Poland was recorded live at the Teatr Jeleniogorski in Jelenia Gora, Poland, in 2004. 57 year-old Steve Jolliffe plays grand piano, flute and electronics. The driving sequencers which recur throughout the album are highly reminiscent of Tangerine Dream – small wonder given that Jolliffe was briefly a member of the band back in 1968, and again in 1978, when he played on their Cyclone LP (generally considered by fans to be one of their worst.)
‘Spring ’67’ begins with several minutes of florid piano runs, before some eerie ambient drones enter the picture. Then a recording of Edgar Froese’s wah-wahed lead guitar (from 1967) surfaces in the mix, and some flute enters the frame too, steering the piece in a different direction. Later in the track Jolliffe’s breathy flute floats over twinkling, chiming sequencers, and we’re definitely in TD territory.
‘Meadow Run’ has a Gypsy/classical feel as Eastern European melodies are taken up by different instruments playing over riffing strings and more slightly overripe piano.
‘Komarno’ begins with a Music for 18 Musicians feel, as piano plays over fast bell-sound sequences. Synthetic vocal sounds encourage a relaxing ambience. But as with the other tracks, things don’t stay the same for long. A brassy, Glassesque sequence begins, and the movement picks up steam…
I can’t pretend that this album is in any way cutting-edge or modish, but I have enjoyed listening to it nonetheless. (Thank goodness no-one else knows what’s on my MP3 player.) File under Guilty Pleasures.
Ewan Burke
