Record Reviews

JACEK SKUBIKOWSKI ~ JEDYNY HOTEL W MIESCIE GAD 075 (Barcode: 5903068120008) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1982 - 1984 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Jacek SkubikowskiFind albums by this artist. The album was released in two versions, the original version with Polish lyrics and an alternate version with English lyrics. This remastered and expanded 2CD edition presents both versions of the album and a plethora of bonus tracks, which are outtakes, radio and TV broadcasts and concert recordings. All the material comprises of original songs by Skubikowski. This album created quite a stir on the local scene upon its release. The music, strongly influenced by the Blues, was completely original and the highly intelligent lyrics, poetic yet harsh and hyper-realistic, were closer to lyrics of protest songs that to the usual Pop material that by the 1980s ruled the music market. Skubikowski, not yet thirty years old at the time, was received enthusiastically by the public, but criticized heavily by "music critics", who claimed that his music is too eclectic and incoherent. In retrospect the music withstood the tides of time splendidly, regardless of the initial criticism. Skubikowski´s vocal delivery and unique guitar playing, which was a mixture of Blues, Rock and Country, contribute to the unique atmosphere of the album, which remains as one of the most vital "one of its kind" recordings in Polish popular music history. This wonderful edition collects all the recorded material linked to the original album and presents a much more comprehensive historic perspective surrounding the circumstances of its release. It is an important document of the Polish music legacy and as usual the GADFind albums on this label Records label has outdone itself as far as the concept and production of this gem. Highly recommended!

Updated: 10/08/2018Posted: 10/08/2018

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

JACEK SKUBIKOWSKI ~ WYSPA DZIKICH GAD 081 (Barcode: 5903068120084) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1981 - 1985 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the second album by Polish singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Jacek SkubikowskiFind albums by this artist. In addition to the material included on the original LP, this remastered and expanded edition adds a plethora of bonus tracks, both studio and live recordings, as well as an entire bonus DVD with TV appearances, video clips and live recordings. Skubikowski recorded most of the material by himself, using electric and acoustic guitars and bass and drum synthesizers and considering the limited capabilities of these early electronic tools, he achieved a remarkable result. Only on four of the bonus tracks he is accompanied by a Rock trio. The album itself is a concept album of sorts, with the individual songs able to stand alone but their collective story telling creating a much stronger overall result. The music is strongly blues based but includes also typical 1980s Post Punk, New Wave, Industrial and other sub-genres. In retrospect the overall synthesizes soaked sound does sound a bit dated to be honest, but considering the fact that this music was made (still at the time) behind the Iron Curtain, it was remarkably up to date. For fans of the Polish Pop / Rock history, this album brings a glimpse of an era that is mostly forgotten by now and these recordings are not easily available in any form. As such they are an important document and an opportunity to revisit this music from a new perspective.

Updated: 05/02/2019Posted: 05/02/2019

CD+DVD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend