted on them when their lead singer / lyricist Emila DerkowskaFind albums by this artist unexpectedly left them. Since Quidam were essentially built around Emila’s central role, this entire concept was now gone and the remaining core band members had to redesign and rethink their new direction. Slowly they developed new material and after enlisting a new (male this time) lead singer and lyricist Bartek KossowiczFind albums by this artist they were finally ready to record a new album. As the album’s title reveals, they eventually managed both to survive and to revive their group. But the new Quidam, which emerges here, is very different from the previous incarnation. The sound is much harder, similar at times to Steve HogarthFind albums by this artist’s era MarillionFind albums by this artist and ArenaFind albums by this artist. The early soft GenesisFind albums by this artist influences and folksy instrumentation is gone, replaced by strong guitar and keyboards lines. The only resemblance remains in the beautiful flute parts. The new singer is truly excellent, singing only in English with no foreign accent whatsoever. This switch from Polish to English is one more difference in the band’s approach, surely influenced by their worldwide success. One thing is quite obvious: with all the changes and transformations they remain to be one of the best and strongest contemporary Prog bands, with very limited competition. The album includes excellent music from start to finish, brilliantly played and sung – one can ask nothing more than that. Definitely a worthy addition to the band’s excellent musical legacy and a must for every serious Symphonic Prog fan.

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