Asbjřrnsen - Scented Gardens Of The Mind


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Hungary

Bergendy

Bergendy's early albums were a mixture of beat, progressive rock and pop - variable in quality but with a fair number of interesting tracks. Jazz marked a change in that particular direction. The group continued to exist into the 80's but had by then switched to pure entertainment music.

1BEAT1971PEPITA SLPX 17432
2BERGENDY1971PEPITA SLPX 17434
3HÉTFŐ (2LP)1973PEPITA SLPX 17453-54 2
4ÖTÖDIK SEBESSÉG1974PEPITA SLPX 17477
5FAGYPONT FÖLÖTT MIÉNK A VILÁG1976PEPITA SLPX 17502
6JAZZ1976PEPITA SLPX 17514
7A RENDÍTHETETLEN ÓLOMKATONA1980PEPITA SLPX 17622
S1ARANYALBUM (BEST OF)1981PEPITA SLPX 17608


GERMAN LANGUAGE RECORDINGS:
A1BERGENDY1973AMIGA 8 55 321

CD REISSUES:
S1 RE-ISSUED IN 1993, 2 & 3 IN 1995 AND 4 IN 1996 WITH THE SAME CATALOGUE NUMBERS BUT WITH HCD PREFIX.

Color

A group playing soft symphonic rock with some progressive elements.

1COLOR I1978PEPITA SLPX 17567
2ÚJ SZÍNEK1982PEPITA SLPX 17674

Corvina

The group recorded their first album in Bratislava, which explains its Czechoslovak release on the Opus-label. They used English lyrics and played 3-4 minute soft rock songs bordering on both progressive and 70's pop music (even jazz-rock and good time music). Some melodies are memorable with good use of slight vocal harmonies and an instrumental triumvirat of electric guitar, flute and synthesizers.

Utak Előtt marked an improvement with Hungarian lyrics and broader musical scope, including heavier influences from Omega circa 1970-71 and effective siring arrangements on other tracks. This is certainly worthy of your attention.

1CORVINA I1974PEPITA SLPX 17458
2UTAK ELŐTT1976PEPITA SLPX 17485
3C.C.C.1977PEPITA SLPX 17530
S1ARANYALBUM (BEST OF)1989RÁKÓCZI 004


CZECH ALBUM:
1CORVINA (FIRST)1975OPUS 9116 0445

Dinamit

As you might have guessed, their name means Dynamite. A more appropriate name would have been "Wet Dynamite", as their musical style was limp heavy rock based on electric guitar, organ and turgid vocals. Their were one of several bands to follow the heels of Omega.

1DINAMIT1980PEPITA SLPX 17628
2A HID1981PEPITA SLPX 17685

A CD RELEASE NAMED MINDÖRÖKKÉ RELEASED IN 1995 ON GONG (HCD 37793) IS CONTAINING BOTH ALBUMS.

East

East were in almost the same class as Solaris and with a much more prolific output. At the start of their career, East played melodious symphonic rock fronted by synthesizers and guitars, similar to Pink Floyd, Camel, Yes and Genesis. Many groups attempted to copy these British groups, but East (on Játékok) luckily had sufficient personality to warrant interest. Regretably they became increasingly commercial afterwards, but at least the three first albums are good purchases.

1JÁTÉKOK (GAMES)1981START SLPX 17679
2HÜSÉG (FAITH)1982START SLPX 17733
3RESEK A FALON1983START SLPM 17815
4AZ ÁLDOZAT1984KRÉM SLPX 17880
519861985START SLPM 17972
6A SZERELEM SIVATAGA1988RING RLP 2003


ENGLISH VERSION ALBUM:
A1GAMES1983PEPITA INT. SLPR 713

THIS WAS AN ENGLISH VERSION OF JÁTÉKOK. NO NEW COVER WAS DESIGNED, SO IT WAS SIMPLY PACKED IN THE HUNGARIAN VERSION'S COVER

Edda

Their style was melodious mainstream heavy rock centered around electric guitar, organ and vocals. Attila Pataki sings in a style similar to János Kóbor of Omega. The Müvek ("works") albums are all reasonably good, and arguably better than the records from their colleagues Karthago, V'moto Rock and P. Box. The third was the most dynamic and included some good synthesizer arrangements. Viszlát! (1984) was a live album, recorded at their last ever concert in 1983.

1MÜVEK 11980PEPITA SLPX 17631
2MÜVEK 21981PEPITA SLPX 17664
3MÜVEK 31982PEPITA SLPM 17773
4VISZLÁT!1984BRAVO SLPM 17849


SPLIT ALBUM WITH P. BOX AND KARTHAGO:
.1.2.3... START LIVE 1982?START SLPX 17711

(SIDE A EDDA AND P. BOX, SIDE B KARTHAGO)

Hungária

Hungária played beat music from 1967 onwards. Their two early albums arc enjoyable, with a mixture of beat, heavy rock, pop and even rock'n'roll. They featured short tracks, not really classifiable as "progressive rock". From 1975 to 1979 they played retro Beatles material. Then, in the 80's, dreadful fake 50's rock'n'roll a la Shakin' Stevens.

1KONCERT A MARSON1970QUALITON SLPX 17408
2HUHGÁRIA (TŰZVESZÉLYES)1970PEPITA SLPX 17424
S1RÉG VOLT, ÍGY VOLT (1967-71)1985BRAVO SLPM 17889


CD-RELEASE:
S2BEATLES-LÁZ1997GOHG HCD 37425
(BEATLES RETRO AHD OTHER POST-BEAT STUFF. 1976-79 SINGLES AND MANY UNRELEASED TRACKS)

1 ALSO EXISTS IN MONO VERSION (LPX 17408)

Illés

Illés (from Budapest) formed in 1965 as the Hungarian answer to The Beatles. Some members had a jazz circuit background. Not long after Sgt. Pepper, Illés performed in strongly coloured uniforms almost identical to those of The Beatles.

Their first three albums are full of period charm - euphonious and inventive beat music with instant Eastern trips, snippets of conversation, well conceived harmony pop, exotic instruments and occasional orchestration. These would be internationally acclaimed among collectors, if only more people had been able to understand the language.

In 1970 Illés were banned from performing in Budapest for almost a year, after critizising the official Hungarian politics toward rock in a BBC interview. The 1971 album came in a white sleeve (a reference both to censorship and a certain Beatles album) and was a "beat oratorium" dealing with human rights and dedicated to the black American activist Angela Davis. The music was more mature (not really "beat" music but 12 examples of melodic, song-based progressive rock) and less whimsical, usually with twin guitars and organ. Subsequent albums were quite similar, but couldn't improve on the 1971 effort. After their first split, some members played in the group Fonograf. The 1980 re-union album is, as is often the case, a disappointment.

1EZEK A FIATALOK1967QUALITON LPX 17370
2NEHÉZ AZ ÚT1968QUALITON SLPX 17391
3ILLESEK ES POFONOK1969QUALITON SLPX 17398
4ILLÉS (HUMAN RIGHTS)1971PEPITA SLPX 17410
5ADD A KEZED1972PEPITA SLPX 17437
6NE SÍRJATOK, LÁNYOK1973PEPITA SLPX 17455
7EXPRESS IMAGE1980OPUS 9116 0979 (CZE)
S1LEGENDÁS KISLEMEZEK1983KRÉM SLPX 17757

S1 WAS A COMPILATION OF SINGLES FROM 1965 TO 1969.
2-3 ALSO RELEASED ON MONO WITH LPX PREFIXES.
6 CONTAINED RE-RECORDINGS OF 1966-71 TRACKS


GERMAN LANGUAGE RECORDINGS:
A1ILLÉS1973AMIGA 8 55 308


LEVENTE SZÖRENTI SOLO:
B11 UZAZÁS1974PEPITA SLPX 17459
B2HAZATÉRÉS1980PEPITA SLPX 17641


CD-RELEASES:
.AZ ILLÉS ÖSSZES KISLEMEZE1993GONG HCD 37706-07
(ALL SINGLES COLLECTED ON 2 CDS)
.AZ ILLÉS MÁSIK OLDALÁN1996GONG HCD 37846
(UNRELEASED AND ALTERNATE TRACKS ON CD)

Karthago

Most Hungarian heavy rock groups had quite a similar sound, but Karthago (along with Pandora's Box) represented both the most powerful style, but also a terrible lack of originality. Their music (and stage costumes) was originally influenced by Omega.

1KARTHAGO1981PEPITA SLPX 17657
2EZREDFORDULÓ1982START SLPX 17712
3REQUIEM1983MUSICA OK AS 76.23568
4SENKI FÖLDJÉN1984START SLPX 17813
5ORIENTAL DREAMS1984MUSICA OK KR 1103
S1ARANYALBUM1990PROTON PR 0067

Kolinda

Undoubtedly, Kolinda are among the best Hungarian artists of the 70's (regardless of genre), cultivating their unique type of complex folk music with strong mediaeval and Eastern influences. The group lived in France at the time and was possibly influenced by some of the skillful French folk music players. Kolinda's Ágnes Zsigmondi was indeed as good as Emmanuelle Parrenin and their music brings back strong images from a long forgotten past. Anyone interested in adventurous folk music should check out all three albums released on Hexagone. Two later albums were only released in The Netherlands.

1KOLINDA 11976HEXAGONE 883010 (F)
2KOLINDA 21977HEXAGONE 883013 (F)
315141978HEXAGONE 883017 (F)
4MAKÁM ÉS KOLINDA1982MUNICH (NL)
5ÚTON1984MUNICH (NL)

Koral

Koral play symphonic heavy rock similar to Journey and Styx (but not that slick). It's worth listening to their first album in particular, which had the strongest melodic content. Very conventional music but still fairly enjoyable.

1KORÁL I1980PEPITA SLPX 17633
2A TÚLSÓ PART1982PEPITA SLPX 17683
3AZ ÓCEÁN1984PEPITA SLPM 17809
4KORÁL IV. (1975-85)1985PEPITA SLPM 17926

Locomotiv GT

Locomotive GT sold more than 1.5 million albums in their homeland. They toured the eastern bloc, as well as Great Britain and the USA (the latter on a major tour with Grand Funk Railroad). The band was formed in 1971 by, amongst others, Gábor Presser and Jószef Laux, previous members of Omega.

Their first album maintained a good standard throughout, mostly centered around jazzy progressive rock in the style of Traffic (2nd album), Family, Joe Cocker, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago, but also including a great blues instrumental (full of stinging guitars), a less convincing gospel ballad and a bluegrass parody. Gábor Presser's keyboards (mainly organ) have a prominent rote on most tracks. After hearing Locomotive GT in 1971, a critic with New Musical Express wrote: "the next rock sensation could come from the Rast, not West".

Their next albums mixed pop-rock and jazz-rock in a similar way, but also saw a decline of original ideas. However, their performance of Gábor Presser and Anna Adams's musical Imaginary Report From An American Pop Festival brought them more critical acclaim. This was the first East European rock opera, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Hungarian writer Tibor Déry. This dealt with the Altamont festival and the experiences of a Hungarian who fled his country in 1956.

Twenty years later, in 1976, Locomotive GT's drummer Jószef Laux also fled Hungary, causing their fifth album to be banned after only some months in circulation. After a few years in limbo, the group resumed but played just commercial pop-rock.

Good starring points for those unfamiliar with their music would be their first album, the live album recorded in Poland or the 1992 collection.

ALBUMS (UP TO 1976):
1LOCOMOTIV GT1971PHPITA SLPX 17449
2RINGASD EL MAGAD1972PEPITA SLPX 174??
3III - BUMMM!1973PEPITA SLPX 17467
4MINDIG MAGASABBRA1974PEPITA SLPX 17490
5V (ARANYTALLÉROK) 2LP1976PEPITA SLPX 17515-16
S1ARANYALBUM (2LP BEST OF)1978PEPITA SLPX 17551-52
S2AZ LGT ÖSSZES KISLEMEZE1992FAVORIT SLPM 37618-19

3 RE-ISSUED BY KRÉM (SLPX 17467) IN 1982 WITH A DIFFERENT COVER.
S2 WAS A 2 LP SET, COLLECTING SINGLES FROM 1971 TO 1984, INCLUDING SEVERAL NON-LP TRACKS.
A 10 LP BOX SET EXISTS, NAMED "A LOCOMOTIV GT ÖSSZES NAGYLEMEZE", RELEASED BY GONG (SLPM 37630-39) IN 1992 THIS INCLUDED THEIR COMPLETE ALBUMS FROM 1971 TO 1976 IN ADDITION TO LATER MATERIAL.

ALL ALBUMS RE-ISSUED ON CD IN 1992.


OTHER RELEASES:
A1LOCOMOTIV GT1974ABC ABCX 811 (USA)
A2IN WARSAW1975MUZA SX 1384
A3LOCOMOTIV GT1976SUPRAPHON 1 13 1920
A4LOCOMOTIV GT '74 USA1988FAVORIT SLPM 37138

A1 CONTAINED RE-RECORDED TRACKS WITH ENGLISH LYRICS FOR THE BRITISH AND NORTH AMERICAN MARKET.
A2 WAS A LIVE ALBUM ONLY RELEASED IN POLAND WITH MATERIAL FROM THEIR FOURTH ALBUM MOSTLY.
A3 ALSO CONTAINED ENGLISH VERSIONS. RECORDED IN PRAGUE, 1975.
A4 WAS THE FIRST RELEASE OF THEIR SECOND ENGLISH ALBUM, ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE RELEASED IN 1975


GABOR PRESSER & ANNA ADAMIS:
A1IMAGINARY REPORT FROM AN AMERICAN TOP FESTIVAL1973QUALITON SLPX 16579
A2I'M THIRTY YEARS OLD1976PEPITA SLPX 17494


GABOR PRESSER SOLO:
A3ELECTROMANTIC1982PEPITA SLPX 17715

Metro

A little known group whose sound seemed to be modelled on Illés (but with added sound effects between the tracks), although occasionally a few steps closer to melodic progressive rock (a la early Procol Harum). Their albums are variable, with trite jazz-pop and good heavy Magyar beat-psych being the opposite extremes. The second album was a live recording.

1METRO I1969QUALITON SLPX 17397
2EGY ESTE A METRO KLUBBAN1970QUALITON SLPX 17417

Mini

Mini played jazzy progressive rock.

1VISSZA A VÁROSBA1978PEPITA SLPX 17543
2ÚTON A FÖLD FELÉ1979PEPITA SLPX 17616
3KONCERT (LIVE)1980PEPITA SLPX 17647
4DZSUNGEL1983PEPITA SLPX 17755


CD-COMPILATION:
1VISSZA A VÁROSBA (1972-83)1993GONG HCD 37678

Neoton

The listed album contained beat-psychedelic music similar to lllés. The band split up in late 1971, but reformed to record a light pop-rock album in 1976. Subsequently they recorded disco albums!

1BOLOND VÁROS1971QUALITON SLPX 17422

Omega

Omega is probably the most famous rock group from the whole of Eastern Europe with a career now spanning four decades of formidable popularity in their homeland. Through the years they have explored beat, psychedelia, vintage heavy progressive, symphonic glitter rock and heavy stadium rock. Readers of this book will probably find the early Hungarian albums most valuable. From Trombitás Fredi Esa Rettenettes Emberek to Éjszakai Országút Omega gradually changed from beat music and psychedelia to heavy progressive rock. They used a lot of the available studio effects of the time, most notably the Leslie cabinet, flanging effects and strange echoes. Their sound was strongly influenced by contemporary British rock (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, The Beatles). "Ahol A Boldogságot Osztották" on Éjszakai Országút (1970), perhaps their best album, paraphrased Jimmy Page's solo guitar from "Heartbreaker".

Their first international album was produced by Peter Hauke in the Dierks Studio (near Cologne) in 1973. It was a more polished effort with considerable commercial appeal. In addition to the heavy glitter rock of "Everytime She Steps In", Omega also attempted to keep a more serious progressive profile with "After A Hard Year" (resembling Moody Blues, Procol Harum and King Crimson circa 1969). 200 Years After The Last War and Omega III stayed close to this formula and had some decent long tracks.

Fans of symphonic rock might want to check out Hall Of Floaters In The Sky (1975) and Time Robber (1976), which are generally agreed to be Omega's best attempts within this genre. Their later albums arc quite dire.

HUNGARIAN ALBUMS:
1TROMBITÁS FRÉDI ÉS A RETTENETES EMBEREK1968QUALITON SLPX 17390
210.000 LEPES1969QUALITON SIPX 17400
3EJSZAKAI ORSZAGUT1970QUALITON SLPX 17414
4ELO '72 (LIVE)1972PEPITA SLPX 17443
5OMEGA 51973PEPITA SLPX 17457
6NEM TU DOMA NEVED1975PEPITA SLPX 17483
7IDORABLO1977PEPITA SLPX 17523
8CSILLAGOK ÚTJÁN1978PEPITA SLPX 17570
9GAMMAPOLIS1979PEPITA SLPX 17579
10ELO KISSTADION '79 (2LP)1980PEPITA SLPX 17619/20
11X - AZ ARC (FACE)1981PEPITA SLPX 17690
12XI1982PEPITA SLPX 17747
13JUBILEUMI KONCERT (2LP)1983PEPITA SLPM 17777-78 - LIVE
2 LP SET OF 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

1-3 ALSO RELEASED IN MONO WITH LPX-PREFIXES


S1ARANYALBUM (1968-70)1979PEPITA SLPX 17579
S2LEGENDÁS KISLEMEZEK1984KRÉM SLPX 17820

S1 CONTAINED LP TRACKS, S2 SINGLES.

SPLIT ALBUM:
.KISSTADION'801980PEPITA SLPX 17655
(LIVE ALBUM RECORDED IN 1980. ONE SIDE OF OMEGA, THE REMAINING TRACKS ARE BY LOCOMOTIV GT AND BEATRICE)

INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS (GERMAN RELEASES):
1OMEGA1973BACILLUS BLPS 19147
2200 YEARS AFTER THE LAST WAR1974BACILLUS BLPS 19175
3OMEGA III1974BACILLUS BLPS 19191
S1OMEGA1975BELLAPHON BBS 2521
4THE HALL OF FLOATERS IN THE SKY1975BACILLUS BLPS 19218
5TIME ROBBER1976BACILLUS BAC 2037
6ON TOUR1977BACILLUS BAC 2045
7SKYROVER1978BACILLUS BAC 2052
8GAMMAPOLIS1978BACILLUS BAC 2061
9LIVE AT THE KISSTADION1979BACILLUS BAC


OTHER INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS:
.OMEGA RED STAR1968DECCA SKLR 4974 (UK)
.OMEGA1972AMIGA 8 55 282 (DDR)
(THE ABOVE IS A COMPILATION FROM THE FIRST THREE HUNGARIAN ALBUMS)
.WORKING1981WEA 58329

SEE ALSO: LOCOMOTIVE GT

Pandora's Box

The group was also known as just P. Box. Their music was archetypical heavy rock. Their second album came out in 1983 and the third one in 1985 (with some line-up changes). Quite good attempts within the genre, really.

1PANDORA'S BOX I1982START SLPX 17688

Panta Rhei

Panta Rhei played progressive rock similar to Emerson, Lake & Palmer according to some.

.PANTA RHEI I1981PEPITA SLPX 17662

A CD NAMED "EPILOG" WAS RELEASED BY MEGA (MCDA 87601) IN 1998, CONTAINING UNRELEASED RECORDINGS FROM 1977 TO 1987.

Piramis

Piramis (in English: Pyramid) played heavy rock with some slightly progressive tendencies. Their early albums contained some interesting tracks. One of these, "In The Shadow Of The Sparkling Pyramids" (1977) was a long instrumental with jazzy keyboards and guitar interplay. However, their shorter songs lacked originality and were strongly influenced by Deep Purple and Uriah Heep and local band Omega.

1PlRAMIS I1977PEPITA SLPX 17528
2PlRAMIS II1978PEPITA SLPX 17555
3PlRAMIS III1979PEPITA SLPX 17589
4A NAGY BULI (LIVE)1979PEPITA SLPX 17621
5EROTIKA1981PEPITA SLPX 17663
6PLUSZ1982PEPITA SLPX 17704


EXPORT ALBUM:
A1PIRAMIS (ENGLISH VERSIONS)1980PEPITA INT. SLPR 703

Skorpio

Another Hungarian heavy rock group who utilized some progressive elements.

1A ROHANÁS1974PEPITA SLPX 17470
2ÜNNEPNAP1976PEPITA SLPX 17498
3KELJ FEL!1977PEPITA SLPX 17512
4GYERE VELEM1978PEPITA SLPX 17575
5THE RUN1978HABIMA HSLP 7819
S1ARANYALBUM1983PEPITA SLPX 17765


CD COMPILATION:
7BEST OF SKORPIÓ1993GONG HCD 37689

Solaris

Solaris was without doubt the best symphonic rock group from Hungary (and are mentioned here even though they didn't record in the 70's). Their first album Martian Chronicles comprised a carefully constructed instrumental rock, not unlike Camel and Focus, but with parts resembling Mike Oldfield, Eloy and Pink Floyd. The title track is a 23 minute tour de force of inspired musical themes featuring synthesizers, electric guitar and flute.

The recent double album 7990 was even belter (but definitely far beyond the time scale for this book).

1MARSBELI KRONIAK1984START SLPM 17819
21990 (2LP)1990PEPITA SLPM 3731011


CO REISSUES:
1 RE-ISSUED ON CD IN 1995 BY GONG (HCD 17819)
2 RELEASED ON SINGLE CD IN 1990 (INCOMPLETE) AND IN 1996 AS DOUBLE CD ON GONG (HCD 37310-11).

Syrius

The group's legendary first album merged Bartok with experimental, jazzy progressive rock. At this point, the music: of Syrius was very ambitious, combining fragments of Jcthro Tull, Blood. Sweat & Tears, Family, The Nice, Moving Gelatine Plates and Soft Machine into a complex tapestry with countless broken rhythms. Their music was demanding but also rewarding for the attentive listener. The album was first released in Austrialia, but later licensed to Pepita. The Hungarian release is the very same English language recording. The album is one of the most interesting Hungarian albums and a must for the adventurous listener.

Broken Dreams (1976) was a much more accessible album, moving closer to the pedestrian jazz-rock of Locomotive GT (or Creative Rock and Emergency).

1DEVIL'S MASQUERADE1971FESTIVAL SPIN SEL 934377
1AZ ÖRDÖG ÁLARCOSBÁLJA1972PEPITA LPX 17439
2SZETTORT ALMOK1976PEPITA SLPX 17491

1 RE-ISSUED IN 1981 BY KRÉM (SLPX 17439) IN DIFFERENT COVER. ALSO RE-ISSUED ON CD BY GONG (HCD 17439) IN 1993.

A CD SAMPLER WITH OLD RADIO RECORDINGS (ETC.) EXISTS:
1MOST, MÚLT, LESZ1994GONG HCD 37733

V'Moto Rock

A "soft hard-rock" (or "stadium rock") group who played between 1977 and 1987. They were similar to Karthago, Piramis and Edda. None of their albums were essential, that's for certain!

1I.1978PEPITA SLPX 17562
2II.1980PEPITA SLPX 17627
3GYERTYÁK1982PEPITA SLPX 17696
S1BEST OF1984FAVORIT SLPR 711

S1 CONSISTED OF ENGLISH VERSIONS.


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